Walsh Fellowship PhD

Funded Postgraduate Research Opportunity (Ph D) 

The Department of Food Business & Development, in conjunction with Teagasc (the national agriculture and food research, education and advisory body) has received funding for a

Walsh Fellowship (PhD)

 Optimisation of the Irish Dairy Industry Supply Chain using an Integrated Model

 The successful applicant will work as part of a team who are undertaking a major study to chart the long term future of the Irish dairy industry. This is a most important industry in the country, with about 30,000 directly employed in dairy product manufacture and farming, about €2 billion per annum in exports and close to a similar amount spent on dairy products by consumers in the home market.

 The specific project involves the development of an integrated milk transport, processing and distribution model. The information required for the model is extensive, including projections of milk supply volume, seasonal pattern and location at farm level, milk processing plant location and capacity projections at processing level, milk transport costs from farm to factory and dairy product distribution. If possible economies of scale at processing level for each of the main components of the product portfolio would be included in the model as well as product distribution costs from factory to wholesale/retail or shipping port. As this research places transportation in a central role and transport is a leading contributor to carbon emissions, the model will also be very valuable in estimating carbon emissions under alternative industry development scenarios. While the appropriate methodology to establish a combined optimum processing, transport and distribution configuration for the industry is generally available, some developments to adopt to the specific application will be required, working with an experienced supervisory team.

 Applicants should have a good primary degree (I or II I) with strong quantitative skills. It is desirable that candidates would have a keen interest in researching business topics and, while some familiarity with the business dimension of the dairy/food sector would be advantageous, it is not essential.

 The student stipend will be €21,000 per annum (including fees).

 Interested candidates should forward curriculum vitae (including contact details for at least one referee) by June 27^th 2008 to Dr Michael Keane at the address: