PhD Studentship: The impact of TTIP on the agri-food system and food security in Europe

An Early Stage Researcher (ESR) position is available at the University of Birmingham, within the EU-funded Horizon 2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Innovative Training Network (ITN) on transatlantic trade and investment. The ESR will work within Birmingham Business School on a PhD research project with the provisional title “Towards a facilitation of the transatlantic trade in agricultural products?” The ESR will work under the supervision of Dr Sami Bensassi on a thesis containing economic analysis of the EU and US obstacles to a transatlantic agricultural market and how a possible TTIP can contribute to addressing them, an evaluation of impact of such a regime on the EU and US economies, EU and US agricultural exploitations and agri-food firms on both sides of the Atlantic (details to be agreed between ESR and supervisor).

The ESR will benefit from a wide-ranging training programme featuring local, ITN-wide, and external activities with opportunities for travel to other ITN partners. Training will take place through Advanced Training Courses and topical conferences organised by ITN partners across Europe. The ESR will contribute to ambitious and carefully planned research, outreach, impact, and dissemination activities benefiting from the expertise of world-leading senior academics. Planned secondments, partly designed to expose the ESR to relevant working environments outside academia, include the University of Paris I (work with co-supervisor), Institute of Economic Research (IFO), Business Europe, Bruegel and CEPS (think tanks) in Brussels.

We are seeking highly motivated and mobile candidates with a strong academic record holding at least a Masters degree in a relevant subject, fluency in English and other linguistic skills and some subject knowledge of trade economics and agricultural sector.
All candidates are advised to visit the following website to obtain further details of eligibility requirements for Marie Curie initiatives. https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk//finance/ris/documents/public/Special-Conditions-for-Marie-Curie-ITN-posts.pdf The successful candidate will be required to enrol as a PhD student and prepare a thesis for examination. http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/international/students/entry-requirements.aspx

Funding Notes

This post is fully funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No [721916-TTIP-ITN-H2020-MSCA-ITN-2016]

The successful applicant will become a member of staff with Birmingham Law School & enrol on a PhD programme within Birmingham Business School. The salary (which will be subject to UK taxation) will be at the EU Marie Curie rate with potential to £33,508 per annum, as per Marie Curie terms and conditions. This will be a fixed salary with no increments or pay awards for the duration of the post. Fixed for 3 years.

References

For further details please visit http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/staff/jobs/index.aspx and search for ‘Early Stage Researcher 57110’.