Understanding policy changes and applying anticipatory design to improve governance for sustainable forest-risk commodities

About the Project

This fully-funded PhD scholarship offers an exciting opportunity for students interested in environmental and forest governance, especially on sustainable production and consumption of forest-risk commodities. The successful applicant will develop an original research programme to contribute to a new project titled “Understanding policy changes and applying anticipatory design to improve governance for sustainable forest-risk commodities” (AnDforFRCs) funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s Forest Governance, Market and Climate Programme (FGMC).

The AnDforFRCs is multi-country research, capacity building, and facilitation project which aims to generate actionable policy design insights for achieving “zero-deforestation”, legality, and sustainability in global supply chains of forest-risk commodities. Led by the University of Bath, the project will be implemented by an international consortium consists of leading forest governance researchers who will cover key consumer and producer countries across Asia (China, Indonesia and Vietnam), Africa (Cameroon), and Europe (European Union and UK). The project’s aim is twofold: i) generating relevant scientific research and practice knowledge in support of design innovations, coherence, and effective implementation of FRC governance, and (ii.) engaging policymakers and stakeholders in key producer and consumer countries in “anticipatory design” learning dialogues and workshops to spark, and travel, high-impact transnational policy pathways.

The applicants need to develop an original research proposal closely related to the AnDforFRCs project. They will need to draw on the project’s global networks to conduct cutting-edge and policy-relevant research to influence FRC conference. We are especially interested in research focusing on justice implications of FRC governance in major producer countries (e.g., Indonesia). Language skills and experiences of conducting fieldwork in related countries are essential. The successful applicant will be supported by generous funding for fieldwork and conferences.

The PhD researcher will join Dr Yixian Sun’s research team in the Department of Social and Policy Science at the University of Bath and will collaborate closely with researchers in the International Development group as well as the Earth System Research Governance Centre at Bath. As a result, they will benefit from a supportive and engaging research community, which will support their overall career development.

Project keywords:

Forest governance, commodity, climate change, justice, sustainability

Preferred start date: 28 September 2026

Candidate Requirements:

Applicants should hold, or expect to receive, a First Class or high Upper Second Class UK Bachelor Honours degree (or the equivalent) in Politics and International Relations, International Development, or other relevant subjects.  A master’s level qualification would also be advantageous, in International Relations, Development Studies, Politics or related fields.

Non-UK applicants must meet our English language entry requirement by the application deadline.

The ideal candidate will have:

• Knowledge of global environmental politics and forest-risk commodities
• Excellent English and additional language skills (e.g., local languages of countries where the research will be conducted)
• Experience, interest and enthusiasm to work in the project area
• Ability to organise own research activities to agreed deadlines and quality standards
• Excellent IT and social media skills
• Excellent written and oral communication skills and ability to communication with different audiences
• Excellent team worker
• Commitment to personal development and updating of knowledge and skills

Applicants should upload the following documents with their online PhD application:

• CV
• A cover letter (no more than 2 pages) explaining your motivation, skills, experiences related to the research area and your career plan
• A brief research proposal (no more than 3 pages) indicating your topic, its theoretical foundations, and the research plan.

Enquiries and Applications:

Informal enquiries are encouraged and should be directed to Dr Yixian Sun - ys2327@bath.ac.uk.

Formal applications should be submitted via the University of Bath’s online application form for a PhD inSocial and Policy Sciences prior to the closing date of this advert.

IMPORTANT:

When completing the application form:

1. In the Funding your studies section, select ‘LURS‘ as the studentship for which you are applying.
2. In the Your PhD project section, quote the project title of this project and the name of the lead supervisor in the appropriate boxes.

Failure to complete these steps will cause delays in processing your application and may cause you to miss the deadline.

More information about applying for a PhD at Bath may be found on ourwebsite.

PLEASE BE AWARE: Applications for this project may close earlier than the advertised deadline if a suitable candidate is found. We therefore recommend that you contact the lead supervisor prior to applying and submit your formal application as early as possible.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion:

We value a diverse research environment and aim to be an inclusive university, where difference is celebrated and respected. We welcome and encourage applications from under-represented groups.

If you have circumstances that you feel we should be aware of that have affected your educational attainment, then please feel free to tell us about it in your application form. The best way to do this is a short paragraph at the end of your personal statement.

Funding Notes

Students applying for this project will be considered for a fully funded 3-year PhD studentship covering tuition fees, a stipend (£21,805 per annum for 2026/27, updated annually) and access to funds for research expenses.

Studentships are open to both Home and International students. International applicants should note that funding does NOT cover the cost of a student visa, healthcare surcharge and other costs of moving to the UK.