Doctoral student in sustainable urban governance of naturescapes - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

The International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics (IIIEE) at Lund University was founded in 1994 and has since developed genuine interdisciplinary education and research with focus on strategies for sustainable development. The Institute facilitates a great number of external research and development projects as well as two international master programs. More information is available on the Institute's website www.iiiee.lu.se. The working language of the Institute is English.

Subject description

The doctoral student will work in a multi- and transdisciplinary team on a Horizon Europe research and innovation programme NATURESCAPES: Nature-based solutions for climate resilient, nature positive and socially just communities in diverse landscapes, which is coordinated by Utrecht University, and which includes 10 partners from nine countries.

Nature-based solutions (NBS) are interventions designed to use the properties of nature to address multiple sustainability challenges and contribute to biodiversity. Despite their growing popularity, we lack an understanding of the synergies and trade-offs that multiple NBS bring and of who benefits and under which conditions. The challenge of implementing NBS remains significant. We need to understand how NBS can support transformative change on the ground. Moving beyond individual NBS to the naturescapes that they generate, the project will advance the assessment of synergies and trade-offs that NBS generate. Naturescape is the assemblage of NBS within a landscape whose character is the result of the action and interaction of natural and societal factors.

The NATURESCAPES programme aims to 1) advance knowledge through novel approaches to evaluate landscape scale synergies and trade-offs of NBS assemblages for climate, biodiversity and communities; 2) evaluate the socio-political conditions and dynamics of NBS implementation to identify the values,

visions, governance, finance and engagement needed to support effective and just naturescapes; and 3) enable the transformative potential of NBS by examining, developing and trialling diverse theories of change, interventions and training designed to address systemic, structural and capacity constraints.

The doctoral student will contribute to the research on mapping, understanding and enabling co-governance and co-finance arrangements capable of supporting transformative naturescapes in conditions of socio-economic disadvantage, inequality, and risk. This work will draw on extensive case study data from naturescapes in Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the United States, which represent vulnerable communities and regions such as old-industrialised, low-income, outermost, or disaster-hit areas, including those in need of just post-COVID19 recovery. The doctoral researcher will also contribute to impact and communication activities throughout the project.

We offer
Lund University is a public authority which means that employees get particular benefits, generous annual leave and an advantageous occupational pension scheme. It is advisable to enter information on what your unit specifically can offer as a new workplace.

Read more on the University website about being a Lund University employee: Work at Lund university

Work duties
The main duties of doctoral students are to devote themselves to their research studies which includes participating in research projects and third cycle courses. The work duties can also include teaching and other departmental duties (no more than 20%).

Being part of the NATURESCAPES project, the position includes conducting high-quality social science research, publishing in international scientific journals, providing relevant recommendations to societal actors, supporting the development of user oriented outputs, and organising and participating in project related events together with other project partners at the IIIEE and beyond.

Specific tasks of the doctoral student include:

• conducting literature review on co-governance/co-finance arrangements for transformative naturescapes;
• developing an analytical framework on the key factors that foster such arrangements;
• conducting case studies of naturescapes in Cartagena and Lima (including field data collection and report writing) to understand how, why, and under which conditions naturescapes develop; which actors are involved by which means; and the extent to which naturescapes deliver effective and just outcomes for whom;
• contributing to the comparative report on the socio-political conditions and dynamics of naturescape implementation;
• contributing to the project report on implementing naturescapes in diverse socio-political conditions;
• together with other team members, engaging in structured dialogues with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) on transformative public outreach;
• supporting the development of user oriented outputs including snapshot guides, a project podcast, short films, materials for the WWF We Love Cities campaign and other.
• contributing to dissemination of research results worldwide with curated materials suitable for an open online course.

The position includes active collaboration and knowledge co-creation with various stakeholders and organisations within and outside the project including knowledge institutes, international networks, municipalities, policy makers, businesses, non-governmental organisations, community groups and citizens.

Admission requirements
A person meets the general admission requirements for third-cycle courses and study programmes if the applicant:

• has been awarded a second-cycle qualification, or
• has satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits were awarded in the second cycle, or
• has acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad.

A person meets additional admission requirements for the doctoral degree in Sustainable Urban Governance of Naturescapes, if the applicant:

• has very good oral and written proficiency in English.
• holds a Master’s degree in a relevant, preferably multi-disciplinary, field (e.g. sustainability studies closely linked to governance, management, innovation, institutional, and/or organisational studies).
• has a degree or has passed a course in sustainability or environmental management/policy.

Assessment criteria
Selection for third-cycle studies is based on the student’s potential to profit from such studies. The assessment of potential is made primarily on the basis of academic results from the first and second cycle. Special attention is paid to the following:

1. Knowledge and skills relevant to the thesis project and the subject of study.
2. An assessment of ability to work independently and to formulate and tackle research problems.
3. Written and oral communication skills.
4. Other experience relevant to the third-cycle studies, e.g., professional experience.

Other assessment criteria:

• Documented ability to identify and justify research gaps, formulate research problem, research aim and research questions;
• Documented experience of analysing nature-based solutions and/or other forms of (sustainable) innovations in urban contexts, based on theories and/or methods from social sciences;
• Documented experience of conducting systematic literature reviews;
• Documented experience of conducting and analysing in-depth interviews;
• Documented experience of studying or working internationally;
• Documented experience of studying or working in interdisciplinary settings;
• Documented experience of collaborating with others (including societal actors);
• Strong communication and cross-cultural skills;
• Documented experience of organising workshops, conferences, field trips or other events;
• Documented experience of (co-)authoring academic publications is a merit.
• Knowledge profieciency in Spanish is a merit.

Consideration will also be given to good collaborative skills, drive and independence, and how the applicant, through his or her experience and skills, is deemed to have the abilities necessary for successfully completing the third cycle programme.

Terms of employment
Only those admitted to third cycle studies may be appointed to a doctoral studentship. Third cycle studies at LTH consist of full-time studies for 4 years. A doctoral studentship is a fixed-term employment of a maximum of 5 years (including 20% departmental duties). Doctoral studentships are regulated in the Higher Education Ordinance (1993:100), chapter 5, 1-7 §§.

Instructions on how to apply
Applications must be written in English. The application must include the following:

• A cover letter stating the reasons why you are interested in the position and in what way the research project corresponds to your interests, educational background and experience (maximum 2 pages).
• A research proposal (maximum 2-3 pages) focusing on sustainable urban governance of naturescapes. It should contain a formulation of a research problem, research aim and research questions, and a brief overview of research design and methods.
• CV (maximum 2 pages).
• A relevant thesis (master and/or bachelor thesis).
• MSc degree certificate including grade transcripts or equivalent.
• Contact information of three referees.