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3 Postdoctoral researchers - ERC CLIMGROWTH
Climate change has revived the limits-to-growth debate. Current research on support for climate policy neglects the role of this debate and associated opinion dynamics.
This ERC Advanced Grant project CLIMGROW studies to what extent concerns about economic growth, ranging from pro- to anti-growth, hamper social-political support for ambitious climate policy, and how this can be amended. The project covers 4 PhD students and 3 postdocs. We are now looking for candidates for the 3 postdoc positions. Using surveys, experiments and interviews, part I of the project assesses whether beliefs about growth-vs-environment affect opinions of stakeholders (voters, experts, policy-makers, NGOs, etc.) about climate policy, and if this is moderated by their preferences regarding instruments. It further tests the role of information by comparing the communicative appeal of distinct beyond-GDP metrics in experiments. In addition, it studies how growth concerns have affected the design of pledges in the Paris Agreement, as these demarcate national climate policies. Based on collected data and insights, part II of the project undertakes system dynamics and agent-based modelling to study co-dynamics of climate-policy design and support. It involves the comparison of growth strategies and climate policies under distinct beyond-GDP metrics, connecting this to stakeholder opinion dynamics, to assess which dynamic policy paths can count on stable and sufficient support under diverse economic and climate scenarios. Informed by results of parts I & II, part III explores strategies, including agrowth and post-growth, that can increase support for ambitious climate policy. Given stakeholder diversity, this involves interviews to formulate tailored strategies.
We are now inviting applications by 3 postdoc candidates or senior level researchers with one or more of the following skills (associated with parts I-III mentioned above):
- experience with questionnaire surveys and/or experiments, knowledge of applied statistics/econometrics, or experience with economic modelling (market/equilibrium, agent-based or network modelling).
- Publications on climate policy or economic growth are appreciated but not required.
- While the project has pre-defined tasks, there is also room for personal initiative. In addition, postdocs may – depending on their interest and expertise – co-supervise PhD students.
Conditions of employment
- Dedication: 4 years; 37,5 working hours/week. Monday-Friday, 9-17.30h
- Salary: 40.000-47.000 €, depending on the experience and skillset of the successful candidate.
Skills/languages/required experience
- Phd in Economics, Modelling, Statistics/econometrics, Psychology, Social sciences, Environmental sciences
- Excel, statistics software, modelling software (e.g., Python)
- English
- Finished PhD research, a previous postdoc position is appreciated but not required, publications in English language journals Knowledge of theory and practice of environmental/climate policy is appreciated.
More information: https://tauler.seu.cat/pagDetall.do?idEdicte=450926&idens=11
Applications: https://seleccio.uab.cat
1-year postdoctoral contract on Sustainability Transformations in Rural Spain
Job Description
We are looking for a postdoctoral researcher to lead a study to on the transformative potential of social innovation projects in rural Spain. The postdoc will start as soon as possible, and work within the SUSTAIN project, hosted at the Environmental Science and Technology Institute (ICTA, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona).
The SUSTAIN project
Spain is confronted with a sustainability transition paradox. On the one hand, many rural regions are highly vulnerable to interacting socio-demographic and environmental problems. On the other hand, such vulnerability makes of those regions a unique experimentation niche for new, alternative forms of sustainable development. These new development experiences could potentially reduce the vulnerability of rural regions, empower the elderly, immigrant, and women populations, and show the path for others to follow. SUSTAIN aims to better understand the conditions under which those experiences are more likely to emerge and thrive, as featured by local communities.
Tasks Primary
- Assist the completion of an ongoing meta-analysis of bottom-up, transformative projects in rural Europe and the write-up of a scientific article with the resulting data.
- Lead a study of LEADER-funded projects and their transformative potential in rural Spain and the publication of a scientific article about it.
Secondary (optional)
- Co-write a newspaper article on sustainability transformations in rural Spain.
- Co-supervision of 1 Master’s student. Qualifications Minimum required skills
- A PhD in Environmental Science, Geography, Political Science, Economics, Sociology or similar.
- Accredited knowledge of sustainability transitions/transformations, social innovation, and/or collective entrepreneurship literature.
- Accredited experience with secondary literature review.
- Accredited experience with individual and group interviews.
- Good level of English (fluently spoken and written) and Spanish (fluently spoken).
Desirable skills
- Knowledge of European rural development policy
- Experience with GIS
Conditions of employment
- Dedication: 100% for 1 year; 37,5 working hours/week.
- Salary: 32,000 gross/year (negotiable depending on responsibilities assumed).
- Holidays: 4 weeks per year.
Work environment
ICTA-UAB is globally renowned for its cutting-edge research. In global university rankings, UAB ranks 8th in environmental studies worldwide having attracted 13 ERC grants and 18 currently running international projects (13 from the H2020 Programme). ICTA-UAB was accredited with the highest recognition of scientific research in Spain, the ‘María de Maeztu’ Unit of Excellence for the period 2016-2020, and again for the period 2020-2024.
ICTA provides a stimulating working environment in which mutual support is combined with a lot of room for individual initiative. The postdoc will become a member of our high-standing academic and international community with plenty of opportunities for collaboration. Within the SUSTAIN team, the postdoc will work back-to-back with the PIs and a team of Master’s students. We will encourage the postdoc to have her own voice within the project and explore additional research opportunities that are synergistic with it and contribute to promote her career.
We challenge our staff and students to approach issues from multiple disciplines and encourage them to take a different view. We are also proud to welcome people from different countries, ethnicities, and genders.
Application
If interested, please send an email of interest before the 30 th of September:
- A 300-words max. statement of interest.
- A 4-page max. CV, including information about education, job posts, fieldwork experience, skills, and key achievements (publications, grants, research impact, etc.), particularly if they fit the position´s requirements.
Contact information Sergio Villamayor-Tomas: villamayortomas@gmail.com
Communications Expert
Employer: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Research group and Institute where the work will be performed: LASEG - Laboratory for the Analysis of Social-Ecological Systems in a Globalized World (www.laseg.cat), at ICTA-UAB (www.uab.cat/icta)
About Us: The Laboratory for the Analysis of Social-Ecological Systems in a Globalized World (LASEG) is a distinctive research group housed within the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA-UAB), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Our work centers on the interdisciplinary study of social-ecological systems within a globalized context, focusing on issues of sustainability, environmental justice, and governance. We are dedicated to delivering cutting-edge research that can contribute to a more equitable and sustainable world.
Location: Cerdanyola del Valles/ Barcelona, Spain
Part-Time Role: Starting September 2023, 18-Month / 10h per week
Annual Salary: Approximately 10,500€ gross/annual (contracted through the UAB), a free-lancer relationship is possible (salary to be adapted accordingly).
About the Role: We are seeking an experienced Communications Expert to enhance our global reach. This individual will work in close coordination with LASEG's research team and ICTA-UAB's communications team, developing and implementing a communications strategy that amplifies the visibility and impact of the group’s research both nationally (Spain) and internationally.
Responsibilities:
- Develop and execute a comprehensive communications strategy to bolster LASEG's international visibility.
- Work closely with our researchers to understand their work and communicate it effectively to a broad audience.
- Migrate our current website contents to a new websited hosted by UAB, and subsequently generate engaging content for our website, newsletters, and social media platforms.
- Collaborate with ICTA-UAB's communications team to ensure consistency in messaging and branding.
- Coordinate the production of various communications materials, such as presentations, press releases, reports, and briefings.
- Monitor and assess the effectiveness of the communication strategy, making data-driven adjustments as necessary.
Qualifications:
- MA/BA degree in Communications, Marketing, Journalism, or a related field.
- Proven experience in communications, social media, public relations, or a similar role.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English; proficiency in Spanish and/or Catalan would be a plus.
- Demonstrated ability to develop and implement effective communication strategies.
- Ability to translate complex scientific concepts into clear, engaging language.
- Familiarity with digital communication tools and platforms.
- Strong organizational and project management skills.
- A passion for environmental sustainability and social justice, as well as a basic understanding of social-ecological systems, would be advantageous.
How to Apply:
Please submit your CV, cover letter, and a sample of your work/portfolio in a single PDF-file to Johannes.langemeyer@uab.cat (Email-Subject: LASEG-COMMS). Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.
LASEG and ICTA-UAB are equal opportunity employers. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
Note: The successful candidate must be eligible to work in Spain, and will be expected to visit ICTA-UAB frequently and participate in the group’s activities.
Application Deadline: 07/09/2023
Tècnic mitjà de Suport a la Recerca en economia circular - 2023PILIFRUA172
La persona escollida donarà suport a la línia de recerca en gestió de recursos per a una economia circular del grup Sostenipra, a través, principalment, del projecte BIDEKO.
Funcions
L'objectiu del projecte BIDEKO (PLEC2021-007801) és desenvolupar una nova generació de bateries primàries a petita escala que siguin capaços de satisfer les necessitats energètiques dels futurs dispositius electrònics d'una manera sostenible.
El projecte se centrarà en el desenvolupament de models de bateries basats en principis d'economia circular i sostenibilitat. Les funcions específiques a desenvolupar són:
- Proposar prototips de bateries utilitzant els principis d'Ecodisseny
- Crear inventaris de cicle de vida de diversos materials relacionats amb les bateries • Desenvolupar avaluacions del cicle de vida de les bateries i els seus materials relacionats
- Assistir a reunions i/o sessions formatives relacionades amb els projectes actius del grup i/o rellevants per a les funcions del lloc de treball.
- Elaborar informes i altres documents necessaris en el projecte o dins del grup de recerca
- Escriure articles de revisió entre iguals amb les principals conclusions
- Participar en la difusió de l'activitat científica en el seu àmbit de treball, si escau.
- Treballar de manera coordinada entre els membres del projecte.
Durada del contracte
En aplicació a la disposició addicional quarta del Reial decret llei 32/2021, de 28 de desembre, de mesures urgents per a la reforma laboral, la garantia de l’estabilitat en l’ocupació i la transformació del mercat de treball aquest contracte serà indefinit. La durada prevista inicialment a aquesta contractació està vinculada a la durada del finançament del projecte per a aquesta finalitat, preveient-se que aquest finançament tingui una durada de 12 mesos
Categoria: Tècnic mitjà de suport a la recerca LG2O
Dedicació: 28 hores / setmana
Horari específic: De dilluns a dijous, de 9 a 14:30 hores i els divendres de 8 a 14 hores
Retribució anual bruta (sou sense quota patronal): 27.089,09 € més la quantitat corresponent al Plus Campus i la resta de complements salarials que pertoquin.
Estudis
- Universitària de grau mitjà o Grau Universitari.
- Es valorarà Grau en Enginyeria, Ciències Ambientals, Nanociències o equivalent.
Informàtica: Bons coneixements de programari i bases de dades d'avaluació del cicle de vida.
Altres requisits valorables
- Màster en Estudis Ambientals, Energia i Sostenibilitat, o equivalent
- Coneixement de metodologies d'avaluació d'impacte ambiental, com ara Simapro i GaBi
- Coneixement de bases de dades
- Coneixements sobre bioplàstics i altres materials de base biològica com Ecoinvent, Gabi, GLAD entre d'altres
- Coneixement dels processos de producció industrial
- Capacitat de treballar en equip• Capacitat de comunicació
- NO es valora experiència en tècniques d'anàlisi química o anàlisi biològica
Termini de presentació de candidats: 42 dies naturals
Presentació de sol·licituds: https://seleccio.uab.cat
Més informació: https://tauler.seu.cat/pagDetall.do?idEdicte=444076&idens=11
Post-Doctoral Researcher (Ref 2023DILIFRUA76)
Job position requirements (skills/languages/required experience)
Achieving climate neutrality in the EU and globally requires ambitious policies that are cost-effective, fair, and politically feasible. The proposed project aims to improve the analysis of climate policy by improving our understanding of the relationship between effectiveness (emissions reduction) and support (political and social) through better accounting for the policy preferences and knowledge of voters and policymakers. This will draw on economic methods to study decision-making and policy evaluation. While the project has some pre-defined tasks, there is also a lot of freedom for personal initiative and interest.
