Applications are invited for a Research Assistant, to work with a team working with Dr Rachel Pechey on a research programme testing interventions to encourage healthier and more sustainable food purchasing and consumption.The post is embedded in the thriving Health Behaviours Team in the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences (NDPCHS). The team work on interventions to prevent or treat ill-health by intervening on diet, obesity, and smoking. We have a strong track record of applied research that can benefit patients and lead to changes in the health system.NDPCHS research is led by internationally renowned scientists, many of whom are practicing GPs and primary care clinicians or public health physicians, together with academics from a range of other disciplines including behavioural and social sciences, and humanities. Our research covers the broad range of issues that you might expect to address in the community, including cardiovascular and metabolic disease, cancer, infectious diseases and childhood illnesses, obesity, poor diet and smoking. We focus on understanding and improving the experiences of patients, rigorously evaluating the effectiveness of treatments and diagnostics, utilising big data, developing digital health interventions and working internationally. We have methodological expertise in clinical trial design and implementation, clinical decision making and diagnostics, epidemiology, medical statistics, behavioural science, modelling, qualitative research and the wider application of social science theory and methods to address practical and theoretical challenges in health and care settings.The successful applicant will be part of a group working to test the impact of interventions to encourage healthier and more sustainable food purchasing and consumption, conducted in online studies and field trials. The postholder would support colleagues with quantitative data collection, analysis, and write-up, as well as administrative tasks.You will have a relevant master’s degree (or be close to completion), along with some specialist knowledge in nutrition, psychology, epidemiology or behavioural sciences, and strong quantitative skills. You will also need to be able to manage your own research and administrative activities, and have excellent communication and teamwork skills.You will be based in the Radcliffe Primary Care Building or Gibson Building of the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, Radcliffe Primary Care Building, Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6GG as your normal place of work but there may be the opportunity for occasional remote working.The position is full-time and fixed-term for 12 months.For further information or to discuss the post please contact Rachel Pechey: rachel.pechey@phc.ox.ac.uk.“Committed to equality and valuing diversity”Applications for this vacancy are to be made online and you will be required to upload a CV and Supporting Statement as part of your online application. The Supporting Statement should include a cover letter and should also clearly describe how you meet each of the selection criteria listed in the job description. Click here for information and advice on writing an effective Supporting Statement. Please do not attach any manuscripts, papers, transcripts, mark sheets or certificates as these will not be considered as part of your application.The closing date for applications is 12:00 noon on Friday 27 February 2026.Interviews are expected to be held during the week commencing 23 March 2026.

Happening on the first Thursday of the month, these online coffee mornings, hosted by the Society’s Food Geographies Research Group (FGRG), are spaces for postgraduate and early career researchers working in Food Geographies to discuss their research.These meetings are open, with their agenda set at the previous meetings. Previously covered topics include the history of British and food geographies, ethics, what geographers can learn from other disciplines, and more.These sessions aim to be a space for colleagues to meet one another and discuss their work alongside learning collectively and shaping the future agenda of the Research Group.Booking informationAdvance booking for this event is required. In order to book you will need an account on our website. If you already have an account you will be prompted to log in when you click 'book now'. Please create an account if you do not have one yet (you do not need to be a member of the Society to create an account).This event will be held on Zoom and joining instructions will be included in your confirmation email.If you have any questions or require assistance with your booking, please email events@rgs.org

