Skip to main content
• The Vacancy
• The Company
• Our Values
• Apply Now Value our people Make a difference We foster creativity PhD Student Vacancy. Social capital and social assets: The rural attractiveness–depopulation dilemma Starting Salary
- Location Dundee This is a Fixed Term, Full Time vacancy that will close in 2 months at 12:00 GMT. The Vacancy Rural areas across the UK and Europe face a persistent challenge. Despite offering high quality of life and environmental amenities, many continue to experience population decline, demographic ageing, and economic fragility. Why do some areas remain resilient while others struggle to retain residents and sustain local services? This PhD project will address this policy-relevant question by investigating the role of social capital and social assets in shaping rural development and population retention, recognising these processes as complex social dilemmas. Jointly based at the University of Greenwich (London) and The James Hutton Institute (Aberdeen), the successful candidate will examine how social networks, civic participation, community engagement, and local social infrastructure contribute to the territorial resilience and residential attractiveness of rural areas. The project addresses a key challenge: overcoming a self-reinforcing cycle in which depopulation weakens local social structures, further accelerating out-migration. The research will combine spatial analysis, econometrics, and behavioural methods to measure social capital and assess its effects on rural wellbeing and local economic development. The student will work with diverse datasets to map indicators of social capital, social infrastructure (e.g., presence of community centres, cultural institutions, pubs, etc.), accessibility, and socio-economic outcomes at a fine spatial scale. Scotland will serve as the primary case study, complemented by international comparisons with Italy in the first instance, given the prominence of its north-south divide in the social capital literature. Additional case studies may be incorporated where they align with the candidate’s linguistic expertise and research interests. Alongside the analysis of territorial patterns, the project will investigate individual decision-making and collective action through surveys and/or behavioural experiments in Scotland. This component will explore how trust and cooperation emerge and influence local development outcomes. The studentship provides advanced training in quantitative social science methods, including spatial econometrics, impact evaluation, experimental economics, and statistical analysis using Stata and R. The student will also engage with policymakers, rural stakeholders, and international research networks through The James Hutton Institute’s contribution to strategic rural research for the Scottish Government, ensuring strong policy relevance and impact. We welcome applications from highly motivated candidates with backgrounds in development economics, economic geography, sociology, or related disciplines. Applicants with solid quantitative skills, or a willingness to develop them, are particularly encouraged to apply. The successful candidate will be expected to spend substantial periods in both London and Aberdeen and to engage actively with the research communities at both institutions. Funding Notes This 4yr PhD project is a competition jointly funded by The James Hutton Institute and the University of Greenwich via the UBEL Doctoral Training Partnership. Note that the James Hutton Institute will first select one or more eligible candidate who then needs to apply to UBEL when the project is advertised there in February 2027. This opportunity provides funding to cover a stipend and UK level tuition. International students may apply, but must fund the difference in fee levels. Students must meet the eligibility criteria as per UKRI guidance and will have a first-class honours degree in a relevant subject or a 2.1 honours degree plus Masters (or equivalent).

How To Apply
To obtain application forms and further details of

how to apply
, please click 'Apply Now'. Please note that the closing date for applications is 11/01/2027. Our Commitment to Equality and Diversity Any applications that miss the deadline will not be considered. Our Commitment to Equality and Diversity We will not consider the use of 3rd party recruitment agencies for the sourcing of candidates for this position. The James Hutton Institute is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. The James Hutton Institute is a: Stonewall Diversity Champion; Athena SWAN Silver Status Holder; Disability Confident Committed Employer and a Living Wage Employer. The James Hutton Institute is Happy to Talk Flexible Working. The Company The James Hutton Institute combines strengths in crops,



soils and land use and environmental research, and makes a major contribution to the understanding of key global issues, such as food, energy and environmental security, and developing and promoting effective technological and management solutions to these. James Hutton (1726 – 1797) was a leading figure of the Scottish Enlightenment, an eighteenth century golden age of intellectual and scientific achievements centred on Edinburgh. He is internationally regarded as the founder of modern geology and one of the first scientists to describe the Earth as a living system. His thinking on natural selection influenced Charles Darwin in developing his theory of evolution. Our Values We respect and value our people and the people we engage with We want to make a difference We strive to be excellent in everything we do We lead by example We foster creativity and innovation Sorry
- this vacancy is no longer available. Your email address (required) Alternatively, please sign in with... Published 4 hours ago Closing in 2 months Closing Closing in 2 months Social Media Icon Social Media Icon Social Media Icon Social Media Icon Social Media Icon Copyright 2000 Modal title Modal title Already Applied You have already applied for this vacancy, please go to your account to see your progress. Privacy Policy The James Hutton Institute Privacy Statement The following explains how we The James Hutton Institute (Controllers) intend to use the information you provide in your application, along with your rights, our reasons for requesting it and who will have access to it. As defined by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) The James Hutton Institute is the Data Controller and ultimately responsible for ensuring the data you provide is kept secure, processed correctly and that you understand your legal rights in relation to the data you provide. The recruitment software we use via this website is supplied by IRIS Software Group Limited and they are defined as a Data Processor under the GDPR. They will only process your data in accordance with our instructions. IRIS can be contacted at: 4th Floor Heathrow Approach, 470 London Road, Slough, England, SL3 8QY For Data Protection enquiries, please contact the Help Desk at [email protected] What information do we collect from you? We Collect Information That Is Specifically Provided By You As Part Of An Application Process. We Will Collect The Following (but Not Limited To):
• Name, address, email, telephone number
• CV (if applicable)
• Equal opportunities monitoring information (defined as special categories data)
- this information is purely for statistical analysis and monitoring purposes
• Answers to application questions
• Any other information you wish to provide in support of your application We are using Contract as our legal basis for processing, which means we can use your details and information so that we may assess your suitability for employment with us, as well as carry out our statistical analysis of recruitment. Why do we collect this information and who do we share it with? Details You Provide In This Application:
• Will be held on our computer systems and may be downloaded by us
• Will be used to deal with your application
• Will be made available to us and our processors
• Will be used for communication with you regarding the vacancy
• Will be used to satisfy legal requirements
• Will be used for statistical analysis
• Will be held and may be used to contact you about other vacancies We will store your application data for 12 months after the vacancy has closed. After this period, it will be fully anonymised. How can I access the information you hold about me? Your rights We are dedicated to providing reasonable access to visitors who wish to review the personal information retained when they apply via our website site and correct any inaccuracies it may contain. If you choose to register, you may access

