Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies (LUCSUS)

Lund University was founded in 1666 and is repeatedly ranked among the world’s top universities. The University has around 47 000 students and more than 8 800 staff based in Lund, Helsingborg and Malmö. We are united in our efforts to understand, explain and improve our world and the human condition.

Lund University welcomes applicants with diverse backgrounds and experiences. We regard gender equality and diversity as a strength and an asset.

The position

We invite applications for a bright, creative and energetic researcher based at the Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies in Lund, Sweden. The applicant will be part of the project ‘Tradeoffs between negative emissions and near-term emission reductions’, funded by the Swedish research council FORMAS. The project aims to expand knowledge of the role of negative emissions within climate politics. It asks how proposed carbon removal strategies are imagined by different stakeholders, and under what political economic conditions current and planned technologies are taking form. We are particularly interested in the relation between imaginaries of large-scale removal and the constrained conditions of actual implementation; and in the tension between carbon removal and emission reductions.

The successful applicant will be appointed for two years and will work within one or both of the below two work packages. We ask applicants to clearly state how their application is positioned in relation to these work packages.

1. Discursive analysis of emerging narratives on carbon dioxide removal, across private sector and civil society groups, and focusing on a range of possible negative emission technologies.

2. Political economic analysis of emergent carbon removal practices, based on case study methods. This working package involves document analysis and interviews with companies and other stakeholders, following industry events and policy seminars.

The position will be supervised by Principal Investigator Wim Carton, assistant professor at the Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies (LUCSUS). The successful candidate will be part of a small team at Lund University working on negative emissions, and will be collaborating with project partners at the University of Copenhagen (Denmark), Lancaster University (UK), the University of California, Los Angeles (USA) and the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (Germany).

Position Instructions

The successful candidate will carry out data collection and analysis within the working packages described above. They will lead on, and contribute to, academic and popular science articles resulting from the project, contribute to stakeholder engagement and the dissemination of project results.

Tasks will also involve some project management and reporting, and assistance in the organization of workshops and events. It is expected that that the applicant will also contribute to co-supervision of MSc student theses and teaching in sustainability science and/or climate politics at LUCSUS.

Qualifications

Applicants must have a PhD degree not older than 3 years at the application deadline in related field (sustainability, environmental studies, geography, climate science). An established research record, including record of successful collaboration and co-operation with others, is a requirement.

Applicants should have a strong research background on a topic directly related to climate change. They should have worked on, or demonstrate a keen interest in, critical social science perspectives on climate politics. Previous research experience on the topic of carbon removal/negative emissions in particular is an advantage.

We are especially looking for a candidate with a demonstrated ability to use and combine interdisciplinary methods. The ideal candidate would be equally conversant in social science methods such as discourse analysis, as in the analysis of climate scenario data sets and the outputs of integrated assessment models. Demonstrated ability of using innovative methods and combining qualitative and quantitative approaches to studying climate change and climate politics will be considered a strong advantage. Please address these skills directly in your application.

This position requires an ability to work creatively and independently in designing and leading research, while also taking direction as part of a team. Management experience of research teams (e.g., supervision of students or research assistants) is an asset. Excellent academic writing skills, including leading the development of well-argued and clearly written scientific manuscripts for peer-reviewed publication, are a prerequisite, and will be evaluated based on previous publications. Candidates should be fluent in written and spoken academic English.

Application instructions

The application should include a cogent research plan describing an area of research interest in the general context of the two working packages described above. The plan should describe the specific focus of the proposed research and outline the kind of methods and theories that the applicant would draw on.

The successful application will demonstrate feasibility by asking a clear and focused research question and contain a research design of sufficient detail to answer the question. (The actual research carried out over the course of the postdoc may change from the proposed plan.)
A complete application consists of:

Cover page: Short motivation of the applicant and connection with the position, including how this position serves future career goals. Include name and contact information of applicant (1 page max)

CV: Academic and professional background, detailing relevant experience, particularly research. Any publications (separate peer-reviewed, technical reports, and popular science or outreach). Any teaching experience. Include names and contact information for three academic or professional references who can speak to your professional and teamwork abilities. At least one should be a former or current research supervisor.

Research Proposal: Project title (max. 20 words) Project abstract (max. 200 words) Main research proposal text (max. 2000 words); Research question(s) or hypotheses, in the context of their relevance to the project’s goals; Research plan, including methods and feasibility; Expected outcomes and significance.

Type of employment Temporary position
Contract type Full time
First day of employment 20200801
Salary Månadslön
Number of positions 1
Full-time equivalent 100
City Lund
County Skåne län
Country Sweden
Reference number PA2019/4414
Contact
  • Anna Melin Iqbal, HR Coordinator, 046 222 4148
  • Wim Carton, Associate senior lecturer, 046 222 000
Union representative
  • OFR/ST:Fackförbundet ST:s kansli, 046-222 93 62
  • SACO:Saco-s-rådet vid Lunds universitet, 046-222 93 64
  • SEKO: Seko Civil, 046-222 93 66
Published 10.Jan.2020
Last application date 09.Feb.2020 11:59 PM CET

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