Research Opportunities

CALL FOR A POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER

The research team of the “Semi-Arid Coastal Basins as Indicators of Adaptation to Climate Crisis” (SACBAD) Ring Project (ATE220055) is seeking exceptional and highly motivated candidates for a full-time, renewable one-year postdoctoral position. This postdoctoral researcher will work with the specific objective of understanding and modeling water consumption by agriculture in semi-arid regions affected by climate change.

The SACBAD project brings together Chilean researchers from the School of Engineering, the School of Agriculture and Forestry, and the Department of Ecology – Faculty of Biological Sciences – at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile (PUC), the University of Chile, and the Federico Santa María Technical University, in collaboration with an international core of leading researchers in the field.

The candidates must have:

1. A Ph.D. in economics/agricultural economics or related disciplines at the time of appointment.
2. Experience in developing and applying theoretical and numerical models of farmers’ decisions on water use.
3. Excellent communication skills in English. Proficiency in Spanish (if not the native language) is highly desirable.
4. Availability to start working no later than April 2024.
5. Ability to work legally in Chile or obtain a work visa before the start of the position.
6. Candidates must not have any pending issues with ANID (National Agency for Research and Development of Chile) or the former agency Conicyt.

Applications will be accepted until December 20 with an ideal start date in April 2024. We reserve the right to extend the application deadline.

Postdoctoral responsibilities:

1. Full-time dedication to the project.
2. Coordination of undergraduate and graduate students.
3. Design, development, and management of field/laboratory experiments and fieldwork within rural Chile.
4. Data analysis and preparation of manuscripts.
5. Publishing scientific articles with the project’s principal investigators, acknowledging “Proyecto Anillo ATE220055.”
6. Strict confidentiality of unpublished project results.
7. Participation in national and international scientific meetings.
8. Engagement in outreach activities.
9. Presentation of an annual activity report.

Important dates:

1. Application deadline is December 20, 2023, 6:00 PM (Chile Continental Time)
2. Notification of interview for suitable candidates: after January 10, 2024
3. Online interviews expected on January 15 and 16, 2024
4. Results will be notified after approval and ratification by the funding agency (ANID Department of Strategic Focalization Initiatives) (approximately January 30, 2024)

To apply, please send an email to omelo@uc.cl and svicuna@uc.cl including:

1. A letter of interest
2. Two letters of recommendation
3. Curriculum Vitae
4. Copy of the doctoral diploma or certificate
5. Copy of passport or ID card.

Please use the subject “anillo-SACBAD-application” in your email. Applications must be in English. For further information and any inquiries, please feel free to contact us at omelo@uc.cl or svicuna@uc.cl.

Para más información, consulte el archivo adjunto.

This is a friendly reminder about the special issue of Environment and Development Economics titled “Challenges for Latin American Development in the Anthropocene: Current Research in Environmental Economics,” co-edited by Marcelo Caffera and Alejandro López-Feldman, members of the editorial board of LAERE.

CALL FOR A POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER

The research team of the Anillo project “Semi-arid coastal basins as indicators of climate crisis adaptation (SACBAD)” (ATE220055) seeks exceptional and highly motivated candidates for a full-time one-year renewable postdoctoral position. This postdoctoral researcher will work toward the specific objective of understanding and modeling water consumption by agriculture in semi-arid regions impacted by climate change.

The SACBAD project brings together Chilean researchers from the School of Engineering, the School of Agriculture and Forestry, and the Department of Ecology-Faculty of Biological Sciences-, from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (PUC), Universidad de Chile and Universidad Técnica Federico Santa Maria, in collaboration with an international core of leader researchers in the field.

Candidates must have:

1. A PhD in economics/agricultural economics or related disciplines at the moment of hiring
2. Experience developing and applying theoretical and numerical models of farmer water use decisions
3. Excellent communication skills in English. Communication in Spanish (if not the native language) is highly desirable.
4. Availability to start working at the latest in April 2024.
5. The ability to legally work in Chile or obtain a work visa before the start of the position.
6. Candidates must not have any standing issue with ANID (Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo de Chile) or with former agency Conicyt.

Applications will be received until December 20th with an ideal starting date in April 2024. We reserve the right to extend the application deadline. 

Postdoctoral responsibilities:

1. Full-time dedication to the project
2. Coordination of undergraduate and graduate students
3. Design, development, and management of field/lab experiments and fieldwork within rural Chile
4. Data analysis and manuscript preparation.
5. Publish scientific publications with the project PIs, acknowledging “Proyecto Anillo ATE220055”
6. Strict confidentiality of unpublished results from the project
7. Participation in national and international scientific meetings
8. Participation in outreach activities
9. Presentation of an annual report of activities

Important dates:

1. Application deadline is December 20th, 2023, 18:00 h (Chilean continental time)
2. Notification of interview for suitable candidates: after January 10th, 2024
3. Online interviews are expected to be January 15-16t
4. Results will be notified after the approval and ratification of the funding agency (Departamento de Iniciativas de Focalización Estratégica ANID) (approximately January 30th, 2024)

To apply please send an email to omelo@uc.cl and svicuna@uc.cl  including:

1. A letter of interest
2. Two recommendation letters
3. Curriculum Vitae
4. Copy of the PhD diploma or certificate
5. Copy of the passport or DNI.

