Post-doctoral research position: Biodiversity loss, policy instruments and economic incentives

Location: Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain Contract period: February 2012-January 2015 Gross annual salary (approx.): 25,000 Euros The Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA) at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona supports a range of research and educational lines that are at the centre of the Institute¿s commitment to the study of global environmental change. ICTA promotes basic and applied research on the relationship between the changing environment and society. In addition, it runs Master and Doctoral programmes in Environmental Sciences. Currently we offer 1 post-doctoral research position on the theme of Biodiversity loss, policy instruments and economic incentives supported by a combination of EU and Spanish funding and to be supervised by Prof. Jeroen van den Bergh and Dr. Esteve Corbera. The candidate for this position should have: - a strong background in economics and/or environmental sciences; - experience with theoretical and empirical research on biodiversity policy or ecosystem services related topics; - at least two peer-reviewed publications in international academic journals, as a lead author; - outstanding written and spoken English skills, and proficient spoken Spanish. Interested candidates should send a CV that includes the names of two referees and a letter of motivation (in English language) to Dr. Esteve Corbera (esteve.corbera@uab.cat) before the 31st of December 2011. Interviews with short-listed candidates will be conducted in early January and the contract will start by February 2012. Background information on the post-doctoral position can be found below and information about the research group can be found here: http://www.eco2bcn.es and http://icta.uab.cat. Information about the position The post-doctoral researcher will work together with Professor van den Bergh and Dr. Corbera, along with two doctoral students, on the development of two international, European projects (INVALUABLE and CONNECT). INVALUABLE focuses on the theoretical and empirical analysis of market and incentive-based mechanisms for biodiversity conservation around the world, with a specific focus on European and Latin American initiatives. It involves several partners in other European countries and will provide insights on the actual benefits and challenges of these instruments, drawing comparisons across cases and countries. CONNECT aims to assess unintended indirect effects and resulting potential ineffectiveness of biodiversity conservation policies. It further will account for potential trade-offs between ecosystem services and determine suitable policy instruments to tackle the various determinants of biodiversity loss. More information can be found here: http://www.biodiversa.org/86 The post-doctoral researcher will contribute to the development of the conceptual framework for both projects, conduct some empirical research on fieldwork sites and support the principal investigators in management tasks and the organisation of policy-oriented and project management workshops. The researcher will be expected to lead and co-author publications from both projects, participate actively in international meetings and conferences, and contribute to an efficient and cordial functioning of the research team.