Deadline: 23 September 2023 I. Full title: “Entrepreneurial Value Streams: Strengthening producer capacity for short food supply chains (SFSC’s) to enhance sustainability and scaling of the Irish agri-food sector” II. Project Outline This PhD offers a very exciting opportunity to carry out innovative research to support the sustainability of the Irish agri-food sector. The candidate will carry out research and work as part of a team within an applied setting in the Iri
Deadline: 14 July 2023 I. Background To ascertain the potential contribution tillage farming can make to the Irish agricultural industry of the future, accurate predictions of the impact climate change will have on the growth and development of major Irish crops will be of key importance. A collaborative project, funded by the Teagasc Walsh Scholarship programme, aims to evaluate currently available crop growth simulation models for cereals using existing agronomic data from contrasting Iris
Deadline: 11 July 2023 The Mandela Institute for Development Studies (MINDS) has partnered with the National Research Foundation (NRF) to support doctoral application from African countries other than South Africa that are intending to study full time at a South African public university in the 2024 academic year. I. Eligibility Criteria Be a citizen of an African Country other than SA, residing in any African country: Be thirty two (32) years of age or younger 31 December in the y
Deadline: 02 June 2023 Background Agriculture is the single largest contributor (~30%) to overall Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions in Ireland accounting for the majority of methane emissions produced primarily due to ruminant livestock production. Methane, a GHG 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide, is released as a by-product of rumen microbial fermentation and from stored manure and slurry on farm. Under recent national legislation, Ireland has committed to reduce GHG emissions fr
Deadline: open until filled I. Background Staphylococcus aureus is a major mastitis pathogen with significant economic impact on the dairy industry. Intra mammary infection is associated with a number of bovine-adapted clonal lineages of this bacterium and significant differences between these lineages have been identified in both in vitro and in vivo virulence traits. This project will test the hypothesis that strain genotype influences mastitis epidemiology and that strains from the global
Deadline: 02 June 2023 I. Background Despite generally declining soil phosphorus (P) balances, the impairment of fresh waters due to P and nitrogen (N) emissions from agricultural landscapes remains a key environmental issue. Relatively small but critical source areas within agricultural catchments tend to contribute disproportionally to nutrient concentrations in receiving waters, and require identification followed by targeted remediation strategies. Farm roadways, which typically retai
Deadline: 10 May 2023 Background The Irish grazing system is based on an extended grazing season and the maximisation of grass in the animals’ diet. However, grass growth is highly seasonal and is dependent on soil type and weather conditions. Therefore, climate change is expected to have a substantial impact on grass growth (both on yield and pattern), which could impact the sustainability of the pasture based Irish system. This MSc will employ the Moorepark St Gilles
Deadline: 31 May 2023 I. Background Today’s food systems are extremely resource intensive, covering about 40% of the world’s ice and desert-free land and using about two-thirds of all freshwater withdrawals. One of the main causes of these environmental impacts is that our current food systems operate on a wasteful linear model. The concept of ‘circular food systems’ is increasingly seen as a promising response to these environmental challenges, and as an important
Deadline: 26 March 2023 Background There is substantial evidence for a relationship between stress and eating quality in meat animals. In ruminants, stress level and in particular pre-slaughter stress affects diverse aspects of meat quality including juiciness and tenderness, colour and pH. Furthermore, the physiological and biochemical pathways determining meat quality differ in stressed versus unstressed animals. Finally, while the interaction of the production regime with the gastr
Deadline: 24 March 2023 I. Background National breeding objectives in sheep have been established in Ireland, however, the rates of genetic gain recorded to date are lower in comparison to New Zealand sheep, which are considerably higher, reflecting a longer established national programme. Previous studies from Ireland, Wales and Northern Ireland have shown that New Zealand sired lambs had less lambing difficulty, lower costs of production, and reached slaughter earlier, however, to date no
