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Ecological Management, Ecosystem services

Adaptive governance PhD and Postdoctoral positions @ UW Madison

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One postdoctoral research and one PhD student position are available with Dr. Adena Rissman‘s research group in Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison.  The job ad states:

The geographic setting for this project is the Yahara Watershed, an urbanizing agricultural watershed in southern Wisconsin, containing the city of Madison. Here and elsewhere, human needs for freshwater are growing as changes in climate, landscapes, the built environment and institutions alter water flows and quality in sometimes unpredictable ways. These changes affect ecosystem services related to freshwater, such as flows of freshwater for domestic, agricultural, industrial, recreational and other uses; regulation of floods; water quality; and aspects of human health. To strengthen conceptual frameworks and improve predictive capacity, our interdisciplinary project will integrate biophysical and social-economic aspects of regional water systems. The overarching question of our work is: How will ecosystem services related to freshwater vary and how can they be sustained in regional watersheds as climate, land use and land cover, land management, the built environment and human demands change? As a part of this overarching question, we ask: How can regional governance systems for water and land use be made more resilient and adaptive to meet diverse human needs? In what ways are regional human-environment systems resilient and in what ways are they vulnerable to potential changes in climate and freshwaters? These positions will focus on regional governance; adaptive management and decision making under uncertainty; spatial analysis and geovisualization; and the historical development of policy, politics, science and conservation interventions.

Applicants should have a prior degree in natural resources, geography, political science, planning, environmental policy, or related field. Previous research experience, social science background, and experience with coupled social and environmental systems are preferred. Experience with a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods are desired. Experience with ArcGIS, spatial analysis, and geovisualization desired but not required. Strong GPA, GRE scores, and oral and written communication skills are required. Applicants bringing diverse backgrounds and perspectives to the research program are encouraged to apply.

The PhD position will start Fall, 2011. Review of applications will begin December 20, 2010 and continue until an applicant is selected. Prospective PhD students should refer to the webpage for further information on applying to the UW-Madison.

The 2-year Postdoctoral Research position will begin in the Spring or Summer 2011. Review of applications will begin January 10, 2011 and continue until an applicant is selected.

To apply, email to arrissman@wisc.edu the following in a single PDF document: cover letter, CV with undergraduate/graduate GPA and GRE scores, and unofficial undergraduate/graduate transcripts.

Dr. Adena Rissman, Assistant Professor

Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison

http://forestandwildlifeecology.wisc.edu/facstaff/rissman

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Faculty position in sustainability at MIT’s Sloan School

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It seems to be job season. John Sterman writes about a faculty position in sustainability at the Sloan School of Management at MIT. He writes:

The MIT Sloan School of Management invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position in sustainability, to begin July 2011. The successful candidate will play a central role in MIT Sloan’s Sustainability Initiative, teach courses in sustainability, and carry out research in sustainability (see http://mitsloan.mit.edu/sustainabilit).

Sustainability at MIT Sloan is defined broadly to include environmental, economic, political, social and personal issues, and we stress the interdependency and complex dynamics of these dimensions. We encourage applications from individuals engaged in research involving any aspect of sustainability, including the design, implementation, and evaluation of practices and policies promoting sustainability in business and other organizations, in government and international policy, in communities, and in interactions of these organizations. We encourage candidates whose research examines how organizations, markets and communities can become more sustainable, including the dynamics of implementation and diffusion of sustainable practices, organizational learning and adaptation, and the interactions of markets, firms, government, the public and other organizations.

Candidates can have disciplinary training in any area, including the social and behavioral sciences, management sciences, economics and finance, or other field. Applicants whose substantive research interests are interdisciplinary are particularly invited to apply. The successful candidate can be affiliated with any of the faculty groups at MIT Sloan. We especially want to identify qualified female and minority candidates for consideration in this position.

Applicants should possess or be close to the completion of a Ph.D. in a relevant field by the date of appointment. Applicants must submit their 1) up-to-date curriculum vitae, 2) relevant information about teaching as well as research experience and performance, and 3) three letters of recommendation by November 1, 2010. If papers are available, please provide electronic copies.