We are looking for a postdoc or senior level researcher with a strong background in the assessment of climate policy, to contribute to the following tasks: review empirical and modelling studies of climate policy to examine how various types of heterogeneity (income, wealth, preferences, social networking) affect policy effectiveness; examine the consistency and complementarity of ex-ante and ex-post climate-policy evaluation; Investigate how policymakers employ scientific evidence, including ex-ante and ex-post studies, on climate change. Good journal publications in environmental and/or climate economics are required.
(Skills/languages/required experience)
- (Applied) economics, (applied) econometrics, environmental/climate economics
- Excel, statistics software
- English – (publications in English Language journals) Experience with data and statistics is valued Good knowledge of theory and practice of environmental and climate policy is appreciated as well.
- Finished PhD research, previous experience in a postdoc position is appreciated but not required
Benefits
Annual gross salary: €28.000 - €33.000-, depending on the experience
Postdoctoral researcher - ERC CONDJUST (Position 3)
We welcome applications to a post-doctoral research fellowship that will work on the ERC Advanced Grant “Conservation Data Justice (CONDJUST)” which is led by Dan Brockington. This fellowship lasts for 3.5 years and cannot be extended. Conservation Data Justice is an emerging research field that explores the data justice implications of data used in conservation decision-making, particularly in spatial prioritization exercises. Questions of data justice pertain to recognition – who is excluded from the data; procedure – how the data are compiled and distributed – what the consequences of different plans might be.
CONDJUST will interrogate conservation data and models and explore the epistemic communities producing them, to develop new theories of socially just, data-driven conservation. It will challenge the colonising tendencies of prioritisation work and seek decolonising alternatives.
The project is split into different work packages and four fellowships will be advertised for this project to work on them. An outline of all four positions and how they fit with each other is available here: https://danielbrockington.files.wordpress.com/2023/03/post-doc-advetisement-final-for-website-ii.pdf
Each appointed researcher will develop their own plan of research for their role. This advertisement is for the position available in work package 2.
Work Package 2
This work package looks for the positive outliers of effective conservation prioritisation. Through a collaborative process of codesign, in the first instance working with the ICCA consortium, the post-holder in this work package will explore cases of progressive and effective conservation that participants feel best address the challenges of conservation prioritisation. These are likely to be cases where ICCA members have themselves set the agenda of conservation prioritisation, and identified and mobilised their own priorities in ways which other conservationists can appreciate and support. This component will seek ways in which we can learn from more positive examples, where data, and diverse forms of data, are being used justly in conservation prioritisation.
This work package is highly likely to include work with communities and partners in the global south. Applicants are strongly encouraged to consider how this position fits with the others advertised by studying the description of all positions here: https://danielbrockington.files.wordpress.com/2023/03/post-doc-advetisement-final-for-website-ii.pdf
Skills, Attributes and Expected Activities
All applicants must be fully independent researchers who are able to devise their own research questions, methodologies, protocols, preparation for ethical review, writing, publication strategies, network building, and diverse forms of public engagement including social, media, film, and policy briefs.
Successful applicants will work as a team that will include PhD students who are working on CONDJUST´s fourth work package (https://tauler.seu.cat/pagDetall.do?idEdicte=435150&idens=11).
The post-holder must be ready to listen to advice, edits, and their peers, and present their work in diverse academic and practitioner fora. Their project needs to be able to function individually, if necessary, without being dependent on the success of other work packages. At the same time, they will be expected to work convivially to realise the synergies and possibilities of collaborative work across the CONDJUST project and with other research labs working in this area.
They are expected fully to participate in the intellectual life of ICTA by physically attending workshops, seminars, reading groups and away days. They are also expected to contribute material to the project website and companion sites about conservation data justice.
Applicants will need to prepare a planned research programme that responds to the tasks identified in the work packages above. Within that constraint, post-holders will enjoy considerable freedom as to how, precisely, they will fulfil those tasks. There are no constraints as to where they work, and there is good provision in the project budget for research placements and activities anywhere in the world. In your application you will need to explain what that proposed research programme is in a four-page document. This needs to be provided along with the other documents requested below.
