The School of Environmental and Natural Sciences at Bangor University are delighted to offer a fully funded PhD studentship starting in October 2026. The PhD is funded by the Welsh Graduate School for the Social Sciences (an ESRC-funded Doctoral Training Partnership) and WWF-UK and is open for international applicants.
Deadline: 12:00 midnight 5th May 2026 (UK Time)
Interviews via Teams scheduled for 18 May 2026
Project description
The Global Biodiversity Framework commits countries to effectively manage human-wildlife interactions to minimising human-wildlife conflict and promote coexistence. The framework also puts substantial emphasis on the role of the private sector in funding conservation. Conservation organisations are renewing their focus on tackling human-wildlife conflict and exploring new approaches for funding conservation that look beyond traditional public and philanthropic grants.
In many parts of the world, increasing interactions between elephants and humans following habitat encroachment is resulting in escalating conflicts over shared space and resources, with impacts ranging from crop raiding to fatalities among people and elephants. The island of Sumatra in Indonesia is home to the critically endangered Sumatran elephant. Found nowhere else in the world, fewer than 1,350 individuals remain. Alongside ongoing habitat loss, human–elephant conflict threatens their continued existence.
Implemented by WWF-Indonesia, the Peusangan Elephant Conservation Initiative (PECI) is a high-profile programme in Aceh province that will pilot innovative financing approaches to sustain conservation outcomes. The project aims to protect the critically endangered Sumatran elephant while restoring habitats, reducing human–elephant conflict, and strengthening community livelihoods through regenerative agroforestry and a nature first local economy. The ultimate aim is to change the dynamics from one where local people and commercial interests are in conflict with the persistence of elephants, to a landscape of coexistence. PECI will implement interventions designed to reduce human-elephant interactions such as elephant habitat improvements (provision of salt licks and permanent water sources for elephants) and agro-forestry interventions designed to reduce crop losses, as well as a compensation scheme to promote tolerance. The funding comes from a mixture and traditional grant funding and private-sector investment with the intention to shift to sustainable private sector financing longer term.
Research approach
Rigorously assessing the impact of project interventions on pro-environmental behaviours, such as the uptake of environmentally sustainable agroforestry, and avoidance of environmentally harmful actions like elephant persecution, is difficult since it can be challenging to align research with project rollout. However, a close partnership with WWF-Indonesia, UGM University, and WWF-UK offers the opportunity, during the PhD, to inform and test interventions as they are implemented. The project will build on existing datasets and preliminary work carried out by WWF-Indonesia and will involve substantial field work in Sumatra.
The ultimate research question to be answered is: how can new conservation funding models be converted into effective conservation coexistence outcomes on the ground? While the details of the PhD will be developed in association with the successful applicant, questions might include:
- What is the impact of specific behaviour-change interventions designed to promote human-elephant coexistence on attitudes and ultimately behaviour?
- How might positive outcomes for elephants be commoditised for the emerging ‘biodiversity credit’ (Wauchope et al., 2024) market (e.g., through an elephant custodian credit), and what are the ethical and practical implications of this?
- How do different stakeholders understand the theory of change behind PECI? How does this influence opinions towards changes PECI seeks to achieve locally?
Methods and design
Rigorously assessing impacts of interventions in complex socio-ecological systems is difficult retrospectively. The close partnership with WWF-Indonesia and WWF-UK offers the opportunity to build impact evaluation into project implementation. Methods could include:
- Staggered difference-in-differences (Wing et al., 2024) to understand the impact of interventions on perceptions towards elephants. Baseline questionnaire data from 2025 are available.
- Questionnaire to investigate the role of emotion and risk perception in predicting support for pro-conservation behaviour (St John et al., 2020)
- WWF-Indonesia have data on human-elephant conflict since 2021, enabling the student to incorporate history of conflict into their study design.
- Factorial survey experiment (Ibbett et al., 2025) to investigate desired characteristics of PECI inventions.
