TRP has two PhD studentships available in the department;

1) A collaborative PhD studentship between the Department of Town and Regional Planning, University of Sheffield, the Regional Studies Association (RSA) and the Taylor & Francis Group - Project Title: The creation and reproduction of policy relevant spatial knowledge and new publishing models: A case study of regional studies.

2) A collaborative PhD studentship between the Departments of Town and Regional Planning and Civil Engineering, University of Sheffield, and the International Water Association, Public and Customer Communications Specialist Group. Project Title: Public communications in the adaptive water utility.

The Creation and Reproduction of Policy Relevant Spatial Knowledge and Publishing Models: A Case Study of Regional Studies.

Supervisors: Prof. Gordon Dabinett and Dr.Alasdair Rae (University of Sheffield) and Sally Hardy (Regional Studies Association)

The overall purpose of this study is to undertake research into the relationships between knowledge and action. Specifically the proposed collaboration will seek to address: how are new publishing models changing the production, reproduction and impact of academic knowledge in the field of regional studies, and can the impact of regional studies knowledge be increased?

Regional studies is a relatively new inter-disciplinary ‘community of practice’ and field of intellectual activity within urban and regional development. The RSA since being set up as a learned society in 1969 has become a global forum for city and regional research, development and policy. It has also established itself at the forefront of academic publishing practices through a strong partnership with the Taylor & Francis Group and now has a family of international peer-reviewed journals.

Recent changes in the knowledge and action interface have seen an increase in research impact; new forms of communication, namely open access publishing and social media; and efforts to further internationalise practices in the context of globalisation. These new behaviours are also inherently embedded in wider shifts in society/state relationships and the value that governmental relationships place on knowledge within policy processes and decision making.

Applications

We welcome applications from a wide range of subject/disciplinary backgrounds in the social sciences such as geography, planning, or politics. We also recognise the value of practice-based experience, and will consider candidates with substantial experience. These awards are only available to nationals from the UK and EU. UK applicants will be eligible for a full award (paying fees and maintenance at standard Research Council rates). EU applicants are normally eligible for a fees only award, unless they have been resident in the UK for 3 years immediately preceding the date of the award.

Applicants must hold at least a UK upper second class honours degree or equivalent and must demonstrate that they have already completed the full research training requirements. If successful in your application you will usually be expected to start your studies in mid-September.

Making an Application

To apply for the Collaborative PhD Studentship you will need to:

• Provide two references and supporting information to the Department of Town & Regional Planning, University of Sheffield by the 10 April 2015 (see below)
• If shortlisted, complete an online application form by the 1 May 2015.

Application Documentation

All applications must submit the following documentation to the address below:

• two letters of reference (preferably from academics who can judge your ability to research and write, e.g. a dissertation supervisor);
• transcripts of previous qualifications;
• your CV;
• a 1500 word outline research proposal, setting out a personal statement which explains why you are a suitable candidate, setting out relevant knowledge, skills and experience, and indicating the intellectual approach you would like to bring to the topic.

Enquiries and requests for further details should be made to Prof. Gordon Dabinett: g.e.dabinett@sheffield.ac.uk

Prof.Gordon Dabinett
Department of Town & Regional Planning
University of Sheffield
Geography & Planning Building
Winter Street
Sheffield
S3 7ND

Public Communications in the Adaptive Water Utility

Supervisors: Dr. Liz Sharp (Town and Regional Planning) and Dr. Vanessa Speight (Civil Engineering)

The aim of this study is to investigate whether, where and how urban water utilities are innovating in relation to customer communications in ways that accord with the expectations of the adaptive water service provider.

Urban water governance is facing great challenges from urbanisation, poor/aging assets, rising environmental expectations, and climate change. While traditional water management expects stability and focuses on technical interventions and control, under adaptive approaches surprises and emergent problems are seen as learning opportunities within the context of collaboratively formed strategies, and social as well as technical interventions are considered. Though adaptive scholarship to date is largely concerned with rural catchments, if realised in an urban context, such an adaptive approach would place water utilities in the centre of a network of water-oriented stakeholders, with significant agency to facilitate water-strategy conversations and to mobilise water-wise behaviour.

The proposed research will ask both how the utilities are innovating in their communicative practices, and also whether the communications expectations of the adaptive water utility are possible and desirable. The work will combine extensive research through a survey of global water practitioners (many accessed through the 400 members of IWA Public and Customer Communications Specialist Group) and intensive immersive case study investigation of communicative strategies in selected water utilities across the globe. The survey will examine the extent, scale and purposes of communications within the water utility. Up to three cases will be selected from the more actively engaged water utilities to include examples that appear both more and less adaptive. The case study investigations will examine the internal function and external manifestation of these communicative strategies.

The findings of the research will provide practical information informing water utilities about contemporary communicative practices across the globe. The work will also advance empirical understanding of the concept of the adaptive water utility.

Applications

We welcome applications from a wide range of subject/disciplinary backgrounds in the social sciences such as geography, planning, journalism, communication studies or politics. We also recognise the value of practice-based experience, and will consider candidates with technical degrees combined with substantial experience working in relevant community-environmental areas.

These awards are only available to nationals from the UK and EU. UK applicants will be eligible for a full award (paying fees and maintenance at standard Research Council rates). EU applicants are normally eligible for a fees only award, unless they have been resident in the UK for 3 years immediately preceding the date of the award.
Applicants must hold at least a UK upper second class honours degree or equivalent and a Masters degree at Merit level or above. They must show that they have Masters level research training and experience (or equivalent practice-based research competence).
If successful in your application you will usually be expected to start your studies in mid-September.

Making an Application

To apply for the Collaborative PhD Studentship you will need to:

• Provide two references and supporting information to the Department of Town & Regional Planning, University of Sheffield by the 10 April 2015 (see below)
• If shortlisted, complete an online application form by the 1 May 2015.

Application Documentation

All applications must submit the following documentation to the address below:

• two letters of reference (preferably from academics who can judge your ability to research and write, e.g. a dissertation supervisor);
• transcripts of previous qualifications;
• your CV;
• a 1500 word personal statement which explains why you are a suitable candidate, setting out relevant knowledge, skills and experience, and indicating the intellectual approach you would like to bring to the topic.

Enquiries and requests for further details should be made to Dr. Liz Sharp, l.sharp<στο>sheffield.ac.uk

Dr. Liz Sharp
Department of Town & Regional Planning
University of Sheffield
Geography & Planning Building
Winter Street
Sheffield
S3 7ND