👋 Two Exciting Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine funded PhD opportunities in the area of Farm Safety, Health and Welfare
“Building capacity for farm safety communication while understanding behavioural and cultural drivers for farmyard safety practices at farm level” Supervisors: Dr Sinéad Flannery (University College Dublin) and Dr David Meredith (Teagasc) Duration: 4 years Funding Information: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine Value of Scholarship per Annum: Stipend of €25,000p.a. plus €6000p.a. towards fees Closing Date: Wednesday, 27th May 2026 Commencement Date: September Location: School of Agriculture & Food Science, University College Dublin Project Description Safer by Design is a four-year, DAFM-funded multidisciplinary project (2025-2029) led by Teagasc in partnership with University College Dublin and Animal Health Ireland. The project moves beyond the production of safety guidelines toward farmer-centred, solution-oriented communication that supports collaborative behaviour change at farm level with a specific focus on the farm yard. This is particularly important given that 69% of all workplace injuries in Irish agriculture occur in farmyards and associated buildings. The project adapts Animal Health Ireland’s Conversations for Change (C4C) framework, an evidence-based, Motivational Interviewing-informed approach, for use by farm advisors leading group discussions on farmyard safety and infrastructure. Understanding the behavioural, professional and cultural determinants for shaping both advisor communication and farmer decision making is essential to this adaptation. We are seeking two motivated PhD candidates to join the wider research team, each taking responsibility for one side of the advisor-farmer interaction.
Closing date for both is 27th May, 5pm.
Full details and requirement and how to apply is included below.
🔑 Fluent English language skills and a full EU driving license are essential.
