Post-doctoral Position in Environmental Psychology Focusing on Agenda 2030 - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

Vacancy announcement for postdoc fellowship focusing on Agenda 2030 and sustainable development: Nature-based solutions at the climate-biodiversityhealth nexus

The 2030 Agenda is the framework for sustainable development that the world’s nations have signed to end extreme poverty, reduce inequalities, solve the climate crisis, promote peace and equity and much more. In order to achieve the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals, research has several important roles: to identify challenges and conflicting objectives, contribute to new solutions, generate dialogue and learning between different societal stakeholders and critically analyse the goals. Lund University aspires to be a part of the solution and has therefore initiated a research programme on sustainable development with postdoc fellowships in various interdisciplinary projects. The projects will not only constitute platforms for the postdocs’ career development, but also form a basis for national and European applications, and for future environments for excellence and profiling. The programme is also to develop the postdocs’ expertise in teaching and learning in higher education. More information on the research programme is available here: https://www.sustainability.lu.se/researchers/available-positions

We now welcome applicants who want to take an active role in 2030 Agenda research to apply for the postdoc fellowships starting 2022-01-01.

Subject description
In the project Nature-based solutions at the climate-biodiversity-health nexus, researchers at the Faculty of Science, the Faculty of Engineering, and the Faculty of Medicine will work together to develop a conceptual framework for how nature-based solutions – actions that protect, sustainably manage and restore natural or modified ecosystems – generate synergies and mitigate trade-offs between biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation, public health and human wellbeing. The framework will employ biodiversity science, ecosystem process understanding, environmental psychology and epidemiology, to provide a joint pathway to address these global challenges in practice. The project team is now recruiting three post-doctoral researchers to join the project and coordinate the research.

This is a truly interdisciplinary project, which from its start will integrate the constituent subdisciplines as participants inform about their respective research field and jointly identify potential links between endpoints. This is done in order to develop a shared understanding of how the different endpoints are mechanistically related and of the task at hand. Initially the team will also systematically map the existing evidence of how trade-offs and synergies between climate, biodiversity and health are moderated by nature-based solutions.

The post-doctoral position in environmental psychology focuses on associations between climate, biodiversity and psychological well-being, in particular theories on psychological processes that can support well-being outcomes. In the development of the joint conceptual framework psychological aspects of nature-based solutions will be integrated and tested in pilot studies. We are seeking a post-doc researcher with keen interest in transdisciplinary research and interested to contribute to the development of a novel research field in the climate-biodiversity-health nexus.

Work duties
The post-doctoral postion will be placed at the Environmental Psychology Research Group, Department of Architecture and Built Environment, Faculty of Engineering. The main duties involved in a post-doctoral position is to conduct research. Teaching may also be included, but up to no more than 20% of working hours. The position shall include the opportunity for three weeks of training in higher education teaching and learning.

The work will include:

• Main responsibility for integrating environmental psychology perspectives within the work of the transdisciplinary research team
• Searches and analyses of environmental psychology literature on nature-based solutions and psychological well-being.
• Identification and integration of relevant environmental psychology theory in the transdisciplinary conceptual framework.
• Application of the framework in pilot studies with focus on psychological well-being.
• Active collaboration within the transdisciplinary team.
• Collaboration with industry and wider society.
• Teaching and supervision in environmental psychology.
• Actively seeking external research funding.
• Administration related to the work duties listed above.

Qualification requirements
Appointment to a  this post-doctoral position requires that the applicant has a PhD, or an international degree deemed equivalent to a PhD, within Environmental Psychology, Psychology, or similar, completed no more than three years before the last date for applications. Under special circumstances, the doctoral degree can have been completed earlier.

We are seeking an applicant with:

• Documented knowledge of psychological theories on human-environment transaction
• Experience of research on human psychological wellbeing and nature
• Experience of scientific methods for knowledge synthesis (e.g. systematic literature reviews, metaanalysis)
• Documented ability to produce and publish high quality research output
• Documented ability to work in a team
• Very good oral and written proficiency in English.

Assessment criteria and other qualifications
This is a career development position primarily focused on research. The position is intended as an initial step in a career, and the assessment of the applicants will primarily be based on their research qualifications and potential as researchers. Particular emphasis will be placed on research skills within the subject.

For appointments to a post-doctoral position, the following shall form the assessment criteria:

• A good ability to develop and conduct high quality research.
• Teaching skills.

Additional assessment criteria:

• Experience of transdisciplinary work.
• Previous work with nature-based solutions.
• Previous experience of stakeholder interactions.
• Basic understanding of Swedish.

Consideration will also be given to good collaborative skills, drive and independence, and how the applicant’s experience and skills complement and strengthen ongoing research within the department, and how they stand to contribute to its future development.

Terms of employment
This is a full-time, fixed-term employment of two years starting 2022-01-01. The period of employment is determined in accordance with “Agreement on fixed-term employment as a post-doctoral fellow” between Lund University, SACO-S, OFR/S and SEKO, dated 4 September 2008.

Instructions on how to apply
Applications shall be written in English. Please draw up the application in accordance with LTH’s Academic qualifications portfolio – see link below. Upload the application as PDF-files in the recruitment system. Read more: http://www.lth.se/english/working-at-lth/to-apply-for-academic-positions-at-lth/