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Fellowships and PhDs with GRR

Interested in collaborating or coming for a visiting fellowship?

We welcome contact from any researchers interested in collaborating with the Global Risk & Resilience theme, do get in touch.

Interested in doing a PhD in Global Risk & Resilience?

We welcome enquiries from potential PhD or ProfDoc students on topics that complement the ongoing work in the Global Risk & Resilience theme. Examples of such fields are below. 

We're happy to jointly supervise projects with other GSI themes and with colleagues from other faculties and departments across ARU, such as LAIBS and EBE. Before applying formally, feel free to contact Zareen Bharucha or Aled Jones with an informal enquiry (including a CV and a few paragraphs outlining your particular interest). You might also want to look at postgraduate opportunities across the GSI, and see entry requirements and fees.

Example PhD research topics

Adaptive pathways and real options

Evaluating the role and impact of flexible investment strategies and adaptive management (or ‘pathways’) on uncertainty and risk management as well as infrastructure design and operation. Comparing and applying a range of decision support tools and frameworks to inform robust and incremental models of adaptation, which can provide a robust alternative to traditional methods of option appraisal and evaluation – which are often based on temporal discounting.

Decision making under (deep) uncertainty

Developing novel communication and decision support tools to better describe, quantify and manage uncertainty associated with complex systems and wicked problems. Comparing, contrasting and even combining existing theoretical perspectives and decision support systems to develop proactive models of climate change adaptation which can be applied in situations of ‘deep’ uncertainty, that can resolve complex trade-offs, values and expectations.

Water-Energy Nexus

Developing a common conceptual model/framework to describe and explain the complex interactions between water-energy systems and emergent cross-sectors challenges, as well as potential opportunities for innovation. Water and energy systems are interdependent, yet these vital resources are often viewed and managed separately at the operational and strategic level, giving rise to complex and emerging cross-sectoral challenges and issues which must be managed.

SMEs and innovation

Evaluating the role and impact of SMEs in developing and deploying innovation in new international markets, and the role of intermediary networks in knowledge brokering. SMEs can provide a significant economic driving force at regional, national and international levels, yet are often constrained by limited resources and access to international networks as well as limited managerial knowledge of intellectual property.

Finance risk and resilience 

Evaluating the role of finance (investment and insurance) in increasing or decreasing the resilience of nations and communities both in developed and developing world contexts. 

Global cascading risks and systematic failures

Evaluating the impact of environmental system shocks, cascading risks and systematic failures on societal resilience and responsiveness. Developing and testing hybrid models, combining top-down and bottom-up assessment and evaluation approaches to inform future socio-economic policies at the national and international level.