Please use the subject “anillo-SACBAD-application” in your email. Applications must be in English. For more information and for any questions, do not hesitate to contact us at omelo@uc.cl or svicuna@uc.cl For more information, please refer to the attached file.

Special Issue on “Challenges for the development of Latin America in the Anthropocene: current research in environmental economics”

Submission Deadline: 31 January 2024

Environment and Development Economics seeks to publish a special issue on challenges for the development of Latin America in the Anthropocene: current research in environmental economics. The aim of this special issue is to help identify research opportunities and the knowledge gaps that need to be filled to contribute to the design and implementation of policies in Latin America that are both environmentally and economically sound. The issue will be guest edited by Marcelo Caffera and Alejandro López-Feldman.

Latin America faces several environmental challenges, such as increased vulnerability to climate change, loss of biodiversity and urban air pollution. While effective environmental policies are essential to address these challenges, limited political opportunities hinder their implementation. The current social discontent and legitimate demands for short-term employment recovery could further sideline environmental policies. In this context, the use of economic tools that can help evaluate the relative effectiveness of different policies, as well as economic instruments that can help regulators design cost-effective environmental policies, are of the utmost importance.

We are interested in both applied and theoretical papers that provide answers to key environmental and resource management issues in one or more Latin American countries. The call will consider, but will not be limited to, studies that analyze the impacts of climate change; biodiversity loss; the future impact of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) on trade in the region; the political economy of carbon taxes or tradable permits in Latin America; experiences with different economic instruments; impact evaluation studies of environmental policies; and the relationship between health and the environment in the region.

Submission Guidelines: Papers should be submitted by 31 January 2024 at the latest. Early submissions are encouraged and will be processed immediately. Papers will undergo the normal refereeing process. The quality of the paper and the extent to which it fits the focus of the special issue are the criteria for acceptance.

Submissions should be made online at: https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/ede. During the first step of the submission process, in the “Special Issue” field, authors should select “Latin America”. Authors should also indicate in their cover letter that the manuscript is for the “Challenges for the development of Latin America in the Anthropocene: current research in environmental economics” Special Issue.

Instructions for contributors can be found here.

For further information, authors should contact the Guest Editors at the emails below

At the University of Göttingen -Public Law Foundation-, Department für Agrarökonomie und Rurale Entwicklung, there is a position as:

Research assistant / PhD student (all genders welcome)

Entgeltgruppe 13 TV-L/65% to be filled. Starting date is as soon as possible. The position is limited to 3 years.

The project

The advertised position is part of the DFG-funded research project ‘Designing effective policy instruments for sustainable land transformation’. The rapid expansion of oil palm monocultures in Indonesia has been associated with economic development, but also with major environmental repercussions. It is crucial to identify strategies to reconcile these trade-offs. In this project we aim to use economic experiments in the field to investigate the role of providing monetary and non-monetary incentives to smallholder farmers for fostering a sustainable land use transformation in Indonesia.

Your tasks

The doctoral researcher will conduct research on the effectiveness of different attributes of Payments-for-Ecosystem-Services schemes to induce adoption of sustainable land use practices, and will explore the relevance of experiential learning as an education tool to increase environmental awareness, values and pro-environmental behavior. The tasks include:

• Design and implementation of field experiments in Jambi, Indonesia
• Empirical analysis of quantitative data using statistical and econometric methods
• Presentation and publication of research results 

Your profile

• Outstanding Master degree in Agricultural Economics, Development Economics or a related discipline
• Strong analytical skills and experience with quantitative research methods; work experience with economic or behavioral experiments is a plus
• Proven interest in topics related to rural development economics and economic incentives or extension services
• Willingness and ability to work under field conditions in the tropics (rural Indonesia); work experience in the tropics is a plus
• Interest in interdisciplinary cooperation; experience of working in intercultural and interdisciplinary teams is a plus
• Excellent command of the English language

The position is based in Göttingen (Germany) but requires traveling and extended research stays in Indonesia. The position is intended to qualify young scientists and offers the opportunity to prepare a PhD thesis. The position is recruited in the research group of Prof. Dr. Meike Wollni. For more information about the Chair Group please visit: https://www.uni-goettingen.de/en/108411.html. Your complete application package should include motivation letter, CV with the contact details of two referees, university certificates and transcripts, and a 1-2 page summary of your Master thesis.