Appointments Procedure
Shortlisted applicants will be contacted within a month of the closing date of these positions with instructions for interview procedures. There is some flexibility as to when appointments are taken up. We can wait for good people to be free.
More information on the UAB website
Further Enquiries
Dan Brockington would welcome further enquiries, for which please write to him directly at his UAB email address
Postdoctoral researcher - ERC CONDJUST (Position 4)
We welcome applications to a post-doctoral research fellowship that will work on the ERC Advanced Grant “Conservation Data Justice (CONDJUST)” which is led by Dan Brockington. This fellowship lasts for 3.5 years and cannot be extended. Conservation Data Justice is an emerging research field that explores the data justice implications of data used in conservation decision-making, particularly in spatial prioritization exercises. Questions of data justice pertain to recognition – who is excluded from the data; procedure – how the data are compiled and distributed – what the consequences of different plans might be.
CONDJUST will interrogate conservation data and models and explore the epistemic communities producing them, to develop new theories of socially just, data-driven conservation. It will challenge the colonising tendencies of prioritisation work and seek decolonising alternatives.
The project is split into different work packages and four fellowships will be advertised for this project to work on them. An outline of all four positions and how they fit with each other is available here: https://danielbrockington.files.wordpress.com/2023/03/post-doc-advetisement-final-for-website-ii.pdf
Each appointed researcher will develop their own plan of research for their role. This advertisement is for the position available in work package 3.
Work Package 3
This work package explores debates about conservation prioritisation and data justice as issues of (mis)communication between different epistemic communities. These debates can be seen as the continuation of long-standing differences between natural and social sciences in conservation and the different questions, values, ontologies, epistemologies, and practices that they entail. The post-holder will use social networking analysis to explore the construction and constitution of the epistemic communities at work. They will explore cases of effective and ineffective interactions between these disciplines and will develop opportunities of action research that builds bridges across communities. They will also examine how these epistemic communities are constituted geographically, exploring their construction and formation in different places in the global north and south.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to consider how this position fits with the others advertised by studying the description of all positions here: https://danielbrockington.files.wordpress.com/2023/03/post-doc-advetisement-final-for-website-ii.pdf
Skills, Attributes and Expected Activities
All applicants must be fully independent researchers who are able to devise their own research questions, methodologies, protocols, preparation for ethical review, writing, publication strategies, network building, and diverse forms of public engagement including social, media, film, and policy briefs.
Successful applicants will work as a team that will include PhD students who are working on CONDJUST´s fourth work package (https://tauler.seu.cat/pagDetall.do?idEdicte=435166&idens=11).
The post-holder must be ready to listen to advice, edits, and their peers, and present their work in diverse academic and practitioner fora. Their project needs to be able to function individually, if necessary, without being dependent on the success of other work packages. At the same time, they will be expected to work convivially to realise the synergies and possibilities of collaborative work across the CONDJUST project and with other research labs working in this area.
They are expected fully to participate in the intellectual life of ICTA by physically attending workshops, seminars, reading groups and away days. They are also expected to contribute material to the project website and companion sites about conservation data justice.
Applicants will need to prepare a planned research programme that responds to the tasks identified in the work packages above. Within that constraint, post-holders will enjoy considerable freedom as to how, precisely, they will fulfil those tasks. There are no constraints as to where they work, and there is good provision in the project budget for research placements and activities anywhere in the world. In your application you will need to explain what that proposed research programme is in a four-page document. This needs to be provided along with the other documents requested below.
Appointments Procedure
Shortlisted applicants will be contacted within a month of the closing date of these positions with instructions for interview procedures. There is some flexibility as to when appointments are taken up. We can wait for good people to be free.
More information on the UAB website
Further Enquiries
Dan Brockington would welcome further enquiries, for which please write to him directly at his UAB email address
ICTA-UAB participates in INPhINIT 'la Caixa' Fellowship Programme
Find all the information here