2012 PhD Studentship in Impact of Natural Scales on Planning and Decision and Policy, UK

[scholarscope]

PhD Studentship in Matching Scales: Impact of Natural Scales on Planning, Decision and Policy Making Environment at Cranfield University, UK 2012

Study Subject(s):Matching Scales: Impact of Natural Scales on Planning, Decision and Policy

Course Level:PhD

Scholarship Provider: Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)

Scholarship can be taken at: UK

Eligibility:

Applicants should have a First or Second Class UK honours degree (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline such as science or engineering degree.

Scholarship Open for International Students: Yes

Scholarship Open for Students of Following Countries: UK/EU students

Scholarship Description: Introducing biodiversity and in particular, the benefits derived from biodiversity, into a planning, decision and policy making environment requires accurate information on current stocks of biodiversity, a clear understanding of the drivers and processes that determine that biodiversity, and confidence that this biodiversity will deliver the expected ecosystem goods and services, both now and into the future.

This proposed PhD will focus on the match between the 'natural scales' at both a spatial and temporal scale; i.e. the spatial and temporal scales of natural variation, process and population dynamics with the 'planning scales'; i.e. those spatial and temporal scales at which planner, policy makers and institutions operate and make decisions. The aim of this project is to develop an analytical framework which can be used to elucidate the effect of scale on the relationships between biodiversity, ecosystem services and to assess the implications for a planning, decision and policy making environment. This will be based on existing ideas in the literature and draw upon current, relevant work on the analysis of spatio-temporal variation and governance, stakeholders, planning and policy tools. A key part of the study will be in tackling how scientific concepts, language, and information can best be adapted for use in planning, policy, and decision-making. The PhD will form part of the BESS studentship cohort, in the Natural Environmental Research Council funded Biodiversity Ecosystems Services Sustainability programme, the work in two BESS landscapes (urban and lowland rural). Through the BESS directorate and BESS community, the PhD candidate will be encouraged to extend their work to the other two BESS landscapes. This PhD will significantly enhance the impact of these programmes through the proposed programme of research, extending from stakeholder engagement to the planning, policy and institutional decision-making communities across sectors, at a minimum, from rural to urban. This research position is highly interdisciplinary and will require linkages to be made across traditional discipline boundaries. Therefore, candidates should have a high level of interest in ecological, social, and political processes, and how these interact with each other to form the basis of decisions made over the environment. In order to engage in these different scientific arenas, the candidate should have interest in, and ideally prior experience of, applying quantitative and qualitative methods in the collection and analyse of scientific data. Finally, the candidate will need to engage with the scientific teams from different BESS projects. This will require high levels of enthusiasm and initiative as well as good organisational and communications skills.

What it Covers: Funding * Applicants are eligible for a bursary of up to £13,590 p.a. for the duration of the award dependent upon qualifications and experience. This studentship will cover the tuition fees for qualified UK/EU students only.

How to Apply: Online

Scholarship Application Deadline: 09 November 2012

Further Scholarship Information and Application