Application for DAERA Postgraduate Studentship 2026

(Required) 1.1 Research to identify and evaluate practical, scalable approaches to increase soil carbon storage in Northern Ireland’s agricultural systems. This could include: (i) plant-based strategies, including breeding or variety selection; (ii) microbiome interventions focused on plants or soils; or (iii) integrated systems approaches. 1.2 Research to develop a standardised suite of behavioural indicators to measure adoption of sustainable practices across schemes and farming systems. 1.3 Research to consider interventions to support and improve mental health and wellbeing of Northern Ireland’s farmers in the context of agricultural transition and climate adaptation. 1.4 Research on the application of behavioural economics to design incentives that accelerate adoption of low-carbon and biodiversity practices among farmers and other agricultural stakeholders. 1.5 Research to develop models that facilitate the technical, environmental and economic evaluation of agricultural systems. 1.6 Research to consider novel indicators of soil health, ecosystem health and environmental change. This could consider aspects of soil biodiversity and biogeochemistry. 1.7 Research to consider the optimal use of livestock phenotypic and/or genetic data and information in NI to increase the productivity, profitability and environmental sustainability of agricultural systems. 1.8 Research to underpin new agri-environment schemes development delivering key environmental outcomes for water quality, biodiversity and climate change. 1.9 Development of novel and innovative NI agri-food products and processes, including packaging and shelf-life extension techniques, to meet the existing or anticipated market needs. This could consider innovations related to one or more of: (i) biofortification; (ii) reformulation; (iii) data analytics in food supply chains. 1.10 Research to consider sustainable food systems approaches in a NI context, taking into account relationships between diet, health and the environment, and assessing the impacts of economic pressures on dietary choices. 1.11 Research to consider design approaches to developing sustainable agri-infrastructure to enhance environmental resilience and productivity. 1.12 Research to identify and evaluate production-level innovations in animal health (disease control, health and welfare management), which can reduce greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining or improving productivity in Northern Ireland’s livestock systems. 2.1 Research to support an understanding of the approaches, investment pathways or emerging technologies needed to drive innovation, accelerate green technologies, and develop the future skills base needed to deliver DAERA’s Green Growth vision across agriculture, land use, waste and environmental sectors. 2.2 Research to support the development of models/mapping tools/decision-making tools to support policy development to deliver net-zero in one or more of the following areas: (i) Climate Action Plan; (ii) Nature Recovery Strategy, (iii) Farming with Nature; (iv) 30x30. 2.3 Research to understand how the use of carbon markets or other private finance mechanisms can be used to contribute to funding Net Zero, Green Growth and environmental targets, including consideration of behavioural aspects around acceptance and uptake and development of effective monitoring, reporting and validation (MRV). 2.4 Research to understand the potential for increasing forestry as a land use, including agro-forestry to contribute to climate mitigation and adaptation, circular bioeconomy development, and upland land use transformation in Northern Ireland. Research could include assessment of the economic value of managing forestry as a land use to provide the range of ecosystem services including habitats for biodiversity and societal health and wellbeing. 2.5 Research to support our understanding of the effect of climate change on 1) hydrological conditions and water quality dynamics or 2) the marine environment or the seafood sector, including research into adaptive strategies and policy interventions to enhance resilience. 2.6 Research into the impact of climate change on soil health in Northern Ireland focusing on soil structure, nutrient cycling, water regulation, biological activity and adaptive management strategies. 2.7 Social Science research to consider stakeholder understanding and acceptance of pathways to lower emissions farming systems and more sustainable multifunctional land use. This could consider rates and indicators of behavioural change, and the application of Just Transition principles. 2.8 Research to support the quantification of emissions or the refinement of Northern Ireland’s greenhouse gas inventory for agriculture, land use, land use change and forestry, waste and fisheries. 2.9 Research into the stability, sequestration capacity and monitoring of Northern Ireland’s natural carbon stores, of GHG emissions from peatlands, soils, forests, wetlands and blue carbon ecosystems (e.g. saltmarshes, seagrass beds) under future conditions. 2.10 Research to consider the potential for engineered greenhouse gas removals to be used in Northern Ireland to meet Net Zero targets, such as bioenergy with carbon capture (BECCS), direct air carbon capture (DACCS), enhanced rock weathering (ERW) or biochar. 2.11 Research to support the evaluation of adaptation (climate resilience delivery) progress in support of the Third Northern Ireland Climate Change Adaptation Programme (NICCAP3) and the development of the Fourth UK Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA4). Research could consider which indicators and datasets are needed to monitor progress towards climate-resilient and well-adapted systems across key sectors. 2.12 Research to support our understanding of fairness of changes in land use to support land-use policy actions. Research could include a focus on understanding the role of metrics and monitoring to understand and ensure equality of impacts. 3.1 Social science research to understand farmer behaviours and identify barriers to the adoption of good biosecurity practices on farms, with the aim of informing interventions to improve disease prevention and control. 3.2 Research to model climate-driven shifts in vector ecology and disease risk in Northern Ireland, by developing predictive models that assess how projected climate scenarios (temperature, rainfall, humidity) will alter the distribution, abundance, and seasonality of key disease vectors (e.g., mosquitoes, ticks, midges) and the associated risk of vector-borne diseases in livestock, wildlife, and human populations. 3.3 Research to design and pilot integrated surveillance systems for early detection of diseases, combining environmental, animal, and human health data (e.g., eDNA, remote sensing, syndromic surveillance) to enable timely response to emerging threats. 3.4 Research to investigate how climate-induced changes in wildlife populations and movement patterns affect the emergence and transmission of zoonotic diseases at the human–animal–environment interface, providing evidence for One Health risk assessment and early warning systems. 3.5 Research to develop One Health risk mapping and decision-support tools for climate adaptation, integrating climate, ecological, and health data to guide targeted interventions and resource allocation for disease prevention. 