Socio-economic research on underused European arable crops (CROPDIVA – https://www.cropdiva.eu/). CROPDIVA is an EU project (Horizon 2020) that wants to put six underused arable crops back in the European fields (oats, hull-less barley, triticale, buckwheat, faba beans and lupins). The project wants to achieve this by focusing on crop diversity and creating local value chains with novel applications and food products.
In order to successfully launch these new products in the future, the Department of Agricultural Economics is looking for an enthusiastic researcher to help with the socio-economic research activities in this project, which mainly focus on consumer (e.g. acceptance of the derived products), marketing & business research.
The candidate will work at the division of Agri-food Marketing and Chain Management (Department of Agricultural Economics), under the supervision of prof. Xavier Gellynck and prof. Hans De Steur. The candidate will be embedded in a motivated and dedicated international oriented group of researchers with various backgrounds. More information about the division can be found at https://agecon.ugent.be/agri-food-marketing-and-chain-management/ and on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNlD1kMpBQU.
Job profile
Profile of the candidate
- Master degree in Economics or Applied economics, Food Sciences, Agricultural sciences, Bio-Science Engineering (Technology), or a similar, relevant field
- Good MSc. results
- Excellent communication skills in English – both orally and written
- Basic understanding and experience of marketing and quantitative research methods (e.g. surveys, sensory research…) is highly recommended
- Knowledge and experience of qualitative research methods (e.g. focus groups, interviews) is an asset
- Strong interest in applied social and economic research, and in the topic in particular
Tasks
- Development of the research framework and research protocols
- Collection and analysis of primary and secondary data obtained through qualitative and quantitative research methods
- Active interaction and collaboration with other researchers and partners involved in CROPDIVA and the division of Agri-food Marketing and Chain Management
- Drafting of project deliverables related to the socio-economic research activities
- Synthesizing the research findings into peer-reviewed journal articles
- Presentation of results to academic and non-academic audiences, e.g. at national or international conferences, seminars, workshops
Offer
- PhD candidate researcher: Full-time, fixed-term appointment for initially 1 year, which is extended with a maximum of 3 years after positive evaluation. For more about doctoral studies at Ghent University, see https://www.ugent.be/phd/en and https://www.ugent.be/en/work/phd/bursaryabc.htm.
- Additional benefits as employee of Ghent University (for more information see https://www.ugent.be/en/work/talent/next-steps)
- The opportunity to follow academic, thematic and skills training courses at Ghent University
- A dynamic and multi-cultural work environment
- Participation in a collaborative international research project managed by a highly motivated and top-level research consortium.
- Possibility to have a research stay abroad with one of the partners of the CROPDIVA project
- The opportunity to engage fully in research on a highly relevant subject which involves both academic and industry partners.
- The opportunity to be involved in a research driven project towards tangible results that will lead to actual products in the supermarket, and contribute to more sustainable food consumption patterns in Europe.
How to apply
Interested candidates should submit an application, including a motivation letter, a digital copy of the master thesis and CV (including overview of grades), no later than August 19th, 2022 by email to dr. Joachim Schouteten (joachim.schouteten@ugent.be).
For further information about the vacancy, you can contact joachim.schouteten@ugent.be. Only shortlisted candidates will be notified (by August 28th, 2020) and interviewed at the end of August- beginning of September 2022. Intended starting date: Preferably, 1st of October 2022, or earlier if possible.