your profile
, correct and update your details, or withdraw your details at any time. To do this, you can access your personal profile by using the secure login. In all cases we will treat requests to access information or change information in accordance with applicable legal requirements. You have the following rights in relation to the way in which we deal with your personal data:
• the right of erasure or to be forgotten
• the right to rectification if information is inaccurate or out of date




• the right of data portability (to obtain and reuse your personal data)
• the right to object to networx and the controller and processors handling of your personal data
• the right to withdraw your consent with regards to the handling of your personal data
• you have the right to ask for a copy of the information we hold about you (Subject Access Request
- S.
A.
R)
• You have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority
- the ICO Within your candidate account, you can also use the Download Data feature to generate an XML file of the current data we hold on you that you have provided and/or have access to within the account. Where you exercise your right to object or withdraw your consent we may process your personal data without your knowledge or consent where we are permitted or required by law or regulatory requirements to do so. In such a case, we will not process more personal data than is required under the circumstances. If you are not satisfied by our actions, you can seek recourse through our internal complaints procedure. If you remain dissatisfied, you have the right to refer the matter to the Information Commissioner (www.ico.org.uk) or seek recourse through the courts. The James Hutton Institute can exercise the right to update this policy as and when required. Social Login To continue creating your account, please read the privacy policy and tick the box below I have read the privacy policy To complete creating

your profile
with , please read and agree with the privacy policy. The email used for

your profile
is not a valid company domain name. In order to continue to create

your profile
with you will need to select a profile which uses a company authorised email address. Cookie Preference Centre Learn more about what each cookie category does and choose your settings Cookie policy Strictly Necessary These cookies are needed to run our website and to keep it secure. More Information Always Active Performance / Analytics These cookies tell us how customers use our site and provide information to help us improve the website and your browsing experience. More Information Inactive Functional Cookies These cookies allow us to provide enhanced functionality and personalise content for you. For example they're used to recognise you when you return to our website. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly. More Information Inactive Strictly Necessary Name __RequestVerificationToken Duration Session Description Anti-forgery Token Name ASP.
NET_SessionId Duration Session Description General purpose platform session cookie, used by sites written with Miscrosoft .
NET based technologies. Usually used to maintain an anonymised user session by the server. Name NTX_Cookie_Preferences_Live Duration 6 Months Description Your cookie preferences Performance / Analytics Name _ga Duration 2 Years Description This cookie name is associated with Google Universal Analytics
- which is a significant update to Google's more commonly used analytics service. This cookie is used to distinguish unique users by assigning a randomly generated number as a client identifier. It is included in each page request in a site and used to calculate visitor, session and campaign data for the sites analytics reports. By default it is set to expire after 2 years, although this is customisable by website owners. Name _gat Duration A few seconds Description This is a pattern type cookie set by Google Analytics, where the pattern element on the name contains the unique identity number of the account or website it relates to. It appears to be a variation of the _gat cookie which is used to limit the amount of data recorded by Google on high traffic volume websites. Name _gid Duration 1 Day Description This cookie name is asssociated with Google Universal Analytics. This appears to be a new cookie and as of Spring 2017 no information is available from Google. It appears to store and update a unique value for each page visited. Name NetworxTracking_AdvertClick Duration 90 Days Description Used for tracking if the candidate has already clicked the advert
- used for analytics Name NetworxTracking_AdvertLoad Duration 90 Days Description Used for tracking if the candidate has already loaded the advert
- used for analytics Functional Cookies Name ApplicationIntroductionID Duration 90 Days Description Check to see if the candidate has already read the introduction for the Application Name FavouriteVacancies Duration 30 Days Description Store any jobs the candidate has flagged as a favourite Name JobAlertVacancies Duration 30 Days Description Stores the candidates Job Alert Criteria Name JobSearchCriteria Duration 30 Days Description Store the last search performed by the candidate Share Vacancy Click on any of the buttons below to share this page Share On Whatsapp Share On Linkedin Share On Facebook Share on X Copy Link

📌 PhD Student Vacancy. Social capital and social assets: The rural attractiveness–depopulation dilemma (Australia)
🏢 Hutton Scientific Services
📍 Australia