Opportunity: PhD Studentship

[Michael Hills]

PhD Studentship - The role of cognitive ability and affective state during aggressive encounters: implications for contest behaviour and animal welfare in pigs

Salary
£14,553 per annum stipend

Location
Edinburgh (Scotland's Rural College) & Belfast (Queen's University Belfast)

Description
The studentship will be based within SRUC’s Animal and Veterinary Science Group at the Easter Bush Estate near Edinburgh with short periods of time also spent at Queen’s University Belfast. SRUC, Scotland’s Rural College, delivers comprehensive skills, education and business support for Scotland’s land-based industry founded on world class, sector leading research, education and consultancy. SRUC’s joint submission with the University of Edinburgh to the Agriculture, Veterinary and Food Science subpanel of the Research Excellence Framework (REF2014) ranks top in the UK on research power. The studentship is part of a collaboration with the Institute for Global Food Security (IGFS) at Queen’s University Belfast. Queen’s University is a Russell Group research intensive university, with IGFS ranking first for research intensity (REF 2014), and addressing key food security challenges including those related to animal welfare in agricultural systems.

Applicants should have or expect to obtain a minimum of an upper second class honours degree (or equivalent) in a relevant agricultural, biological or social science. Excellent numeracy and communication skills are required as well as an interest in animal welfare, behavioural development and emotion. The project will be supervised by Dr Simon Turner (SRUC), Dr Gareth Arnott (Queen’s University Belfast), and Dr. Andrea Doeschl-Wilson (University of Edinburgh) with further supervisors at SRUC. The successful candidate will be registered through the University of Edinburgh. This 3.5 year studentship is funded by SRUC and Queen’s University Belfast, offers a stipend of £14,553 per annum and is funded to pay the tuition fees for UK/EU students only. Non UK/EU nationals must provide evidence of sufficient funds to cover the higher international student tuition fee level (approximately £14,900 per year would be required). The expected start date is October 2018.

To apply or for more info click here

Completed forms should be returned to SRUC’s Postgraduate Administrator [e-mail] If candidates have any issues accessing the application form, please contact [e-mail] Tel [phone]Call: [phone] quoting reference SRUC/1032162/Turner.

The closing date for the return of applications is 5pm on Monday 19th February 2018.