Latest Opportunities for ECR
AMAST College of ECRs and ECPs
The AMAST College of Early Career Researchers (ECRs) and Early Career Professionals (ECPs), an intensive three-day training programme, brought together the next generation of leaders in antimicrobial stewardship, animal health, and sustainable food production. Hosted from 3-5 March 2026 at Cockle Farm Park near Newcastle, this programme offered an opportunity for Early Career Researchers and Professionals to learn, network, and collaborate across disciplinary boundaries.
Organising Team
K. Marie McIntyre, Lisa Morgans, Mahmoud Eltholth, Paul Hurley
Freely available online training resource
Material, methodology, summaries of the event are freely available online.
Building Bridges – A Free Programme to Help ECRs Work Better with Farmers
If you’re an early career researcher working anywhere near agriculture, food systems, or the farm-to-fork chain, you may face a situation where you need farmer participation to answer your research question. Working with farmers means building and maintaining trust from the start, throughout your project, and after the end of it. relationship work well.
The Royal Agricultural University’s ‘Bridging Fields: Working Effectively with Farmers’ programme will provide you with the skills and knowledge to build that relationship with farmers. And it’s completely free.
PhD Opportunity – AMR Risks in Sustainable Crop Farming
The James Hutton Institute is offering a fully-funded 4-year PhD studentship exploring antimicrobial resistance (AMR) risks associated with sustainable farming practices for crops.
Application Deadline: Friday, 9 January 2026
Supervision Team
- Dr Eulyn Pagaling
- Dr Lisa Avery
- Prof Karen Scott
Why This Matters
While sustainable farming practices like using organic amendments are essential for food security and circular economy principles, they may inadvertently contribute to AMR spread. This research will investigate how AMR transfers to crops through soil and irrigation water, particularly affecting ready-to-eat crops like salads that pose the greatest risk to consumers.
Research Objectives
- Measure AMR transfer to crops via soil and irrigation water under sustainable vs conventional practices
- Assess AMR load on crops, both above and below-ground
- Evaluate AMR persistence in/on crops under different storage conditions
PhD Opportunity – Investigating Biosolids Fertilised Pasture Effects on Ruminant Health
NorthWestBio (NWB) is a new BBSRC-funded Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) delivered between the Universities of Glasgow, Lancaster, Queen’s Belfast and Strathclyde.
This PhD opportunity is about an exciting interdisciplinary project that bridges animal health and environmental sustainability and explores how using sewage sludge biosolids as agricultural fertiliser impacts the gastrointestinal health and function of grazing sheep.
Supervision Team
- Dr Rheinallt Jones, University of Glasgow
- Dr Michelle Bellingham, University of Glasgow
- Dr Eulyn Pagaling, Hutton Institute
Both institutions maintain active relationships with industry and government partners, providing valuable networking and collaboration opportunities throughout your PhD journey.
Why This Matters
This project addresses critical questions about sustainable agriculture, combining practical farming solutions with environmental stewardship and animal welfare – essential topics for the future of food production.
The closing date for applications is Friday 21st November.
📅 Deadline to apply: Friday 21st November 2025
🎯 Themes: Ruminant health and welfare and environmental stewardship
📍 Location: University of Glasgow and Hutton Institute
Training Opportunity – Bridging Fields Programme for Academic Researchers
FREE CPD Training for Academics Working in Agricultural Research
The Bridging Fields programme from Royal Agricultural University offers charitably-funded, free continuing professional development (CPD) for UK-based academic researchers who want to work more effectively and collaboratively with farmers and growers.
Upcoming Opportunity: Soil and Regenerative Agriculture Residency
📅 Dates: Tuesday 26th August (3pm) – Thursday 28th August (2pm)
🎯 Theme: Soil and regenerative agriculture
📍 Location: Royal Agricultural University, Cotswolds
💰 Cost: FREE
