Department of Geography & Planning at the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada

Post-Graduate Training Opportunities in Geography & Planning
in Saskatchewan, Canada

The Department of Geography & Planning at the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada is seeking to fill a number of funded opportunities for graduate students. The Department offers programmes leading to MA, MSc, and PhD degrees. Successful applicants will join a vigorous, research-oriented department with strong collaborative links to both social and natural science departments on campus, to graduate schools (Public Policy, and Environment and Sustainability), to research institutes of the Government of Saskatchewan and Environment Canada, as well as other institutions both nationally and internationally. For further information about the university, please go to: http://www.usask.ca. Information about the department and its faculty can be found at:http://www.artsandscience.usask.ca/geography/

Our graduate studies and research activities are focused in areas of:

• Environmental Studies, Policy, Management, and Assessment
• Geographic Information Science and Remote Sensing
• Hydrological Processes and Modeling
• Landscape Analysis and Environmental Change
• Regional and Urban Planning
• Aboriginal and Health Studies

Faculty use a range of research methods including quantitative and modeling techniques as well as qualitative research techniques. Field work spans the country with well instrumented field sites in the Canadian North and the Rockies as well as selected urban and rural places across the country. The Department hosts a Canada Research Chair in Environmental Change and Water Resources and is equipped with graduate student offices, laboratories, and research space for both the social and natural sciences with recent investments provided by the Canadian Foundation for Innovation, University and Province of Saskatchewan. The department also shares the university commitment to develop partnerships between communities and the university and to engage in research projects that improve conditions for people living in the province.

LOCATION

The University of Saskatchewan is a major research intensive institution of about 19,000 students located on one of the most pleasant university campuses in Canada.

TO APPLY

Application deadline for funding: February 15, 2013

Applications can be completed on-line at http://www.usask.ca/cgsr/index.php.

Applicants must complete the following:

• application form: completed online
• letters from 3 referees: this form is completed online. Your referees will receive an email with a link to the form once you submit your application
• A statement of research interest or letter of intent: this is a personal statement of about 2 pages outlining your research interests and indicating how your research intersects with the research interests of members of the department
• official transcripts from all institutions where you have studied: these must be sent directly by the university or in a sealed envelope
• If English is NOT the language of instruction, students must complete a TOEFL or IELTS exam: requirements for this are set out in the website of the College of Graduate Studies and Research
• $75 CDN application fee: paid by cash, money order, Visa, Mastercard, cheque on a Canadian bank

Please have materials below sent to

Dr. Xulin Guo, Chair, Graduate Program
c/o Ms Phyllis Baynes
Department of Geography & Planning
University of Saskatchewan
117 Science Place
Saskatoon, SK Canada
S7N 5C8

The department is not able to accept applications by email.

To find out more about the necessary forms or other administrative details, please contact:

Ms Phyllis Baynes
Secretary responsible for graduate students,
Department of Geography and Planning
phyllis.baynes@usask.ca

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PhD Scholarship - Indigenous Land Management & Conservation

School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Management

An opportunity exists for a PhD student to contribute to an Australian Research Council funded Linkage Project on Integrating Measures of Indigenous Land Management Performance. We are seeking a PhD candidate to join a multi-disciplinary team across the University of Queensland, Charles Darwin University and research partners from The Nature Conservancy, Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, The North Australian Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance, CSIRO (Sustainable Ecosystems) and Smyth and Bahrdt Consultants. The student will be enrolled at the University of Queensland with co-supervision through Charles Darwin University and CSIRO.

The School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Management was formed at the beginning of 2009 as part of UQ's Science Faculty, bringing together expertise that centres on the theme of sustainability. The School is grounded in the established disciplines of Geography, Planning and Environmental Management. It is integrated through a common focus on the people-environment-behaviour interface and by a commitment to scientific, evidence-based approaches.  The School recognises the importance of being engaged with the community, industry and government and globally focussed.

The role

A PhD student is sought to study the social, cultural and environmental benefits of Indigenous management of and participation in protected area management. This project will build on the internationally adopted Framework for Assessing Management Effectiveness of Protected Areas, working under the direction of the Framework's author to expand its remit to better address social performance. The project will require a review of social policy relating to communities engaged with protected areas, an integration of the theoretical underpinnings of social and protected area policies, and substantial interaction with and contribution the development of international guidelines on integration of social and environmental assessment of protected area management effectiveness. The research will form part of the Australian Research Council project: Integrating measures of Indigenous land management effectiveness.