Role PurposeThe Grazing for Good Project Manager will play a central role in delivering a high-profile, multi-stakeholder project demonstrating the potential of regenerative, pasture-based livestock farming to drive carbon sequestration, biodiversity recovery, soil health improvement and economic resilience.Working closely with the Technical Director, the Project Manager will support the coordination of three exemplar AMP-grazing farms, manage day-to-day project logistics, assist with baseline data collection, and help deliver an ambitious knowledge-exchange programme engaging over 200 farmers across the region.The role is designed to ensure the smooth, timely, and high-quality delivery of this pioneering activity, which will combine on-farm demonstration, credible data gathering, and farmer-led peer learning. Key ResponsibilitiesPROJECT COORDINATION & DELIVERYProvide day-to-day operational management, ensuring activities run on schedule and meet project milestones.Coordinate communication and practical arrangements with the three exemplar farms, including planning farm visits, data collection windows, and events.Facilitate the organisation of 20+ events, including farm walks, technical workshops, webinars, and training sessions.Maintain accurate records of project outputs and engagement metrics for monitoring and evaluation.Contribute to complementary projects under the same funding grant, particularly focused on supply chain development opportunities. DATA COLLECTION & FARM LIAISONAssist with the logistical coordination of baseline data collection across all farms, including soil sampling, Public Goods Tool assessments, forage and biodiversity indicators, and Regen Indicators on Soilmentor.Mapping of livestock and upland supply chains in support of the wider project collaborations and aims. Liaise with contractors to enable smooth delivery of assessments.Ensure accurate logging, filing, and sharing of datasets in line with project protocols. COMMUNICATIONS & KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGEWork with the Senior Marketing Manager to produce accessible communications, including event promotions, project updates, case studies, and learning resources.Support development of farmer-facing guidance, data visuals, and demonstration materials emerging from the project’s baseline findings.Help maintain strong relationships with partner organisations, farmer networks, Protected Landscapes, and regional stakeholders.MONITORING, EVALUATION & REPORTINGCollect feedback and learning from events, participants, and farm partners to feed into internal reviews and funder reporting.Assist with the preparation of quarterly reports, documentation for the Carbon Negative Challenge Fund, and contributions to the final project report and policy briefing.GENERALUphold Pasture for Life’s values of collaboration, inclusivity, and farmer-led learning.Represent the organisation professionally at events and meetings.Travel to farm sites and events across the York & North Yorkshire Combined Authority area as required.Person SpecificationESSENTIAL EXPERIENCE & SKILLSExperience working in agriculture, environmental land management, regenerative farming, or a related rural sector.Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks, schedules, and partners simultaneously.Confident communicator able to build relationships with farmers, contractors, and delivery partners.Experience coordinating events or training activities, especially in rural or farming contexts.Good technical understanding of soil health, grazing systems, or farm environmental monitoring (not necessarily specialist level).Competent with digital tools including spreadsheets, simple databases, online meeting platforms, and shared working systems.Ability to work independently, take initiative, and solve problems in dynamic field-based environments.A clean driving licence and willingness to travel across the region.DESIRABLE EXPERIENCE & SKILLSFamiliarity with adaptive multi-paddock (AMP) grazing or regenerative livestock farming principles.Experience with data collection or farm-level baselining tools such as the Public Goods Tool, Soilmentor, or carbon auditing frameworks.Experience working within multi-stakeholder projects involving academics, NGOs, or government bodies.Understanding of UK agricultural policy, environmental schemes, or carbon market developments.Experience producing farmer-facing communications, case studies, or resource packs.Experience working within or contributing to supply chains linked to a specific region or specialist product. ATTRIBUTES & VALUESA commitment to farmer-led change and practical, on-the-ground impact.Respectful, inclusive and non-judgemental - aligned with Pasture for Life’s ethos and approach to community engagement.A team player who enjoys working collaboratively in a small but high-performing organisation.Curious, willing to learn, and able to adapt quickly to changing project conditions (weather, farm schedules, seasonal constraints).Reporting, Location & Working PatternReports to: Technical DirectorAlso works closely with: Knowledge Transfer Partnership Associate, Senior Marketing Manager, contractors and exemplar farm teams.Location: Remote/flexible with regular travel across York & North Yorkshire. Ideally the candidate will be based in Yorkshire.Working pattern: 4 days per week. Some evening or weekend event work may be required with notice.Duration & ContractFixed-term 24 month contract aligned to the funded project timeline (start early 2026).£36,000 FTE 0.8 FTE

Join us Tuesday 17 February from 3-5:00pm GMT (4-6:00pm CET) both online and in-person for the interactive event "Serious games for future food systems".If you wish to attend in-person in Oxford, please register here. If you would like to attend in-person in Wageningen, please register here. If you would like to attend online, please register here.Serious games are becoming a key tool in exploring sustainable strategies for transforming food systems. This session, organized in collaboration with WUR Community of Practice on Foresight and Scenario Analysis, the CiFoS team, WUR Games Hub, and TABLE, invites participants to play one of several food systems games and will include a short introduction to serious games.Participants attending in-person at WUR will be playing the CiFoS game, a board game focused on redesigning food systems for both human and planetary health, developed by the CiFoS team led by Hannah van Zanten, and designed by an interdisciplinary team of experts led by Federico Andreotti and Demi Hordijk, in collaboration with the Bomburo design studio (Andreotti, Hordijk et al. 2026).Furthermore, this event marks the launch of a physical game library at Wageningen University in partnership with the Teaching and Learning Center, as well as an online game library with TABLE (Games at TABLE).ScheduleWelcome and introduction: 16:00-16:30 CET / 15:00-15:30 GMT CiFoS game sessions: 16:30-18:00 CET / 15:30-17:00 GMTThis event can be attended online or in-person in Wageningen or in-person in Oxford. See registration links below.

In this Food Thinkers webinar Professor Emma Boyland (University of Liverpool) will describe the new landmark restrictions on advertising for less healthy food and drink in the UK and the likelihood they will achieve their aims to tackle poor diet and obesity. In January 2026, paid advertisements for products high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) were banned online at all times and on television before the 9pm ‘watershed’. This ban was based on evidence that exposure to such marketing influences children’s dietary preferences and contributes to unhealthy consumption patterns and longstanding public health concerns, multiple consultations and impact assessments dating back to 2019. The ban aligns UK food policy with global recommendations to protect young people from pervasive junk food promotion. Modelling studies suggest the ban could remove billions of calories from children’s diets and deliver significant health benefits. But questions remain about the legislation’s overall effectiveness and potential industry workarounds. During this webinar Professor Boyland will provide an overview of the new ban, unpick its strengths and weaknesses, and consider “where next?” for food advertising policy.The talk will be followed by an online Q&A session.Emma Boyland is a Professor of Food Marketing and Child Health in the Department of Psychology at the University of Liverpool, where she is Deputy Dean for the Institute of Population Health. Emma is an experimental psychologist whose studies explore unhealthy food marketing and the impact this has on eating and eating-related behaviours, particularly in children. She works extensively with the World Health Organization in relation to child health, and has informed policies in the UK and internationally to restrict food marketing to children. She receives research funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).