Ecosystem services

Software development job with Natural Capital Project

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In line with the Natural Capital Project’s commitment to innovation, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionized the monitoring and progress tracking of their work. Leveraging AI algorithms, the project team can now utilize advanced software development project management tools that analyze vast amounts of data and provide real-time insights on the status of various tasks and milestones. This cutting-edge approach not only ensures efficient coordination among team members but also enables prompt decision-making, allowing the lead software developer to identify potential bottlenecks, allocate resources effectively, and optimize the overall development process. By harnessing the power of AI-driven monitoring, the Natural Capital Project continues to forge new frontiers in ecosystem service decision-making, reinforcing its position as a global leader in sustainable development.

The Natural Capital Project an exciting international collaboration that aims to improve ecosystem service decision making by developing new spatial modelling tools is looking for a lead software developer.

They write:

Are you a software whiz looking for responsibility, independence, and the opportunity to solve our biggest environmental problems? Do you want to work in the vibrant Stanford campus with internal access to the intellectual and entrepreneurial heartbeat of its community?

We are a highly collaborative group of researchers who need expertise to translate our biophysical and economic models into easy, useful tools for policy makers.  We seek a lead software developer to help us make a global impact on major decisions about human well-being, sustainability, and the use of our lands and waters.

We are a partnership among The Nature Conservancy, World Wildlife Fund, Institute on the Environment at the University of Minnesota, and Stanford University developing tools to model and map the distribution of biodiversity and the flow of multiple ecosystem services across land- and seascapes. Our core team is based in Seattle, Washington, DC and at Stanford, and we have active partners around the globe.

We seek a talented and experienced software developer with strong leadership and communication skills to lead the development of the InVEST (Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs) family of software tools.

Details of the position are here.

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Harvard Sustainability Science Fellowships

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From Harvard’s Sustainability Science Program:

The Sustainability Science Program at Harvard University’s Center for International Development invites applications for resident fellowships in sustainability science for the University’s academic year beginning in September 2011.

The fellowship competition is open to advanced doctoral and post-doctoral students, and to mid-career professionals engaged in research or practice to facilitate the design, implementation, and evaluation of effective interventions that promote sustainable development.

Applicants should describe how their work would contribute to “sustainability science,” the emerging field of use-inspired research seeking understanding of the interactions between human and environmental systems as well as the application of such knowledge to sustainability challenges relating to advancing development of agriculture, habitation, energy and materials, health and water while conserving the earth’s life support systems.

This year we will give some preference to applicants whose work addresses challenges of innovation for sustainable development, with special attention to innovation in the energy, health and agricultural sectors. In addition to general funds available to support this fellowship offering, special funding for the Giorgio Ruffolo Fellowships in Sustainability Science is available to support citizens of Italy or developing countries who are therefore especially encouraged to apply.

The Sustainability Science Program is directed by Professors William Clark and Michael Kremer, and Nancy Dickson. For more information on the fellowships application process see http://www.cid.harvard.edu/sustsci/fellowship. Applications are due December 1, 2010.

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Feedback Analysis Job at PIK

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The Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) is looking to fill a research position within the Marie Curie Network GREENCYCLES-II, based in Potsdam, Germany:

T5.3 Feedback analysis and evaluation using the CLIMBER model

The Early-Stage Researcher (PhD candidate) will investigate feedbacks between climate and vegetation using the CLIMBER family of intermediate-complexity Earth-system models developed at PIK. Specifically, the established CLIMBER-2 model will be used to evaluate biosphere-climate interactions at global and continental scales. This will be complemented by more detailed investigations of feedbacks resulting from large-scale modifications of the land surface such as due to expanded biofuel production with the CLIMBER-3 model currently under development.

The successful candidate will actively participate in network-wide workshops and training events.

The position is expected to start on 1 January 2011 and run until 31 December 2013. Applications should arrive before 1.10.2010, but will be also accepted until the position is filled.

Interested candidates should send a CV, a half-page statement of interest, copies of your high-school and academic certificates, the names of two referees and a completed Eligibility Form (http://www.greencycles.org/vacancies/) to Dr. Andrey Ganopolski, preferably by e-mail (Andrey.Ganopolski@pik-potsdam.de) or by post (Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, PF 60 12 03, 14412 Potsdam, Germany).

Payment will be according to Marie Curie rules (http://ec.europa.eu/research/mariecurieactions/), including an allowance for transnational travel and mobility.

At the start of their fellowship, researchers may not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc) in Germany for more than 12 months in the preceding 3 years. German nationals are eligible only if they have been active in research in a non-Associated Third Country for at least three of the last four years

Early-stage researchers (ESRs) must be in the first 4 years (full-time equivalent) of their research careers, including the period of research training, starting at the qualification date.
PIK seeks to increase the number of female scientists and encourages them to apply. Disabled persons with comparable qualifications receive preferential status.