The University of Göttingen is an equal opportunities employer and places particular emphasis on fostering career opportunities for women. Qualified women are therefore strongly encouraged to apply in fields in which they are underrepresented. The university has committed itself to being a family-friendly institution and supports their employees in balancing work and family life. The University is particularly committed to the professional participation of severely disabled employees and therefore welcomes applications from severely disabled people. In the case of equal qualifications, applications from people with severe disabilities will be given preference. A disability or equality is to be included in the application in order to protect the interests of the applicant.

Please upload your application in one pdf file including the usual documents until 1/15/2024 on the application portal of the university using this link: https://obp.uni-goettingen.de/de-de/OBF/Index/74322. For more information get in touch with Adriana Bernal-Escobar directly via E-Mail: adriana.bernal@uni-goettingen.de, Tel. +49 5513924835. 

Please note:

With submission of your application, you accept the processing of your applicant data in terms of data-protection law. Further information on the legal basis and data usage is provided in the Information General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

PhD studentship on the social and environmental outcomes of reforestation processes

Deadline: 12 February 2024 Midnight (GMT)

Interviews: 22 February 2024

Studentship Funding: 

The Sustainable Forest Transitions (SFT) Project is recruiting one full-time PhD student at the Global Development Institute (University of Manchester) from September 2024 to work on one of two themes:

• Theme 1: Evaluating social and environmental outcomes of reforestation drivers using large-scale publicly available social and environmental datasets.
• Theme 2: Development of rapid evidence synthesis methods and products using emerging artificial intelligence tools and other existing systematic review instruments.

This position is fully funded for 3.5 years, covering academic fees, an annual maintenance stipend of £18,622 (TBC for 2024-25) and research travel. You will be part of a multidisciplinary research team led by Dr Johan Oldekop, including post-doctoral researchers, PhD students, case-country partners, and other affiliated researchers.

Lead Supervisor: Dr Johan Oldekop

About the Project:

SFT seeks to advance a better understanding of the social and environmental outcomes of reforestation drivers globally. SFT is a five-year, £1.7 million project selected by the European Research Council and funded through a UKRI Research Frontier grant hosted by the Global Development Institute. The project is studying the changing nature of forest cover and human development at unprecedented scale and detail at global scales and in specific case-study countries, including Mexico, Brazil, India, Nepal, and Indonesia. The studentship is open to international students. For more information, including how to apply please follow this link: https://tinyurl.com/yxsafn79 or please refer to the attached file.

PhD studentship in forest economics

We are searching for a Doctoral student to join the Department of Forest Economics at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) in Umeå. The Ph.D. student will work on the project “Role of conservation interventions in preventing the degradation of Argentina’s Atlantic forests” funded by the Swedish Research Council for Sustainable Development (FORMAS). REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) initiatives aim to prevent emissions and conserve the area and integrity of forests. Past research has evaluated their effectiveness to prevent deforestation but has largely neglected degradation. This is of critical societal importance as degradation is a major source of carbon emissions from forests and it can lead to the loss of ecosystem services vital to local communities. In this project we will assess the extent to which REDD+ initiatives have prevented forest degradation in the context of Argentina’s Atlantic forest. The Atlantic forest is one of the terrestrial ecosystems with the greatest endemic biodiversity in the world.

The profile of the student is of a person fully committed to forest conservation research with foundational training in research methods. The candidate will be responsible for: integrating economics and forest resource management knowledge into relevant research design; developing relevant research questions; applying appropriate econometric and other analytical tools; writing scientific manuscripts and compile a Ph.D. thesis suitable for examination. Coursework is included in the Ph.D. program. The Ph.D. program consists of 4-year full-time studies with the position contracted based on annual evaluations.

Qualifications: To be eligible, the candidate should hold at least a Master’s degree in economics or related field (e.g. agricultural economics, natural resource economics, forest economics), or a strong quantitative interdisciplinary program. Knowledge in natural resource economics, demonstrated capacity to integrate forest and economics concepts are considered extra merit. Excellent written and oral communication skills in English are required. Working knowledge of Spanish is preferable but not mandatory. Also considered as extra merit are (a) experience writing scientific manuscripts, (b) advanced documented knowledge using GIS software, (c) advanced document knowledge using, R, SAS, Stata or other analytical software.

Place of work: Umeå, Sweden

Application: We welcome applications until February 16 2024.

Applicants must submit:

• A CV
• A two-page research statement
• Copies of degrees and transcripts of all academic records
• One copy of the MS thesis
• Contact information for at least two referees familiar with the applicant’s qualificat
• Certified knowledge of the English language
• If relevant, copies of relevant publications

Candidates are encouraged to review research by Francisco X. Aguilar, Professor, Department of Forest Economics. Questions relevant to the application can be sent to Francisco.aguilar@slu.se. Full details on this position are available online at: https://www.slu.se/en/about-slu/work-at-slu/jobs-vacancies/?rmpage=job&rmjob=9279&rmlang=UK