CALL FOR PHD APPLICATIONS: READVERTISEMENT

Assessing Climate-focused Industrial Plastic Waste Management Interventions: Beyond and Within Bangladesh’s Garment Industry

The Centre for Entrepreneurship Development (CED), BRAC University, invites applications from highly motivated and qualified Bangladeshi nationals for two fully-funded PhD scholarships. These positions form part of a DANIDA-funded interdisciplinary research project, focusing explicitly on climate-focused interventions in industrial plastic waste management connected to Bangladesh’s garment industry. This initiative seeks to build advanced academic and practical expertise addressing the critical environmental and social sustainability challenges posed by plastic waste.

Institutional Collaboration and Supervision

This project is coordinated locally by CED-BRACU with the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) (as Principal Partner) and Aalborg University (AAU). The Institute of Business Administration (IBA) at the University of Dhaka will provide the academic support for enrolling and supervising the PhD students. Successful candidates will enroll as PhD candidates at the University of Dhaka and receive joint supervision from Bangladeshi and Danish scholars.

Research Context and Objectives

This research initiative is positioned at the intersection of climate change, circular economy, and social sustainability. With significant plastic waste emerging from Bangladesh’s garment industry, the project emphasizes designing, evaluating, and implementing practical interventions to mitigate associated environmental and social impacts. Candidates will adopt an interventional ethnography approach, utilizing participatory tools such as the River of Life framework to document worker experiences, narratives, and aspirations. The 5S diagnostic framework along with occupational health and safety (OHS) standards will serve to evaluate the efficacy of operational improvements within both formal and informal plastic recycling sectors.

Research objectives include:

  • Investigating the environmental and social impacts of current and proposed management.
  • Documenting how interventions in industrial plastic waste environmental and operational changes affect worker livelihoods, health, and community sustainability.
  • Identifying cultural, economic, and technological barriers to adopting sustainable waste management practices.
  • Developing and rigorously evaluating context-specific interventions to improve plastic recycling efficiency and workplace safety.

Thematic Research Areas

Proposals are invited around (but not limited to) the following areas:

  • Mapping and critically analyzing local plastic waste value chains with a likely connection to the garment industry
  • Evaluating environmental outcomes of recycling interventions, particularly impacts on production efficiency and emissions.
  • Co-creating and implementing innovative, participatory interventions to enhance sustainability and improve occupational health & safety within plastic waste management practices.

Research Proposal Guidelines

The proposed research will primarily focus on intervention-based methodologies, working closely with both informal and formal plastic recycling facilities. It will employ a mixed-methods approach, integrating quantitative and qualitative techniques, such as ethnographic research.
Applicants must submit a research proposal (up to 5 pages, approximately 2,500 words, excluding references), structured as follows:

  • Introduction and Research Questions (approx. 400 words): Clearly state your research problem, objectives, and guiding questions. Contextualize within climate, plastic waste management, and industry sustainability.
  • Literature Review and Theoretical Framework (approx. 700 words): Critically engage existing literature, explicitly referencing interventional ethnography, River of Life, the 5S and OHS framework. Demonstrate how your research advances current academic discourse.
  • Methodology (approx. 700 words): Detail your research methods and justify their selection and application, including ethnographic and participatory techniques, interventional ethnography, River of Life approach, and the 5S diagnostic framework within your study.
  • Research Context (approx. 400 words): Define your proposed case context clearly. Reference existing knowledge and preliminary data from related studies, particularly the provided background on recycled plastic granules and toy manufacturing. Provide an explanation of how you will work closely with plastic recyclers and plastic manufacturers to bring about real change through the intervention.
  • Work Plan and Timeline (approx. 300 words): Provide a clear timeline outlining key phases of your PhD research, addressing feasibility and potential risks or contingencies.
  • Expected Outcomes and Significance (approx. 300 words): Articulate the anticipated academic and practical contributions of your research, particularly concerning policy implications and alignment with national sustainability objectives.

Assessment Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated against the following criteria:

  • Research Problem and Relevance (15%): Clarity, significance, and contextual relevance.
  • Literature Review and Theory (20%): Depth of theoretical engagement and innovation.
  • Methodological Rigor (25%): Appropriateness and feasibility of proposed methods.
  • Originality and Innovation (15%): Novelty and contribution to existing knowledge.
  • Feasibility and Work Plan (15%): Practicality and thoroughness of project planning.
  • Quality of Communication (10%): Clarity, coherence, and professionalism of presentation.

Stipend/Funding Package

The selected PhD students will receive a stipend for 3 years. All the relevant admission and course fees, field cost, publications, and other relevant expenses will be funded by the project.

Last Date for Application: 23 August 2025

Requirements

Education

  • All students must fulfil the criteria for PhD enrollment in IBA, University of Dhaka.
  • In addition, the candidate must have a Bachelor’s degree from a reputed public university and a Master’s degree from any reputed institution. Preferences would be given to experiences and disciplines such as Operations Management, Business Administration, Social Sciences, Anthropology, Ethnography, Environmental Science, Climate Change, Risk Management, Technological Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Industrial Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering.
  • Applicants must have a CGPA of 2.5 out of 4, or Second Class in both Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees.
  • Applicants must not have below 2nd division in any other examinations.
  • The candidates are preferred to have at least one publication in a reputed peer-reviewed journal.
  • PhD applicants working in Public or Private Universities or reputed research organizations must have two years of working experience with substantial evidence of research output.
  • Candidates should also demonstrate the capability to conduct research independently under supervision, indicating a level of self-motivation and initiative. Good proficiency in English and academic writing skills is essential.

Admission Process

If you are interested in applying for the PhD position, please submit the following documents electronically to ced.projects@bracu.ac.bd by 23 August 2025.

  • Research proposal within one of the three themes described above in ‘Thematic Research Areas’ section (maximum five pages). Please follow the Research Proposal Guidelines outlined above to develop the proposal.
  • Copies of Bachelor and Master’s degree certificates or other certificates of a corresponding level along with a grade transcript.
  • Brief curriculum vitae (CV).
  • List of papers and publications.
  • One copy of a selected written work (e.g. Master’s thesis, Journal article, etc.).

Recruitment Procedure

The recruitment committee will shortlist the applicants for the position. The shortlisted applicants will go through the assessment by the PhD sub-committee of IBA and will be notified of the assessment result. The shortlisted applicants will be required to participate in interviews via video call (Zoom/Team).

Once the recruitment process is completed, applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application. It should be noted that once the project team has selected a candidate, the candidate will have to go through the formal admission process of the University of Dhaka before s/he can start the PhD studies.

Enquiries

For further information, please email at ced.projects@bracu.ac.bd or contact:

Zeba Farzana
Research Associate, CED-BRACU
Email: zeba.farzana@bracu.ac.bd
Contact: +8801540798982