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Part-time job on Resilience with Shareable

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Neal Gorenflo writes that Shareable Magazine, a nonprofit online magazine that publishes stories about how to share resources, is  looking for a part-time contract editor for their Ecosystem channel.  They hosted  a Resilience inspired event called Design 4 Resilience in April 2010.  They are looking for someone to:

Write about innovations in managing important physical commons like
fisheries, forests, climate, water and more. Write useful how-tos, guides,
and share news of the commons. Make the commons relevant to a general
audience. Environmental reporting experience appreciated, but not
mandatory.

Key words: social-ecological resilience, the commons,
Elinor Ostrom, The Resilience Alliance, conservation, environment.

LINK: http://shareable.net/channel/ecosystem
Instructions for applying: http://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/wri/1966914496.html

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Ecotrust looking for Resilience Research Fellow

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The environmental NGO Ecotrust is searching for Resilience Fellow.  The position is a one year post-doctoral or sabbatical fellowship located at their Portland, Oregon office.  Details of the position and how to apply are below:

Position Summary

Ecotrust’s mission is to inspire fresh thinking that creates economic opportunity, social equity and environmental well-being. Among Ecotrust’s many innovations are co-founding the world’s first environmental bank, starting the world’s first ecosystem investment fund, creating a range of programs in fisheries, forestry, and food and farms, and developing new scientific and information tools to improve social, economic, and environmental decision-making. Over nearly 20 years, Ecotrust has converted $60 million into grants and investments into more than $300 million in capital for local communities in the Pacific Northwest. The Resilience Fellow will serve an important role in integrating Ecotrust core missions and activities with progressive socio-ecological system resilience thinking. This is a one year post-doctoral or sabbatical fellowship, to be located in the Portland, Oregon office.

Objectives/Responsibilities

The Resilience Fellow will assist program staff in applying resilience theory to conservation practice, in addressing complex resource management challenges, and contributing to innovative solutions. We are not looking for someone to examine successes and failures of Ecotrust programs as case studies, but rather to approach the issues Ecotrust tackles with an eye to what works and what doesn’t work, and how that can be incorporated into our work on the ground. The successful candidate will interact and share ideas with staff economists, ecologists, and spatial planners at Ecotrust. S/he will build relationships with other resilience thinkers and doers in academia and the private sector, and will conduct independent research relating to Ecotrust program areas (Community Ecosystem Services, Food and Farms, and Knowledge Systems).

The Fellow will have flexibility in choosing a research topic or area of interest. Potential projects could include, but are not limited to:

  • Comparison of socio-ecological systems and scenario-building in the Copper River, Alaska and Skeena River, British Columbia; what are new ways to foster community organization?
  • Impact of large-scale salmon hatcheries on fishery and community resilience; what are new incentives to maintain fishing incomes and communities?
  • Social and economic impacts of catch share programs; what are new ways to design these programs to protect both communities and fish populations?
  • Improving the outcomes of marine spatial planning processes and ecosystem-based management;
  • Imagining the farm and/or ranch of the future, integrating the production of food, energy, and other ecosystem service. How do lessons from other bioregions apply and translate?

Fellowship outcomes could range from academic publications to informing new Ecotrust programs and initiatives.

Requirements

  • PhD in natural or social sciences, with applied research experience in complex systems, ecology, economics, or anthropology.
  • Experience or interest in applying resilience theory to conservation practice.
  • Willingness and ability to think creatively, problem solve and innovate.
  • Strong research and publication record.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
  • Some travel required.

Salary is negotiable, depending on candidate’s requirements and experience.

How to Apply

Download and submit an Ecotrust Employment Application form (available as a PDF or Word Document at http://www.ecotrust.org/about/jobs.html) along with a statement of interest, curriculum vitae, and three references to Dr. Astrid Scholz, Vice President of Knowledge Systems, via email, ajscholz@ecotrust.org.

Position open until filled.

Ecotrust is an equal opportunity employer.

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WWF seeks conservation social scientist

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Coral reef conservation scientist Helen Fox is seeking a post-doctoral social scientist to work with her and environmental social scientist Arun Agarwal at WWF.  She writes:

We seek a highly motivated researcher early in his/her career to join our team. The successful applicant will have strong statistical skills, international field experience, and a passion for policy-relevant conservation science. (The official announcement is below and attached.)

