PhD Research Professional - Sustainable Rurban Food Systems

ATREE; Bengaluru; On-site; INR 300,000 - 550,000; Full time

Job summary

ATREE in Bengaluru, India invites applications for a PhD position in Animal Sciences under FOR5903 - Sustainable Rurbanity: Resources, Society and Regulatory Systems. The candidate will be based at ATREE and collaborate with ICAR-NIANP, the University of Kassel and other FOR5903 partners to study rurban food systems and circular bioeconomy.

The 48‑month, full‑time project focuses on ruminant nutrition, livestock feeding, life-cycle assessment and field surveys in Bengaluru and nearby rural areas.

Qualifications

• Master's degree (MSc, MVSc or equivalent) in Animal Sciences or related fields.
• 4-5 year Bachelor’s + 2 year Master’s, or 3-year Bachelor’s + 2 year Master’s with NET.
• Strong background in ruminant nutrition and livestock feeding.
• Experience in field surveys and livestock research.
• Proficiency in R or Python for data analysis.
• Good understanding of research methods and experimental design.
• Excellent written and spoken English.
• Willingness to undertake extensive fieldwork in Bengaluru and nearby areas.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to field surveys and data collection in Bengaluru and rurban regions.
• Analyze feed samples and assess nutritional value.
• Collaborate with international partners on FOR5903 outputs.
• Prepare reports and contribute to publications.

Skills

Ruminant nutrition

Livestock feeding

Field surveys

Statistical software (R/Python)

Experimental design

English communication

Education

MSc/MVSc in Animal Sciences or related

NET qualification (ICAR/ASRB/CSIR/UGC)

Tools

R

Python

Job description

Job Summary

The Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), Bengaluru, India, invites applications for a PhD position in Animal Sciences within the DFG-funded Research Unit FOR5903 - Sustainable Rurbanity: Resources, Society and Regulatory Systems.

FOR5903 examines how rapid urbanisation is reshaping conventional rural-urban boundaries and explores the sustainability potential of emerging rurban systems across India, Ghana and Morocco.

This PhD position is part of Sub-project B02 - RurbanFoodWaste: Understanding the Sustainability Potential of Food Waste as Livestock Feed in Indian Rurban Contexts. The candidate will be base in ATREE and work closely with researchers at ICAR-National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology (ICAR-NIANP), Bengaluru; the University of Kassel, Germany; and other FOR5903 partner institutions.

The position is for 48 months and involves full-time research alongside a PhD in Animal Sciences, with a focus on ruminant nutrition, livestock feeding systems, circular bioeconomy and life-cycle assessment.

The Research

The project investigates how Food Waste and Food Loss (FWFL) can be sustainably revalorised as livestock feed in the rapidly changing rurban landscape of Bengaluru.

Rurban areas offer opportunities to connect urban food systems with livestock production through circular resource use. Previous research has shown that smallholder dairy farmers already use FWFL as cattle feed, with potential benefits for reducing feed costs and food waste while strengthening environmental sustainability and circular food systems.

The project will examine where FWFL originates, how it moves through rurban food systems, its nutritional and feed value, its environmental footprint, and its contribution to sustainable dairy livelihoods.

Age limit

Maximum 35 years for men and 40 years for women as of the interview date, with applicable relaxations for SC/ST/OBC/PH candidates as per Government of India norms.

Qualifications

Essential

• Master's degree (MSc, MVSc or equivalent) in Animal Sciences, Animal Nutrition, Veterinary Sciences, Dairy Science, Livestock Production or a closely related discipline.
• A 4- or 5-year Bachelor's degree + 2-year Master degree, or a 3-year Bachelor degree + 2-year Master degree, with a valid NET qualification (ICAR / ASRB / CSIR / UGC NET or GATE).
• Strong academic background in ruminant nutrition, livestock feeding or feed evaluation.
• Experience in field surveys and livestock-related research.
• Proficiency in R or Python or equivalent statistical software.
• Good understanding of research methodology and experimental design.
• Excellent written and spoken English.
• Willingness to undertake extensive fieldwork in Bengaluru and surrounding rurban regions.

Desirable

• Experience in laboratory analysis of feeds and agricultural by-products.
• Knowledge of proximate analysis, feed evaluation and nutritional assessment.
• Familiarity with sustainability science, circular bioeconomy or livestock-environment interactions.
• Experience with LCA or survey-based research.
• Ability to work effectively in an interdisciplinary international research team.
• Peer-reviewed publications will be an advantage.

Note

Only candidates who are shortlisted for the interview will be contacted.