IBERS announces new FoodBioSystems DTP PhD opportunities for 2026

FoodBioSystems Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) has released details for its next cohort of four-year fully funded PhD studentships, starting Autumn 2026. This year’s call includes a number of exciting research opportunities led or co-supervised by academics at IBERS, spanning sustainable agriculture, plant science, precision technologies, waste reduction, nutritional science and more.

FoodBioSystems projects cover the full food value chain, with research areas including: alternative food systems; antimicrobial resistance; farmed animal health and welfare; food science; lifelong health; human nutrition; smart technologies; one health; precision agriculture; reducing waste; and sustainable agricultural systems.

A total of 40 projects are being advertised, with a minimum of 19 salaried studentships available. Applicants may apply for up to two projects across any of the DTP’s partner universities.

IBERS-Led FoodBioSystems DTP Projects

Food BioSystems Topic	Project Title	Lead Researcher
Nutrition / Sustainable Agricultural Systems	AI-Guided Understanding of Nutrient and Microbe Changes in Sprouted Grains for Sustainable and Nutritious Foods	Dr Aiswarya Girija
Sustainable Agricultural Systems / Precision Agriculture and Smart Technologies	Flower Power: Petal and pistil adaptations for climate resilience	Dr Maurice Bosch
Sustainable Agricultural Systems / Precision Agriculture and Smart Technologies	Bean_AI for breeding better beans	Prof. John Doonan
Sustainable Agricultural Systems / Understanding and Exploiting Genomics	Understanding control of Rubisco degradation in forage ingested by ruminants	Prof. Alison Kingston-Smith

FoodBioSystems Projects with IBERS Co-Supervision

Precision agriculture and smart technologies / sustainable agricultural systems	Can roots plasticity improve nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in wheat lines with biological nitrification inhibitors (BNI) properties?	Prof. John Doonan
Reducing waste	Plastic biodegradation by compost microorganisms: a sustainable strategy to mitigate microplastic contamination in food systems	Dr Gordon Allison
Sustainable Agricultural Systems / crop health	How Plants Prevent Self-Fertilisation: Unlocking Pathways to Better Crops	Dr Maurice Bosch
Sustainable food systems / alternative food systems	SALTERA – Seaweed-derived Alternatives for Low-sodium Taste Enhancement and Reduction Applications	Dr Jessica Adams

How to Apply

Applications open December 16th 2025 via the online portal:

https://foodbiosystemsdtp.grantplatform.com/

Deadline for applications: Monday January 26th 2026 (10:00 GMT)

Applicants can find detailed guidance, project lists, training information and student case studies on the DTP website:

https://research.reading.ac.uk/foodbiosystems/apply-for-a-foodbiosystems-phd/for-phd-students-2/

Support Available

The DTP offers:

• Guaranteed Interview Scheme
• Applicant Mentoring Scheme (deadline: January 9th 2026, 10:00 GMT)

These schemes support students from eligible ethnic groups (UK fee status) who meet the academic criteria.

If you’re interested in a PhD that contributes to a more resilient, sustainable and nutritious food future, this could be the opportunity for you.