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, until 30 September 2029, 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.

FELLOWSHIP AND SUPPORT

According to project regulations, the successful candidate will receive a monthly fellowship/stipend of ₹50,000 per month. Adjustments are negotiable depending on the candidate’s work experience and personal conditions.

A flexible project contingency allowance will cover eligible project-related expenses, including travel within the Bengaluru rurban study region and overnight stays near study sites, against submission of bills/receipts.