FUNDED MRes - Carbon Tool Evidence Mapping for the Sustainable Farm Networks

MRes (Evidence-based Agri-food Sustainability) Studentship - Tuition Scholarship (12 months funding)

Mode of Study: Full-time

Start Date: September 2025

Supported by the AgriFood Charities Partnership 

Background

This MRes studentship will support the Sustainable Farm Networks (SFN) initiative within the Harper Adams School of Sustainable Food & Farming, which is connecting diverse demonstration farm networks across the UK to share experiences, resources, findings and best practice.

The SFN aims to co-ordinate demonstration farms throughout the UK to improve knowledge exchange and network accessibility between researchers, farmers and policy makers. Through facilitating a cross-sector system agnostic forum, including supply chain innovations, academic study groups and environmental farming demonstrators, the goal is to accelerate a transition towards sustainable agricultural productivity within a net zero landscape.

The element of the project this MRes focuses on will aim to create an Evidence Map for carbon management practice across the SFN membership, in particular carbon accounting tool use and how information gleaned through these processes informs farm practice change. In line with recent best practice recommendations (DEFRA, 2024), we will evaluate farm-level emissions assessment to help guide farmers and advisers in the selection and use of tools and data to provide robust evidence for evolution of farm practice and supporting policy.

Project Objectives

The key project objectives are to:

Create an Evidence map for carbon management practice across the SFNDevelop an interactive dashboard representing current and evolving use of carbon accounting tools across the SFNReport on how farmers and advisers users apply the findings from carbon accounting tools to inform farm practice developmentExplore potential synergies with other farm data collection themes.

The outputs from such research should inform stakeholders within the sector about the current scale and potential value of carbon accounting at farm and network level. This information will be valuable to any individual or organisation with an interest in the charting the progress of UK agriculture towards sustainability targets including net zero. Dissemination of findings will be through peer-reviewed journal publications, a digital platform (interactive dashboard) and through delivery of a short lecture to the relevant stakeholders and other interested parties, including the HAU internal research conference

This MRes scholarship utilises expertise within the HAU Agriculture Data Science Research Centre to support the development of a farm research professional capable of collating and critically evaluating farm data. The student will develop skills suited to working as an academic researcher or a public sector/industry researcher, or to a range of roles related to data science and agricultural practice. 

As part of the MRes programme additional support will be provided through 4 selected taught modules that introduce and develop essential core skills within the student. Through this project the student will receive training and support as required in research and information skills, experimental design and analysis, sustainable farming systems and data visualisation and analytics.

The MRes (Evidence-based Agri-food Sustainability) Studentship is supported by a grant from the AgriFood Charities Partnership. 

Application Procedure:

A covering letter and CV should be sent to Lucy Bates - LBates@harper-adams.ac.uk 

The deadline is 5 pm UK time Monday 28th April 2025

Further information on Harper Adams University can be found at www.harper-adams.ac.uk and on the research training provided and MRes requirements at: 

https://www.harper-adams.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/201135/master-of-research 

For informal enquiries on the project, or questions relating to the School of Sustainable Food & Farming or the Sustainable farm Networks initiative please contact Lucy Bates LBates@harper-adams.ac.uk

Only Home residents (UK, Ireland, Isle of Man & Channel Isles residents) may apply for the AgriFood Charities Partnership Scholarship - which includes £11,520 to cover HAU tuition plus £3,480 of other costs to include travel, attendance at conferences etc.

All applicants must have:

One of the following:UK honours degree (or equivalent) in data science, agroecology, environmental and land-based studies, or related fields, with a minimum 2.1 achievement in degree qualification (or equivalent)Honours degree plus previous and appropriate research experiencePostgraduate diploma or equivalent (at merit or distinction)The ability to work as part of a research team and self-motivation to take responsibility for their own work, and evidence to illustrate thisExperience of working with data analysis and associated analysis software (R, Python, GIS etc)UK residency

Desirable

A full UK driving licence to enable travel to events including on farmEvidence of interest and experience in sustainable agricultural systems

Course start date: Monday 22nd September 2025 

End date: August 2026

Closing Date: 28 Apr 2025

Department: Academic Staff & Research Degree Studentships

Salary: To cover all HAU tuition and supervision fees plus a budget for conference and event attendance