Postdoctoral position in Collaborative Living Environments

Description of the workplace

This position will be based at Housing Development & Management (HDM) within the Department of Architecture and Built Environment. HDM studies sustainable housing development in urban areas. The objective is to understand the processes that lead to good quality housing with a focus on vulnerable groups and sustainable development from a holistic perspective. 
While the position is based at HDM (Faculty of Engineering, see: https://portal.research.lu.se/en/organisations/housing-development-and-management), there will be close collaboration with researchers at the Centre for Ageing and Supportive Environments (Faculty of Medicine, see: https://www.case.lu.se/om-case), and the School of Social Work (Faculty of Social Sciences, see: https://www.soch.lu.se/en/research). 

Subject description

Life expectancy is increasing globally. Societies are ageing in most Western countries, including Sweden. This demographic shift places unique demands on housing solutions. The postdoc will carry out interdisciplinary research focusing on (a) the role that the type of housing form has on social isolation, loneliness and inactivity in older adults, and (b) the relation between the built environment and older adults’ everyday life activities, mobility and accessibility at neighbourhood level. The overall goal is to propose future collaborative living environments that promote older adults’ health and wellbeing.

Work duties

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 includes the opportunity for three weeks of training in higher education teaching and learning. The purpose of the position is to develop the independence as a researcher and to create the opportunity of further development.
 
These research projects are interdisciplinary and involve housing architecture and urban planning, social and health sciences. The postdoc will develop theoretical frameworks, engage in designing data collection tools and carry out fieldwork in different cities in Sweden. Methods include quantitative surveys, qualitative evaluation of the built environment, walkthroughs and interviews in different housing forms and at neighbourhood level. 
The postdoc will carry out data analysis and write academic papers supported by LU interdisciplinary team, and will be engaged in transferal of results to popular science articles and capacity building material. The position entails travel in Sweden and abroad in connection with workshops, conferences and fieldwork, where the latter may require working outside normal office hours.

Detailed description of the work duties, such as:

• Research on the subject area, within Swedish and European projects.
• Collaboration with academic and practitioners in Sweden.
• Actively seeking external research funding.
• Administration related to the work duties listed above.

Qualification requirements

Appointment to a post-doctoral position requires that the applicant has a PhD, or an international degree deemed equivalent to a PhD, within the subject of the position. The certificate proving the qualification requirement is met, must be received before the employment decision is made. Priority will be given to candidates who have graduated no more than three years ago before the last day for application. Under special circumstances, the doctoral degree can have been completed earlier.
 
Additional requirements:

• Very good oral and written proficiency in English.
• Knowledge on qualitative evaluation of the built environment.
• Documented ability to publish results in peer-reviewed scientific journals. 

Assessment criteria 

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. 

Other qualifications:

• Proven knowledge on inferential statistics.
• Proven knowledge on qualitative methods.
• Very good oral and written proficiency in Swedish. 
• Experience on collaborative housing forms or on research focusing on the ageing population.
• Experience of collaborative work within research projects in Sweden and/or internationally.

Consideration will also be given to 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.

We offer

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. 

Further information

This is a full-time, fixed-term employment of two years. The period of employment is determined in accordance with the agreement “Avtal om tidsbegränsad anställning som postdoktor” (“Agreement on fixed-term employment as a post-doctoral fellow”). Through this call, the department of Architecture and Built Environment will recruit up 1-2 post-docs.

How to apply

Applications are to be submitted via the University’s recruitment system. The application should include a CV and a personal letter justifying your interest in the position and how it matches your qualifications. The application should also include a degree certificate or equivalent and any other document to which you would like to draw attention (copies of grade transcripts, details of referees, letters of recommendation, etc.)”  
 
Welcome to apply!