Postdoctoral Fellow in Political Science, focus on Naturescape futures - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

Are you our next Postdoctoral Fellow with focus on Naturescape futures?

The Department of Political Science announces one vacant position as a 2.5-year postdoctoral Fellow with a focus on naturescape imaginaries and futuring practices for transformative change. The postdoctoral position is fully funded for 30 months and placed at the Department of Political Science.

Project description

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

NATURESCAPES addresses the pressing challenge of realising the transformative potential of nature-based solutions (NBS) for climate change, biodiversity loss, and social justice.

The NATURESCAPES programme aims to:

1. Advance knowledge through novel approaches to evaluate landscape scale synergies and trade-offs of nature-based solutions (NBS) assemblages for climate, biodiversity and communities.
2. Evaluate the socio-political conditions and dynamics of nature-based solutions (NBS) implementation to identify the values, visions, governance, finance and engagement needed to support effective and just naturescapes.
3. Enable the transformative potential of nature-based solutions (NBS) by examining, developing and trialling diverse theories of change, interventions and training designed to address systemic, structural and capacity constraints.

Job description

You will be work in a team of up to three other post-docs and three PhD candidates. Together, you will contribute to the research on identifying and mapping values, visions and imaginaries of nature, to evaluating the socio-political conditions and dynamics of nature-based solutions (NBS) implementation, and toexploring 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, the Caribbean and the United States which exemplify vulnerable communities and regions such as old-industrialised, low-income, outermost, or disaster-hit areas. The position entails 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.

Main responsibilities

• Contribute with conceptual work on futuring processes and techniques for naturescape imaginaries.
• Review the role of futuring techniques across the different case-studies, and contribute to the analytical framework of the project.
• Lead the work on the ‘compendium’ of futuring techniques and the values/meanings that are included/excluded across the case-studies.
• Review research and evidence to identify different approaches to transformative change and the kinds of practical interventions that exemplify these approaches.
• Contribute to the conceptualisation and writing up (in English) of project milestone reports and deliverables, policy briefs, and scientific articles.
• Contribute to designing the co-creation of ‘Interventions for Enabling Naturescapes’ in seven case studies.

Qualification requirements

Postdoctoral positions are appointed primarily for purposes of research. Applicants are expected to hold a Swedish doctoral degree or an equivalent degree from another country.

Qualifications

Requirements for the position are:

• Experience of writing academic papers.
• Experience of conducting archival research, as well as interviews and participant observation.
• Experience of working with various societal actors, including policy makers and the wider public.
• Excellent proficiency in academic written English.

Additional qualifications for the position are:

• Experience of working with artistic methods and processes or of conducting collaborations with artists.
• Demonstrated ability to work in an international interdisciplinary team of researchers and to communicate research results to a wider audience outside the academic world.

Assessment criteria

• The degree must have been completed at the latest before the employment decision is made, but no more than three years before the application deadline.
• An older degree may be acceptable under special circumstances. Special circumstances refer to sick leave, parental leave, elected positions in trade unions, service in the total defence or other similar circumstances as well as clinical attachment or service/ assignments relevant to the subject area.
• Special consideration will be given to the scientific skills and merits of the applicant.
• We seek candidates with a PhD in environmental social sciences, including political science, human geography and related disciplines linked to these thematic areas:

• • socio-ecological and technical imaginaries,
  • sustainable transformations and nature-based transformations,
  • urban nature-based solutions.

Terms of employment

The position involves at least 2,5 year of full-time employment, with the possibility of extension under special circumstances according to the Swedish national agreement "Avtal om tidsbegränsad anställning som postdoktor". The starting date is at the earliest in November 2024 or as per agreement.

Lund University is a public authority, which means that employees get particular benefits, generous annual leave and an advantageous occupational pension scheme. Read more on the University website about being a Lund University employee Work at Lund University.

Application

Apply for the position through Lund University's recruitment system Varbi. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions in the job advertisement, and that it is submitted before the deadline.

Please include the following documents with your application:

• Cover letter
• CV – degrees and other completed courses, work experience and a list of publications
• Research proposal (no more than 3 pages) describing:
  - why you are interested in the field/project described in the advertisement
  - why and how you wish to carry out the project
  - what makes you suitable for the project in question
• Copy of PhD diploma
• Letters of recommendation (no more than 3 files)
• Publications in support of your application (no more than 3 files).

Description of the workplace

At the Department of Political Science at Lund University, you will become part of one of Europe’s foremost research environments in political science. The department values breadth and methodological diversity and it has consistently been successful in obtaining external research funding. The Eden building, located in central Lund, offers an inspiring and dynamic work environment. We have a high demand for our courses in Political Science, Peace and Conflict Studies with and Intelligence Analysis with around 600 students per term. The department has around 110 employees, including doctoral students. We highly value a good work environment and invest in this through shared activities and events.

Welcome to apply!