- Semi-structured interviews with stakeholders to qualitatively assess PECI’s theory of change.
Supervisors
1) Dr Freya St John (Bangor University)
2) Prof Julia PG Jones (Bangor University)
3) Dr Leejiah Dorward (Bangor University)
4) Dr Muhammad Ali Imron (Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia)
Informal enquiries can be made by contacting Freya f.stjohn@bangor.ac.uk
PhD start date: 1st October 2026
Essential Criteria
To receive WGSSS studentship funding, you must have:
- Qualifications or experience equivalent to a UK honours degree at a first or upper second-class level, or a masters in a relevant subject. Students with non-traditional academic backgrounds are also welcome to apply.
- Strong intellectual ability and curiosity.
- Excellent project management skills and ability to take the initiative.
- Understanding of, and interest in, biodiversity conservation and/or rural livelihoods
- Excellent communication skills in written and spoken English.
- Resilience, readiness to solve problems and work independently.
- Ability to work in a project that spans different stakeholders, cultures and languages and willingness to contribute to a collaborative research endeavour.
- Ability to conduct fieldwork in rural Sumatra.
Desirable Criteria
- Ability to speak Bahasa Indonesian or related languages
- Experience conducting social science research and field work in rural parts of Southeast Asia.
- Knowledge of statistical and spatial analysis, especially using R.
Location:
The post is based at Bangor University, UK, it cannot be undertaken remotely. Time will also be spent working with partners at WWF-UK and WWF-Indonesia and will involve field work in Sumatra.
Duration of study:
The duration of study varies from 3.5 to 4.5 years full time (or part time equivalent). The duration study is dependent on prior research experience and training needs of the student which will be assessed by completing a Development Needs Analysis. We welcome applications for both full and part-time study.
Research in practice placement:
All WGSSS funded students are required to complete a funded Research in Practice placement of 3-months in total (or part-time equivalent). All students will have the opportunity to complete a placement in academia, policy, business or civil society organisations.
International Eligibility:
WGSSS studentships are available to home (UK) and international students. Up to 30% of our cohort can comprise international students. International students will not be charged the fee difference between the UK and international rate. Applicants should satisfy the UKRI eligibility requirements. International candidates should be aware that they may need to cover relocation costs (e.g. visa and NHS surcharge).
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion:
WGSSS is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and creating an inclusive environment for all. We welcome applications from all members of the global community irrespective of age, disability, sex, gender identity, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief and sexual orientation.
Assessment:
Short-listed applicants will be invited to interview via Teams. As part of the interview process, applicants will be asked to prepare a short presentation on their academic background and how it will help them in this project, and their proposal for how they would like to take the project forward. They will also be asked to answer a series of panel questions. Interviews will be conducted on 18th May.
How to apply:
Applications should be received no later than 12:00 midnight 5 May 2026 including all required documents. Due to the volume of applications received, incomplete applications will not be considered. All applications should be submitted by email to Dr Leejiah Dorward at l.dorward@bangor.ac.uk
Please include the following documents with your application:
- WGSSS Application Form (note: you do not need to complete Section 3 ‘Welsh Language’. In Section 4 ‘About your project’ please answer in your own words bringing in your own thoughts for how the project could develop).
- Academic CV (two pages maximum) – ensure this covers how you meet essential & desirable criteria.
- 2 academic or professional references (candidates must approach referees themselves and include references with their application. The reference must detail the applicant’s research strengths).
- Degree certificates and Transcripts (including translations if applicable).
- If relevant, proof of English Language Competency (see institutional requirements for entry).
- Please give your email the subject line: WGSS collaborative PhD application (Conflict to coexistence)
Funding:
The studentship funded by the The Welsh Graduate School for the Social Sciences and WWF-UK covers tuition fees, an annual tax-free living stipend in line with UKRI minimum rates (currently £20,780 for 2025-26 full-time) and includes access to a Research Training Support Grant. Full and part-time applications are welcomed. If you have a disability, you may be entitled to a Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) on top of your studentship.
