Application Deadline: Applications accepted all year round
Details
Low agricultural productivity remains one of the main drivers of poverty, food insecurity, and poor health outcomes in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Among the key constraints is water insecurity, which limits smallholder farmers’ yields and resilience to climate change. Over several decades, governments and development partners have sought to address this challenge by expanding irrigation—shifting from large-scale, centralised irrigation projects of the twentieth century to more recent farmer-led and private-sector irrigation initiatives.
Despite these longstanding efforts, most agriculture in SSA still depends on rainfall and remains highly vulnerable to climate variability. Yet, while some irrigation projects have delivered lasting benefits, many others have failed to achieve sustainable or equitable outcomes. Understanding what differentiates successful (‘bright spot’) irrigation development from unsuccessful (‘dark spot’) cases is critical to inform future investments and policies aimed at scaling irrigation sustainably.
Aim and Objectives:
This PhD will develop and apply data-powered positive deviance research approaches to uncover the factors that influence the success or failure of irrigation development across SSA. By leveraging unique high-resolution geospatial datasets generated through the IrrEO project at University of Manchester, the researcher will combine quantitative geospatial analysis with qualitative field-based methods (e.g. interviews, focus groups, or household surveys) to:
- Identify bright and dark spots of irrigation development through analysis of historical changes in irrigated cropland areas.
- Evaluate the contextual conditions – biophysical, socio-economic, and political – that are linked to irrigation expansion or stagnation.
- Assess how successful irrigation development (‘bright spots’) affects different communities, social groups, and local environments.
Training and Supervision:
The selected candidate will be supported by an experienced interdisciplinary supervisory team with expertise in remote sensing, irrigation, development studies, and rural livelihoods. The PhD researcher will be embedded within both the Manchester Environmental Research Institute (MERI) and the Global Development Institute (GDI), benefiting from a dynamic and vibrant socio-environmental research community addressing sustainable development challenges in Africa and globally.
Through this project, the PhD researcher will develop advanced skills in:
- Geospatial data analysis and integration of remote sensing with socioeconomic datasets
- Mixed-methods research design, including field-based qualitative and/or quantitative approaches.
- Engagement with policy and development stakeholders to translate research into practice.
The PhD will prepare the researcher for a career in academic, policy, or international development sectors focused on sustainable agriculture, water management, and data-driven development.
Through alignment with the IrrEO project, the PhD researcher will have access to state-of-the-art high-resolution maps of irrigated cropland areas and their historical dynamics to support their geospatial analysis. The IrrEO project will also provide a substantial fieldwork and travel budget for primary data collection, in-country research support, dissemination, and network building. This is in addition to the Research Training Support Grant (RTSG) provided through the Africa Futures Doctoral Scholar Award.
Eligibility
Applicants will be considered from qualified students domiciled in any African country as defined by the UN: https://www.un.org/dgacm/en/content/regional-groups. To be considered as domiciled in these countries, applicants must have predominantly resided there during the last five years. We consider your domicile to be the country in which you are ordinarily resident, not a country where you are only living for the purpose of full-time education.
Applicants are expected to hold (or be about to obtain) a minimum upper second-class undergraduate honours degree (or equivalent). An additional master’s level degree is also desirable. Degree education should be in a relevant discipline such as geography, agriculture, environmental science, development studies, economics, or other related environmental or social science disciplines. You should demonstrate a strong interest in interdisciplinary socio-environmental research and a commitment to working with communities and partners to address real-world development challenges.
Candidates should also demonstrate research related experience (e.g. undergraduate or master’s dissertations, placements, internships, collaborative projects, etc). Experience of fieldwork and primary data collection with households and communities would be especially valuable. Prior knowledge and experience of working on irrigation is not a requirement for this project, and specialist training would be provided as part of the PhD training programme.
Before you apply
We encourage candidates to contact us to discuss the project before application. For informal enquiries, please get in touch with Dr Tim Foster (timothy.foster@manchester.ac.uk) including a copy of your current CV, relevant experience, and motivation to undertake this PhD project.
How to apply
Apply online through our website: https://uom.link/pgr-apply-2425
When asked which programme to select please choose either PhD Environmental Engineering or PhD Sustainability, and list Dr Timothy Foster as the proposed supervisor.
When applying, you’ll need to specify the full name of this project, the name of your supervisor, if you already having funding or if you wish to be considered for available funding through the university, details of your previous study, and names and contact details of two referees.
Your application will not be processed without all of the required documents submitted at the time of application, and we cannot accept responsibility for late or missed deadlines. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
After you have applied you will be asked to upload the following supporting documents:
- Final Transcript and certificates of all awarded university level qualifications
- Interim Transcript of any university level qualifications in progress
- CV
- Supporting statement: A one or two page statement outlining your motivation to pursue postgraduate research and why you want to undertake postgraduate research at Manchester, any relevant research or work experience, the key findings of your previous research experience, and techniques and skills you’ve developed. (This is mandatory for all applicants and the application will be put on hold without it).
- Contact details for two referees (please make sure that the contact email you provide is an official university/work email address as we may need to verify the reference)
- English Language certificate (if applicable)
If you have any questions about making an application, please contact our admissions team by emailing FSE.doctoralacademy.admissions@manchester.ac.uk.
Equality, diversity and inclusion is fundamental to the success of The University of Manchester, and is at the heart of all of our activities. We know that diversity strengthens our research community, leading to enhanced research creativity, productivity and quality, and societal and economic impact.
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Funding Notes
This 3.5-year PhD studentship is funded by the African Futures Scholarship awards , and supported by the IrrEO project funded by the Gates Foundation. The studentship is is open to African students who meet the criteria set out in the African Futures Scholarship awards. The successful candidate will receive an annual tax-free stipend set at the UKRI rate (£20,780 for 2025/26; subject to annual uplift), and tuition fees will be paid. We expect the stipend to increase each year. The start date is October 2026.