The person

You should have an Honours degree or Masters Degree with substantial research component, or equivalent in environmental management, social science or related discipline. It is essential that you can clearly demonstrate research potential. An interest in high quality research leading to practice or policy outcomes is desirable. Experience in indigenous land management, conservation, protected areas, interdisciplinary approaches to environmental management or social aspects of conservation will be well regarded.

Remuneration

Tax-free stipends of $28,715 per annum are available for three years, with the possibility of a six month extension.

Enquiries

To discuss the role, contact Prof Marc Hockings, Program Director (Environmental Management);  tel 07 33467845 or m.hockings@uq.edu.au

All applicants must supply the following documents: Cover letter, Resume and address the selection criteria.

The selection criteria should include:

1.  Relevant tertiary degree;

2.  Research experience in one of the following areas - indigenous land management, conservation, protected areas, interdisciplinary approaches to environmental management or social aspects of conservation

3.  Written or oral presentation skills,

4.  Independence and self-motivation.

To submit an application for this role, use the Apply button below.

1.  To apply, please send;

§  Cover letter highlighting previous research experience and interests and stating career aims and ambitions

§  Curriculum Vitae

§  Academic Transcript (Certified); original documents will not be returned.

Late and incomplete applications will not be considered.  Scholarship funding is subject to final contract sign off.

For information on completing the application process click here.

Application closing date:

18 Jan 2013 11:55pm E. Australia Standard Time

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2 PhD positions on Segregation Processes and Spatial Demography - Stockholm University

 

 

The Department of Human Geography, Stockholm University, announces two PhD positions with a focus on Segregation Processes and Spatial Demography. The positions will be attached to the research profile Population Geography, Migration and GIS. The positions will commence after agreement.

http://www.humangeo.su.se/english/about-us/vacancies/two-phd-positions-with-a-focus-on-segregation-processes-and-spatial-demography-1.106146

General conditions and requirements
Research at the department follows three major research themes – for further information see the department’s website:www.humangeo.su.se/english/research.

These positions are related to the profile of Population Geography, Migration and GIS. Individuals who are employed as PhD candidates shall engage themselves in a PhD programme encompassing 240 course-points (4 years), and includes a doctoral thesis (150 points) and courses/literature studies (90 points in total). Employment as PhD candidate may not exceed a total duration corresponding to four years PhD education. The minimum monthly salary is currently 22.600 SEK (app. 2.700 Euro). A maximum of 20 percent teaching or other assignments implies that the PhD education will consist of a period up to five years.

In addition to the standard evaluation criteria, the applicant’s merits in relation to the research profile presented below will be given weight.

The doctoral thesis can be written as a monograph or as a series of article manuscripts in English. Hence, we seek a candidate with good skills in English.

The PhD positions are oriented towards two different themes: Segregation Processes and Spatial Demography. Descriptions of these themes are given below, under Attached files.

Who is eligible to apply?
The applicant is required to fulfil the general eligibility requirement for PhD studies (a master or ”magister” exam). Additionally, the applicant should fulfil the special eligibility requirement (”särskild behörighet”), i.e. to have achieved pass grades in at least 60 course points in the discipline of human geography, geography or in an equivalent discipline (e.g. demography, urban planning, or urban sociology).

Selection criteriaApplications will be assessed based on the following criteria:

• documented knowledge of scientific theory and method of relevance to research on gender and urban and regional planning,
• analytical ability and skills in writing, as demonstrated by a scientific report, paper or Master thesis,
• the applicants potential to contribute to and utilise the research environment at the department and
• experience and knowledge of special relevance for research concerning Segregation processes or Spatial Demography.

Information
Information about the PhD training program at the Department of Human Geography may be obtained from Prof. Bo Malmberg,bo.malmberg@humangeo.su.se, telephone +46-(0)8-16 4853.

Union representatives 
Anqi Lindblom-Ahlm (Saco-S) and Lisbeth Häggberg (Fackförbundet ST),
telephone +46-(0)8-16 2000 (switch board), Gunnar Stenberg (SEKO),
telephone +46-(0)70-316 43 41, and PhD representative, do@sus.su.se.

