Overview
We seek to appoint two quantitative Environmental Scientists on the topic of Land Use & Ecosystem Change as post-doctoral researchers. The successful candidates will undertake research on the integrated impacts of societal, environmental and policy change on land use and ecosystems at large spatial scales (national to global), including contributing to the LandSyMM modelling framework (
https://landsymm.earth/). We would like you to join us to work on one of the following topics and associated research questions.
1. Modelling land use change in Europe using the CRAFTY agent-based model (
https://landchange.imk-ifu.kit.edu/CRAFTY). You will further develop the CRAFTY large-scale model of land systems to simulate the social processes that underpin the behaviour and decision-making of land managers and the supply and demand of ecosystem services to society. Key research question: how do social processes and human behaviour underpin land use decision-making?
2. Identifying the potential for ecosystem restoration, including rewilding, in Europe. You will combine outputs from the CRAFTY model with further spatial datasets (e.g. opportunity costs, high nature value farming, wetlands, peat-lands, species distributions, protected areas and their connectivity) to evaluate where ecological restoration is best situated in Europe, accounting also for displacement effects (indirect land use change within and outside of Europe). Key research question: where in Europe is there space for restoring and rewilding ecosystems?
The successful applicants will be funded through two EU-funded research projects and the Helmholtz Association Excellence Recruiting Initiative, which supports the Land Use Change & Climate (LUCC) Research Group (
https://landchange.imk-ifu.kit.edu/) of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). The positions will be located at KIT’s attractive ‘Campus Alpin’ in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. You will be welcomed into a multi-disciplinary, highly collaborative and friendly team, well connected to national and international research networks and activities. The positions will entail contributions to project management and reporting, willingness to engage with stakeholders and some teaching.
Salaries will range from €48,892 to €55,430 gross per annum for post-doctoral positions depending on qualifications and experience based on the Collective Agreement for the German Public Service Sector (TV-L EG13, St. 1-3). The positions are available from June 2023 for up to 4 years with an initial 2-year contract.
Qualifications
You will have a PhD in a relevant discipline such as environmental sciences, geo-ecology, geography, spatial ecology, ecological economics, computational social sciences, mathematics and informatics. You will also have skills in one or more of the following:
1) quantitative environmental modelling;
2) computer programming (e.g., Java, Python, C++);
3) the analysis of large-scale datasets in the environmental sciences;
4) scenario analysis, environmental policy analysis, statistical analysis and ecosystem assessment.
You will need to have proficiency in the English language, both spoken and in writing. Willingness to travel to interact with consortia partners is required. Further information can be obtained from Prof. Mark Rounsevell (
[email protected]).
Applications
Applications should be sent by email to Sylvia Kratz (
[email protected]) by Friday 31 March 2023, quoting the reference, 5MR2023. Applications should be submitted within a single PDF document that includes your CV, publications list (with citations), a short (1-2 page) letter of motivation and contact details for 2 referees. The motivation letter should clearly state a) your skills and experience in land use & ecosystem change, and b) how your research interests relate to the topics given above. Please also indicate where you heard about this job opportunity. Applications that are incomplete or do not address these criteria will not be considered.
Interviews will be held remotely on 19-21 April 2023.
KIT strives to achieve gender equality at all levels of employment and we particularly encourage applications from women. With appropriate qualifications, applications from persons with handicaps are treated preferentially.
