Research Opportunities

Fellowship Opportunity for Latin American Economists

The Bioeconomy Economics Research Group at the University of Passau, Germany, is offering a Short Research Stay Fellowship in 2025. This fellowship is an exciting opportunity for early-career researchers with a doctoral degree in economics, particularly those from Latin America, with a special focus on applicants from Costa Rican institutions.

The research group is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) under the program “Bioeconomy as Societal Change” under the project “ReValueD”. The main objective of the Bioeconomy Economics Research Group is to deepen the understanding of how the global transition to a bioeconomy can contribute to the sustainable development goals.

Application Deadline: November 30th, 2024

About the Fellowship

The fellowship invites economics researchers who have completed their doctoral degree to apply, with a focus on topics related to Latin America. Special consideration will be given to applicants from Costa Rican research institutions, though candidates from any Latin American country are welcome to apply.

The successful applicant will receive funding for a short-term research stay of up to two months in 2025 at the University of Passau. The specific duration of the fellowship can be arranged individually by the applicant. During the stay, the fellow will work closely with Dr. Terese Venus and the ReValueD project team to conduct research on the economics and governance of the bioeconomy. The project is dedicated to the advancement of early career researchers and the creation of opportunities for network-building and interdisciplinary cooperation in the domain of economics and bioeconomy between Germany and Latin America.

Fellows are expected to propose and lead their own research project, culminating in the preparation of a manuscript for submission to a peer-reviewed journal, in collaboration with the ReValueD team. The manuscript should contribute to the growing body of literature on the circular bioeconomy. In addition, fellows will engage in academic activities such as presenting lectures, talks, or workshops during their time in Passau.

Research Focus Areas

The Bioeconomy Economics Research Group focuses on the intersection of economic, institutional, and social issues related to the global transition to a bioeconomy. The ongoing ReValueD project is particularly dedicated to bridging the gap between technological advancements in the bioeconomy and socio-economic realities, especially in developing countries.

In light of this goal, there has been significant technological innovation, but there remains a gap between this technical knowledge and socio-economic realities. In terms of societal change, the project seeks to answer two overarching questions:

• What kind of societal change is needed to transition to a sustainable bioeconomy?
• What kind of societal change results from the transition to a bioeconomy?

Topics of interest for research proposals include:

• Behavioral and experimental approaches
• Economic, regulatory, and policy instruments
• Governance of global bioeconomy value chains (e.g., coffee, cacao, coconut)
• Costs and benefits of residue valorization
• Biodiversity, natural capital accounting, and land use change
• Environmental justice and marginalized groups

Benefits of the Fellowship

Fellows will receive:

• A monthly stipend to cover accommodation and living expenses in Passau
• Travel reimbursement for costs to and from Passau
• Full access to university services, an equipped office space, and communal facilities
• Funding for open-access publication of manuscripts in economics journals

How to Apply?

Your application form should not exceed nine pages (Arial 11 pt, 1.2 pt line spacing, cf. template bellow) and must include the following parts:

A	Applicant’s details	up to 3 pages
B	General information, and date of your research visit(s), abstract of research proposal	Up to 1 page
C	Short proposal with the following sections: -introduction -state of the art -research questions/hypothesis -proposed methodology -data requirements and availability -expected results -references -Gannt chart	up to 1000 words
D	Curriculum vitae	no page limitation

Applications should be sent via email to: BioEconomy@uni-passau.de
Deadline for submission: November 30th, 2024

For additional information on the fellowship, application process details and funding guidelines you can contact the Bioeconomy Economics Research Group directly via E-mail BioEconomy@uni-passau.de.

➡️ Template

A         Applicant’s details

Personal details
Surname
First name(s)
Date of birth (dd.mm.yyyy)
Gender (m/f/d)
Nationality
Date of doctorate (dd.mm.yyyy)
University of doctorate
If applicable, otherwise please delete: Date of habilitation/professorship (dd.mm.yyyy)
University of habilitation/professorship

Current academic position
Position (e.g. Professor/Junior Professor/Lecturer/Research Assistant/other)
If other, please specify
Since (mm.yyyy)
Until (mm.yyyy)
Department/ Institute/ Seminar
Faculty
Junior Fellows, if applicable: The submission of this application has the approval of my direct supervisor	(Yes / No)
Supervisor (Surname, first name)
Supervisor (e-mail address)

Business address (used for correspondence)
Institution/ University
Department/ Institute/ Chair
Street / P.O. box
Postal code/ city/ country
Phone number
E-mail address

B       General Information, Planned Host and Date(s) of Research Visit/Fellowship

Planned Date of Fellowship/Research Visit at the BIOECONOMY ECONOMICS RESEARCH GROUP
dd.mm.yyyy to dd.mm.yyyy	Please specify (if applicable)
Planned duration	No. of weeks/months (up to 2 months)

Host at the University of Passau
Surname
First name(s)
Department/ Institute/ Chair

Title of proposed research project (max. 200 characters)

English text

Research area(s) / key words of proposed research work Please characterise your project using appropriate keyword(s). Please enter at least one keyword and up to five keywords

English text

Research project will be related to / contribute to one or more of the BIOECONOMY ECONOMICS RESEARCH GROUP strategic themes (please mark with an X )
	Behavioral and experimental approaches
	Regulatory, economic, and information policy instruments
	Governance of global value chains in the context of the bioeconomy (i.e. pineapple, banana, coffee, cacao, coconut, etc.)
	Costs and benefits of residue valorization
	Definition, measurement, and narratives of the bioeconomy
	Innovation systems and transition management
	Biodiversity, natural capital accounting and land use change
	Environmental justice and marginalized groups

Abstract of research proposal (max. 250 words)

C       Short Proposal

(This editing note can be deleted for submission — Please provide a short proposal (máx 1000 words, Arial 11 pt, 1.2 pt line spacing) here, complete with:

Introduction

State of the art

Research questions/hypothesis

Proposed methodology

Data requirements and availability

Expected Results

References

Gannt chart (up to 2 months ~ 8 weeks)

D          Curriculum Vitae

(Please attach separately your CV in PDF or word format in the mail you will send)

Declaration of Consent

I hereby declare that the above statements are correct:   The Bioeconomy Economics Research Group has my permission to electronically keep and process my personal information for the purpose of peer review, statistics, and evaluation by the Bioeconomy Economics Research Group as well as its commissaries.
Date (dd.mm.yyyy)		Name / digital signature