Selina Bruns
Opportunities
Apply for a fully funded PhD studentship starting in September 2026:
Less Quantity, More Quality: Developing Fair Economic Interventions to Promote Higher-Welfare Meat Consumption in the UK
For 2026, I am offering a range of PhD opportunities.
Please scroll through this page to explore the different projects.
I am looking for passionate and creative students who are excited about topics related to food, farming, and sustainable development — and who want to contribute to combating poverty, food insecurity, and inequalities around the world.
If any of these projects spark your interest, feel free to get in touch or apply directly! All projects are highly interdisciplinary and flexible in focus — they will be shaped around your expertise and interests. Each comes with a team of supervisors ready to support you with the skills and knowledge you’ll need.
WITH BEN LECORPS & EUGÉNIE DUVAL
Fully funded PhD project open to students worldwide.
Application Deadline: Monday, December 15, 2025
The UK is exploring a national animal welfare label for meat, dairy, and eggs — but will it really change what people buy?
This exciting research dives into how different consumers understand, trust, and act on welfare information, and how market signals can balance animal welfare, climate goals, and affordability. By studying the behavioural and social drivers behind our food choices, the project aims to design smarter, fairer ways to guide consumers toward less, but higher-welfare meat.
If you’re passionate about food ethics, sustainability, and/or agricultural/behavioural economics, join us in shaping the future of responsible consumption
Improving Animal Health Services for Smallholder Farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa: Assessing Veterinary Provision and Farmer Knowledge for ICT-Based Training
WITH ANDREW DOWSEY & ALEX TASKER
This is a fully funded PhD open to UK-domiciled, home fee applicants of Black African, Black Caribbean or other Black or mixed Black heritage.
Application Deadline: Tuesday, January 06, 2026
Be part of an exciting project exploring how digital innovation can transform animal health and smallholder farmer resilience in Uganda and beyond!
Smallholder farmers face growing challenges—limited vet access, lack of training, and the impacts of climate change. This study idea was developed together with smallholder farmers in Uganda and aims to bring together veterinary science and effective low-tech ICT tools to co-design smart, low-cost solutions that empower farmers with the knowledge they need to keep their animals healthy.
From uncovering the barriers to livestock care, to creating simple, practical training tools and testing mobile-based learning systems, this project offers a chance to make real-world impact at the crossroads of technology, climate, and rural development.
Food Safety on Informal Markets: Tracking Pathogens and Exploring Safer Meat Handling in Morocco
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WITH SION BAYLISS & TAHA LAHRECH
This is a fully funded SWBio PhD open to students worldwide.
Application deadline: Midday (GMT), Wednesday 3 December 2025
Join an innovative research project that’s taking on one of the biggest global food safety challenges — reducing foodborne disease risks in informal meat markets.
In many low- and middle-income countries, most people buy meat from unregulated markets, where contamination risks are high and safety systems are weak. This interdisciplinary PhD will combine veterinary science, microbiology, and social science to explore these challenges through a case study of Morocco’s informal meat value chain — mapping how meat moves from farm to consumer, identifying where pathogens emerge, and co-designing practical, culturally grounded solutions to make food safer.
If you’re passionate about public health, food safety, and global development, this is your chance to create impact from farm to fork!