Transform climate resilience. Empower rural communities. Build the future of sustainable agriculture.
Are you driven to address humanity’s most urgent challenges—climate change, food insecurity, and sustainable water management?
The Amrita School for Sustainable Futures invites outstanding candidates to apply for fully funded PhD positions in the thematic area of Climate-Resilient Agriculture & Rural Water Systems, offered under the prestigious Amrita E4LIFE PhD Program.
Guided by the Chancellor, Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, and inspired by her vision of strengthening communities at the base of the societal pyramid, this PhD programme integrates academic excellence, interdisciplinary research, and real-world community engagement.
About the Research Theme: Climate-Resilient Agriculture & Rural Water Systems
Climate change is reshaping global food systems, water cycles, and rural livelihoods. This research theme prepares scholars to develop innovative, scalable, community-centric solutions that strengthen agricultural resilience and ensure sustainable rural water management.
Students will work across real field settings in rural India, deeply engaging with farmers, local communities, and policymakers to translate research into transformative action.
Core Research Areas
PhD scholars may work in one or more of the following cutting-edge domains:
- Socio-hydrological modeling for sustainable irrigation
- Climate impact analysis on crop yield, food, & nutrition security
- Water–Energy–Food (WEF) nexus under climate variability
- Biochar, agroforestry & regenerative soil productivity
- Smart seeders, eco-tools & sustainable mechanisation for smallholders
- Rural water systems: quality, access & climate-adaptive governance
Why Join the Amrita E4LIFE PhD Program?
1. Field-Immersive, Impact-Driven Research
Conduct research on-location across Amrita’s 100+ adopted rural, semi-urban, and tribal communities, applying science to solve real challenges.
2. Interdisciplinary Curriculum & Experiential Learning
Learn through the Experiential Learning Curriculum, blending engineering, climate science, agriculture, social science, and technology for sustainable development.
3. World-Class Collaborations
Collaborate with faculty and international partners from:
- UN agencies
- Government of India missions
- European Commission programmes
- Global research universities
4. Fully Funded Support
Selected scholars receive:
- Full tuition waiver
- Monthly stipend
- Funding for fieldwork, data collection & research dissemination
- Access to Amrita’s advanced labs, sensors, computation tools & Live-in-Labs® platform
Candidate Profile & Eligibility
We welcome motivated applicants from diverse academic backgrounds with strong commitment to sustainability and field-based research.
Minimum Qualifications
- Master’s degree in Civil/Agricultural/Environmental Engineering, Agricultural Sciences, Environmental Science, Water Resources, Climate Science, or related disciplines.
- Strong foundational skills in GIS, modeling, or programming (Python/R preferred).
- Understanding of climate/agriculture interactions or interest in WEF nexus research.
- Willingness to work in rural field environments and collaborate with communities.
- Strong communication skills and motivation for interdisciplinary, impact-oriented research.
Ideal Candidate Attributes
- Passion for climate resilience, sustainable farming, and rural transformation
- Ability to integrate engineering, scientific modelling, and social insights
- Openness to field immersion, co-creation with communities, and participatory methods
- Curiosity to develop real solutions with measurable societal impact
How to Apply
👉 Register and apply
Contact Email: internationaladmission@amrita.edu