3.6 Research to assess the socio-economic and policy dimensions of climate-driven disease emergence, examining impacts on rural communities and agri-food systems and identifying policy options to build resilience within a One Health framework. 3.7 Research to investigate how climate change alters life history traits of microorganisms and / or insects within their existing geographic range (NI-centric) and assess the mechanisms by which these changes can drive transitions from non-pest to pest status, including implications for agricultural productivity, biosecurity, and One Health risk management in Northern Ireland. 3.8 Research to investigate the factors influencing livestock welfare, including the interactions between chronic and acute diseases, medication and drug therapy, nutrition, immune system performance, the microbiome, and production systems. This includes research into novel solutions to enhance livestock welfare, and the evaluation of current practices where new or updated welfare policy may be required. 3.9 Research to investigate the interactions between the use of antimicrobials in animals and the environment, including the occurrence, persistence, and transmission of antimicrobials and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in air, land, fauna, and water. 3.10 Research to investigate the genomics of endemic and emerging viral pathogens in livestock and wildlife, with the aim of improving health outcomes by understanding patterns of detection, spread, and evolution from a One Health perspective. 3.11 Research to identify effective strategies for changing behaviours related to antimicrobial usage among key stakeholder groups, including the public, veterinarians in different sectors, pet owners, equine owners, and farmers, with a focus on reducing inappropriate use and supporting One Health objectives. 3.12 Research to investigate how climate change and extreme weather events influence interactions between bees, flowering plants, and pathogens in Northern Ireland, focusing on phenological mismatch, behavioural or phenotypic change, nutritional stress, and / or increased disease risk. 4.1 Research to investigate nature-based solutions for Lough Neagh. This could consider: (i) behavioural changes to increase adoption, (ii) manipulation of big data using innovative techniques; (iii) integration of existing data sets; (iv) environmental modelling studies to underpin ecological improvements; (v) data analytics; (vi) ecological impact of river restoration/habitat improvement; or (vii) social and economic barriers. 4.2 Research to understand poor water quality as a systems-level symptom and develop a framework to define, prioritise, and target interventions addressing point and diffuse nutrient sources across Northern Ireland’s catchments. 4.3 Research to better understand the application of nature recovery networks approaches to terrestrial, freshwater, coastal and marine habitat restoration and improving resilience. 4.4 Research to investigate the technical and economic feasibility of bio-refining methods, or to reduce the wasteful use of resources. This could consider: (i) novel approaches to extraction of recyclable materials; (ii) the development of new products, from agricultural, forestry or marine wastes; or (iii) consider novel ways in which the wasteful use of resources can be reduced through greater efficiency. 4.5 Research on the effectiveness of management measures for fishing in marine protected areas. This could include research on measures to reduce the bycatch of protected species, including marine mammals and seabirds, or the development of the marine natural capital approach and associated models and decision support tools. 4.6 Research to investigate: (i) the factors affecting peatland condition, biodiversity, peat accumulation and carbon storage or (ii) development of metrics to reflect carbon storage and sequestration or (iii) examination of the suitability of different restoration methods for different settings, peatland types and degrees of degradation. 4.7 Research to better understand changes in native fauna species over time. This could focus on threatened or near-threatened species and consider aspects such as distribution and abundance, conservation biology, and threats from non-native species. 4.8 Research to better understand ammonia and related emissions arising from anaerobic digestion and manure processing in Northern Ireland. This could include quantification of net environmental impacts of manure processing at farm or regional level. 4.9 Research to consider ways in which forest management and forest expansion in Northern Ireland can effectively maximise ecosystem services. 4.10 Research to consider public’s knowledge, attitudes, and behavioural intentions relating to air quality in Northern Ireland and how can baseline insights inform communication and policy strategies. 4.11 Research to assess how managed field margins compare to natural succession margins in delivering biodiversity, ecosystem services, and agricultural co-benefits in Northern Ireland, and what are the implications for future land management policies. 4.12 Research to consider ways in which the contribution of biodiversity to food security in Northern Ireland can be quantified and communicated, including the development of metrics to value genetic resources and ensure their benefits are recognised and shared across society. 5.1 Research to understand the nature and extent of deprivation and ‘hidden poverty’ in rural areas of Northern Ireland, particularly among vulnerable and/or under-represented groups. 5.2 Research to understand the socio-economic, health and community-level impacts of climate change on rural people and places in Northern Ireland. 5.3 Research to understand the attitudes and perceptions of rural communities in Northern Ireland to climate action and climate adaptation. 5.4 Research to identify socio-behavioural models to encourage the adoption of environmentally sustainable practices in rural communities and enterprises. 5.5 Research to identify innovative methods and approaches (e.g. longitudinal studies, social network analysis, agent-based modelling, machine learning etc.) to monitoring rural community change over time, with a view to forecasting future trends, needs and risks. 5.6 Research to support a spatially disaggregated rural evidence, commissioning, and evaluation strategy across government. 5.7 Research to support the development of a future vision for rural Northern Ireland, aligned to the new rural policy for Northern Ireland (in development). This project should include substantial stakeholder engagement, supporting a strategic foresight / futures approach to a shared vision for rural Northern Ireland. 5.8 Research to understand and address the drivers of rural youth retention and out-migration, including: (i) educational, employment, housing and civic engagement opportunities and barriers; (ii) effective interventions, incentives and pathways for supporting rural youth skills development, entrepreneurship and leadership; (iii) the impact of rural policy on youth aspirations and wellbeing. 5.9 Research to assess the impact of cultural heritage (tangible and intangible) on rural identity, adaptability, social cohesion, and community resilience.