Project 9 - Bridging technology and environmental regulation: refining environmental risk assessments for precision plant protection technologies (Jason Snape, University of York)

About the project

About the Project Do you want to work at the forefront of science helping to quantify the ecological, societal and economic benefits of precision-based agriculture? Do you want your research to shape environmental policy and business practices that reduce the risks associated with plant protection product use that do not compromise our food security? Do you want to work on a project that brings together scientists from academia, business, government and conservation groups to drive positive change? If so, this is the right PhD project for you! Are you passionate about solving complex environmental challenges? Interested in creating non-toxic environments that benefit society and nature alike? This innovative and exciting PhD project, co-designed with non-academic partners, is part of the NERC-funded ECOSOLUTIONS Doctoral Focal Award, and offers the opportunity to address real world challenges with key opinion-formers to help support sustainable chemical development and create non-toxic urban & rural landscapes. Project details: The rapid development and adoption of digital solutions across farming equipment, decision support systems, and the wider technological landscape are increasingly becoming embedded in new national and international agricultural policy strategies. The precision application of plant protection products is a central part of this digital evolution. Technologies involving target recognition, mapping, and the automated application of PPPs are resulting in significant reductions in application volumes. However, current environmental risk assessment (ERA) models assume uniform broadcast pesticide application and fail to capture the environmental exposure reductions delivered by these innovative technologies. This PhD project aims to quantify the environmental benefits of transitioning to precision application and refine regulatory ERA models using field-derived data via the following research questions: How do precision application patterns translate into reduced environmental transfers and exposure relative to whole field broadcast application? What environmental risk reduction does this deliver for non-target organisms? What are the farm-level socio-economic implications, and how do they shape technological adoption? In addressing these questions the project aims to (i) embed technological innovations associated with precision PPP application within regulatory risk assessment and authorisation frameworks, (ii) develop and validate exposure modules, (iii) quantify risk reduction in non-target species, and (iv) identify practical, economic conditions that enable farmers to adopt precision practices at scale. The ECOSOLUTIONS DFA Led by the Universities of Sheffield and York and the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, ECOSOLUTIONS is a cutting-edge, transdisciplinary initiative. This innovative programme combines science, policy, and societal engagement to transform chemicals policy and management, enabling a safe, sustainable chemicals sector and non-toxic environments. This project is one of 19 projects that are available for the third ECOSOLUTIONS and final cohort who will work together to begin to understand and solve the problems of sustainable chemical design and use, as well tackling the problems that pollution causes in urban environments, rural landscapes and food systems. What You will Gain As an ECOSOLUTIONS PhD student, you will work with world-leading experts across diverse fields such as ecology, data science, digital solutions, chemistry, geography, psychology, environmental engineering, policy, and law. You will learn to tackle the risks posed by chemicals while enabling their societal benefits, adopting a whole-systems and solutions-focused approach. You will receive 3 years and 9 months of funding and take part in a dynamic training and development programme, including: Induction course: Connect with fellow students, supervisors, and the ECOSOLUTIONS team while exploring the programme’s mission. Primer course: Gain foundational knowledge on the environmental risks that chemicals pose, policy landscapes, and sustainable chemical innovation. Transferable skills workshops: Master data management, big data methods, research practices, communication, stakeholder engagement and more. Systems-solutions workshops: Collaborate across disciplines to explore sustainable chemical design and development, address pollution in urban & rural landscapes, and develop actionable solutions. Three-month secondment: With periods at Corteva, Defra and the JNCC International conferences: Share your findings and network with global experts. The skills you will need To do this project you will need the following essential skills: Laboratory skills Field experience Data analysis and/or modelling Eligibility : To be considered for the ECOSOLUTIONS DFA, you will need at least an upper 2nd class honours degree or equivalent in a relevant discipline. As a collaboration of international research-led universities, we welcome students from all walks of life and from across the world. Within our programme, we are dedicated to diversifying our community. As part of our ongoing work to improve Equality, Diversity and Inclusion we strongly encourage applications from UK/Home candidates from identified underrepresented groups: Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities, those from a disadvantaged socio-economic background, and disabled people. Start Your Research Career with ECOSOLUTIONS: This PhD is part of the ECOSOLUTIONS Doctoral Focal Award (DFA), a prestigious NERC-funded program dedicated to training the next generation of environmental practitioners. For more details and a full list of other PhD projects under this programme, visit: https://ecosolutions.sites.sheffield.ac.uk/ Application Web Page: For more information on how to apply, please visit the ECOSOLUTIONS website: https://ecosolutions.sites.sheffield.ac.uk/ Professor Jason Snape, jason.snape@york.ac.uk

Research areas