PhD Scholarship for Project on ‘Food Security and the Governance of Local Knowledge in India and Indonesia’ at the University of Newcastle (UON), Australia 

We’re pleased to bring to your notice two PhD scholarship opportunities for the Australian Research Council funded project on ‘Food security and the governance of local knowledge in India and Indonesia’ at the University of Newcastle (UON), Australia. The deadline for applications is November 30, 2019. For further details, please see the announcement below:

PhD Scholarship for Project on ‘Food Security and the Governance of Local Knowledge in India and Indonesia’ at the University of Newcastle (UON), Australia 

The aim of this Australian Research Council funded project is to examine the way small farmers identify, conserve and exchange plant material and incorporate it into cultivated crops through plant selection and breeding and to identify the ways regulatory structures in India and Indonesia help or hinder this process.

795 million people are undernourished, and they mostly rely on small farmers for food. To protect these farmers from the twin challenges of multinational agribusiness and climate change, this interdisciplinary project aims to:

• examine the ways small farmers identify, conserve and exchange useful plant material and incorporate it into cultivated crops through plant selection and breeding under conditions of climate change;
• identify the ways regulatory structures in India and Indonesia help or hinder this process; and
• identify opportunities for the application of such local knowledge and its regulatory framework in Australia.

The project will result in proposed changes to intellectual property law and other laws to encourage agricultural innovation and enhance farmers’ welfare in the face of increased climate variability in India and Indonesia. Lessons from the experiences in these countries will help farmers, governments, NGOs and businesses to develop supportive policies and identify plant varieties for challenging conditions. The project will also build collaborative international networks of researchers.

PhD Scholarship Details

Funding:

• $27,596 per annum (2019 rate) indexed annually.
• The living allowance scholarship is for 3.5 years and the tuition fee scholarship is for four years.
• $1,500 relocation allowance and Overseas Student Health Cover at single rate, for an international candidate.

Supervisor: Professor Christoph Antons

Available to: Domestic and international students

Eligibility Criteria

• Minimum eligibility criteria for a Doctoral Degree in Law at UON
• Proficiency in relevant national and/or regional languages of India and/or Indonesia

Application Procedure

Interested applicants should send an email expressing their interest along with scanned copies of their academic transcripts, CV, a brief statement of their research interests and a proposal that specifically links them to the research project.

Please send the email expressing interest to christoph.antons@newcastle.edu.au by 5 pm on 30 November 2019.

Applications close on 30 November 2019.