The post-doc will join the science program at WWF here in Washington, DC. S/he will work with me, Helen Fox (WWF-US), Arun Agrawal (U. Michigan), and colleagues around the world to evaluate the ecological and social impacts of marine protected areas (MPAs) and other conservation interventions. This exciting portfolio is part of the emerging WWF Conservation Impact Initiative, which seeks to catalyze rigorous evaluation of conservation interventions and, thus, provide the scientific evidence for more effective conservation policy and practice.

The application deadline is August 13 for a fall start date. All applications should be submitted via the WWF website: www.worldwildlife.org/who/careers/jobs.html.

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Postdoc on urban social-ecological systems in Boston

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A postdoctoral position is available to examine urban greening as a key form of urban land use-land cover change in the greater metro region of Boston, MA. The project involves an interdisciplinary team of social-ecological system researchers at UMass Amherst and 7 other institutions, including Clark University and the Urban Ecology Institute. The successful candidate will be an integral member of this team and will conduct spatial analysis on the current state of green infrastructure and greening interventions in the Boston Metropolitan area.

Research involving the postdoc may include some or all of the following:

  • current and historical patterns of land use and land cover
  • urban food webs and invasive species
  • analysis of river networks and water quality
  • public health issues
  • future scenarios for the Boston Metropolitan area

The successful applicant must be adept at working with multiple researchers with varying interests in urban ecology, including geographers, landscape and urban planners, ecologists, and environmental educators. Strong communication skills are also required for coordinating interviews and meetings. In addition to supporting the overall project, candidates will be encouraged to develop their own research agenda within the project scope.

The preferred start date is January 2011, although there may be some flexibility. The primary location for the postdoc will be at UMass Amherst, but substantial time will need to be spent at other host institutions, and in the city of Boston. This is a one-year position, with the possible extension to two years. Applicants must have relevant Ph.D. experience in ecology, geography, landscape planning, or conservation biology, and be eager to work in an interdisciplinary team with the other scientists on the project. Prior experience with integrating socio-ecology into urban ecosystems is desirable. Candidates with expertise with GIS, modeling, and scenario building, are encouraged to apply.

Review of applicants will begin July 31, 2010, and continue until the position is filled. Applicants should submit (electronically) a cover letter that highlights the applicant’s skills and abilities in areas relevant to this project; curriculum vitae; a one or two page statement of experience as it relates to the stated project goals; a maximum of five sample reprints/preprints (electronic versions); and names, addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses of three references. A copy of the grant proposal supporting this project is available on request. Applications should be sent (e-mail preferred) to: Paige Warren (pswarren@nrc.umass.edu), Department of Natural Resources Conservation, Holdsworth Hall, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003.

The University provides an intellectual environment committed to providing academic excellence and diversity. The University is committed to increasing the diversity of the faculty, student body and the curriculum The University of Massachusetts is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. Women and members of minority groups are encouraged to apply.

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Postdoc on dynamic models of vulnerability in drylands and coastal zones

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The Law and Governance Group focuses on the role of law and governance in the domains of food and natural resources is looking for a post-doc to work on a collaborative project with the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) and CERES Research School in the domain of global environmental change :

The post-doc will work in a team with another postdoc on analysis of vulnerability patterns on building bridges between system dynamic models and qualitative case-studies by attempting to upscale lessons learned from local case-studies through Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) and by down-scaling Integrated Assessment Models (IAMS) through cluster analysis of model outcomes. Both strands of the project come together in analyzing patterns of vulnerability. The project will focus on drylands and coastal zones. The post-docs will work in close collaboration with a team of experts from CERES research school and the PBL. The postdoc will be responsible for the down- scaling of Integrated Assessment Models.

The research is carried out in Wageningen and partly at the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency in Bilthoven, and should lead to a development of methodology and a number of high quality publications.

You have a PhD degree in social or natural sciences; a strong interest in and experience with modeling (preferably system dynamics), sensitivity for qualitative research, experience with research on (global) environmental change, and interdisciplinary work. You are a team worker and have excellent writing and communication skills and a proven ability to publish cutting-edge scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals and an excellent command of English

Additional information can be obtained from: Prof dr ir J.W.M. van Dijk (han.vandijk@wur.nl) ( tel +31 317  482960/482957) and Drs M. Kok (marcel.kok@pbl.nl) (tel: +31 30 274 3717)