Full title: “Entrepreneurial Value Streams: Strengthening producer capacity for short food supply chains (SFSC’s) to enhance sustainability and scaling of the Irish agri-food sector”.
Award
This PhD offers an exciting opportunity to undertake innovative research to support the sustainability of the Irish agri-food sector through examination of alternative value streams. The scholarship funding is €31,000 per annum and comprises of University fees of up to a maximum of €6,000 and flat rate stipend of €25,000 is tenable for 4 years. The candidate will carry out research within an applied setting in the Irish Agri-Food sector, working with Teagasc and the BIA Innovator Campus.
The emergence of short food supply chains (SFSC’s), enabled by appropriate ICT infrastructures, offers the potential to disrupt the ‘industrial’ supply chain, improve market offering for consumers and develop alternative value streams for primary agri-producer. While SFSC’s offer significant opportunity for agri-producers, it is not without its challenges. At an individual level, adoption of the SFSC requires agri-producers to vertically integrate and undertake multiple roles in addition to production. Regulatory and market access hurdles exist that impede agri-producer ability to engage and develop collaborative SFSC networks to meet market requirements. Yet, with the necessary capability development, network governance and process support tools, then SFSC’s provide a realistic business model for agri-producers to enhance their commercial viability, enhance environmental credentials and underpin the sustainability of their rural communities.
This Walsh PhD Scholarship will allow the candidate to explore the emerging reality of entrepreneurial opportunities within SFSC’s and how these can be exploited and scaled to increase value capture for agri-producers and consumers. The research will also seek to understand how the ecosystem can be nurtured for knowledge sharing, co-creation and mutual competitive advantage into the future. The research is driven to address the following objectives:
1. Enhance understanding of psychological drivers and commercial viability of agri-food producers (farms/food producers), whose existence underpins the sustainability of the rural community.
2. Identify alternative agri-producer value streams that enable ‘short’, ‘smart’ and ‘low carbon’ food supply chains to develop.
3. Reduce producer-consumer disconnect from farm to fork, through increased engagement along short food supply chains (SFSC’s).
4. Explore agri-producer and customer challenges/enablers of SFSC adoption and scaling (including ICT), from B2B and B2C perspectives.
5. Nurture SFSC ecosystem through knowledge exchange, synergies, and network building activities.
Requirements
Applicants must have a good primary degree (First Class (Preferred) or Upper Second- Class Honours) in an appropriate discipline (e.g., Business Management, Supply Chain Management, Entrepreneurship, Psychology or other relevant degree). An MSc award in an appropriate discipline would be preferable, though not essential. Candidates due to complete their primary or Masters Degree in coming months are eligible to apply for the scholarship and should indicate the expected result (this must be verified ahead of any formal offer being made). The successful candidate should be self-motivated and have a keen interest in entrepreneurship, supply chain management and regional development.
If English is not your first language you will need to satisfy the English language requirement:
IELTS: 6.5 - with no individual section lower than 6.0
TOEFL: 90 - with minimum scores as follows: Listening- 20; Reading - 19; Speaking - 21; Writing – 20
Scholarship Details
The PhD Scholarship is a research project supported by the Teagasc Walsh Scholarship funding. It is envisaged that the scholarship will commence in September 2025. The candidate will be based in Cork University Business School (CUBS), University College Cork (UCC) for the first year and then at the Teagasc Athenry campus to facilitate field research and data gathering. The scholarship funding is €31,000 per annum and comprises of University fees of up to a maximum of €6,000 and flat rate stipend of €25,000 is tenable for 4 years. (subject to satisfactory progress in studies each year).
The successful applicant will receive tailored guidance on their research, be part of UCC’s research-focused School community and the Teagasc research community. At the earliest possible opportunity during the tenure of a scholarship, the awardee will be required to prepare a series of journal articles to disseminate research findings and achieve desired impact.
Further Information
Please contact either of the following for more information and guidance regarding the scholarship and making an application:
Dr. Lawrence Dooley, Cork University Business School, Cork, University College Cork
Email: [email protected]
Dr. Áine Regan, Teagasc, Rural Economy & Development Programme, Athenry, Co. Galway
Email: [email protected]
Application Procedure
Candidates are requested to submit the following information via email to Prof. Lawrence Dooley ([email protected]) before 5pm, June 30th, 2025.
· A completed application form*
· CV (max. 2 pages)
· Sample of recent academic writing/work that you authored (e.g. published paper, essay, section of thesis)
· Evidence of satisfying the English language requirements (if English not first language).
*Applicants must complete the application form, detailing their research proposal aims within the scope of the project and central research questions, demonstrate how existing literature informs the proposal and theoretical framework, and explain its contribution to existing knowledge.
Applicants must complete the application form, detailing their research proposal aims within the scope of the project and central research questions, demonstrate how existing literature informs the proposal and theoretical framework, and explain its contribution to existing knowledge. Applicants must also detail their proposed research design and methodology (qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods) and overall research plan. A short personal statement on applicant’s personal development objectives and motivation for pursuing a PhD should also be included.
Closing Date
Applications should be received before 5pm, June 30th, 2025.