Post-Doctoral Research Associate on ‘UK Fruit and Veg Resilience Project’

We seek a Post-Doctoral Research Associate to join our food system resilience project, led by the University of Reading, joining a large interdisciplinary team with an excellent track record in food system research.

The project aims to: 1) assess resilience of both the current UK fruit and vegetable (F&V) system plus several scenarios of future possible states (e.g. greater domestic production versus imports, more vertical farming versus field-based etc.), 2) analyse the resilience of transformation pathways both in terms of systemic risks they are exposed to and the transition risks generated, 3) identify potential resilience-building interventions.

You will form a member of a close-knit project team consisting of four other PDRAs and several PhD students, academic leads from the University of Reading, University of Oxford and Northumbria University, as well as project partners including government agencies (e.g. Defra, Food Standards Agency), industry bodies and F&V producers. 

Several more PDRA posts will be advertised over the coming year working specifically on food system financial analysis (Work Package2), portfolio analysis of F&V provision (WP3), mathematical modelling of supply chains (WP4) and econometric modelling of dietary and health impacts (WP5).

This first PDRA post will work on the overarching WP1, which will codevelop scenarios for potential F&V system transformation (plausible ideal scenarios to 2050) with key policy partners and industry contacts.

You will help design and facilitate workshops to map systemic risks to UK F&V value chains, including interactions between environmental factors such extreme weather, pest and pollinator dynamics, socio-economic shocks (e.g., civil unrest, market volatility, food price spikes, and labour shortages) and geo-political shocks (e.g., conflict, trade wars). You will work to collate evidence statements that enable conversion of these scenarios into specific shock values relevant for the modelling in subsequent work packages, and help assess broad interventions to increase resilience and screen these with policy partners in terms of their potential to provide wins in terms of enhancing both short and long-term resilience.

You will have:

• a PhD in a relevant field or equivalent attainment
• experience liaising with varied stakeholders
• academic literature synthesis and writing skills
• knowledge of food system resilience
• a motivation to engage in systems approaches to understand complex risks

The project will support visa fee and healthcare surcharge for international applicants.

Closing date: 5.11.24
Interviews held: 18.11.24

Contact Name: Tom Oliver
Contact Job Title: Associate PVC for Research (Environment) & Professor of Applied Ecology
Contact Email address: t.oliver@reading.ac.uk

Alternative Contact Name: Carol Wagstaff
Alternative Contact Job Title: Associate PVC for Research (Agriculture, Food & Health)
Alternative Contact Email address: c.wagstaff@reading.ac.uk

By reference to the applicable SOC code for this role, sponsorship may be possible under the Skilled Worker Route.  Applicants wishing to consider the SWR must ensure that they are able to meet the points requirement before applying. Successful candidates not already holding a Skilled Worker visa issued before 4th April 2024 will have to have been ‘awarded’ their PhD before being able to be sponsored. There is further information about visas on the UK Visas and Immigration Website. 

The University is committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce, supports the gender equality Athena SWAN Charter and the Race Equality Charter, and champions LGBT+ equality. Applications for job-share, part-time and flexible working arrangements are welcomed and will be considered in line with business needs.

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