How do I apply?
The application must include the following documentation:

• a completed application form for admission to the PhD student programme (the application form can be downloaded from the institutions website:www.humangeo.su.se/english/research/phd-studies,
• Curriculum Vitae,
• a short (2–5 pages) letter of intent that explain why you are interested in studying for a PhD in Human Geography, why you are interested in this specific research task and what skills you can bring to the project,
• verified copies of education certificates supporting general and special admission requirements to the PhD student programme (e.g. LADOK certification),
• one example of an independently written paper or thesis authored by the applicant within the framework of his/her bachelor or masters level university education (if no thesis or paper is submitted your application will not be evaluated),
• references from two University Lecturers or Professors (with telephone numbers and e-mail addresses) who have taught the applicant and who have a good knowledge of the applicant’s academic achievements and
• ancillary documentation that the applicant wishes to be taken into consideration (e.g. other reference letters).

A complete application, headed with the reference number SU 617-3043-12, should arrive at the following address no later than November 15, 2012:
Stockholm University
Registrar/PÄ
SE-106 91  STOCKHOLM
SWEDEN

or as one PDF file by e-mail to: registrator@su.se.

Further information on the web
– Stockholm University, Faculty of Social Science: www.samfak.su.se/english
– PhD student association at the Department of Human Geography:www.sus.su.se/en/kulturgeografiska-doktorandradet
– The handbook for postgraduate students: www.doktorandhandboken.nu/english

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PhD Scholarship Phylogeography, Extinctions and Global Climate Change

PhD Scholarship Phylogeography, Extinctions and Global Climate Change
Applications are invited for a PhD scholarship at the Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. The PhD candidate will be enrolled for a 3 year period starting between January 1 and March 1, 2013. 

Research area and project description: 
This PhD project is part of a new Sapere Aude grant entitled "Species Extinctions Under Climate Change: Re-evaluating Extinction Risk" (EXTINCTIONs). EXTINCTIONs aims at assessing past and current population dynamics and extinction processes and how can this knowledge about the past help to better predict the future impacts of global change in biological diversity. 

A significant aspect of the EXTINCTIONs will involve relating Species Distribution Models, SDMs, and paleoclimate simulations to population genetic/phylogeographic data to investigate the relationship between population size and geographic range size under climate change over evolutionary time-scales. The PhD student will contribute to this broader objective by investigating the spatial and temporal dynamics of genetic diversity and population structure for numerous species during the Late Quaternary. The goal of this PhD project will be to integrate phylogeographic inference with methods and theory from other ecological and evolutionary sub-disciplines (including macroecology) to understand population dynamics under historical climate change. Technically, the project will include conducting statistical phylogeographic and population genetic analyses, species distribution modeling, and GIS manipulation of species distribution and climatic data. To achieve this aim the Phd student will help, in collaboration with a bioinformatician, to compile a database of phylogeographic and population genetic data spanning different biomes and taxonomic groups from public databases such as GENBANK, NCBI and EMBL.

PhD supervisors: 
David Nogués-Bravo and Katharine Ann Marske 

Qualifications and specific competences: 
Applicants must have a relevant master?s degree in ecology or evolutionary biology (with an emphasis on population genetics, phylogenetics or phylogeography) or have submitted their master thesis for assessment before the application deadline, as well as possess a good general background in natural history. 

Additional minimum qualifications include experience using population genetic, phylogenetic or phylogeographic methods, ideally in spatially explicit frameworks. Some experience with Species Distribution Models and/or the R statistical environment would also be an advantage. 

The successful candidate is expected to have strong skills in English and applicants must document this. The primary working language of the Center is English. 

Place of Employment: 
The PhD student will be employed by the University of Copenhagen and will work at the Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate (CMEC), a Center of Excellence directly funded by the Danish National Research Foundation and comprising 40 researchers from 16 different countries working on multi-disciplinary research lines (http://macroecology.ku.dk/). CMEC is also part of the Section for Ecology and Evolution within the Department of Biology, a dynamic research environment containing two Centers of Excellence and with a successful track record of graduating Masters and PhD students and hosting postdoctoral researchers from all over Europe, North America and Asia. Within CMEC, the Phylogeography and Extinction Theme is a key area of research focus over the next few years. 

Salary and conditions: 
Terms of appointment and payment are in accordance with the agreement between the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Danish Federation of Professional Associations (AC). The starting salary for candidates with an MSc degree will be a minimum of DKK 309.179 (about EUR 41.500) per year (April 2012 level) plus pension contribution DKK 42.243 with the possibility of salary negotiation. 
The PhD student will have ample funding for research stays within the international network of collaborators of CMEC and for attending conferences, meetings and workshops. 

Contacts: 
Applicants seeking further information are invited to contact Associate Professor David Nogués-Bravo, phone +45 35321314, e-mail: dnogues@bio.ku.dk 

Application Procedures: 
Applicants are requested to submit their application electronically including a cover letter which explains their motivation for the project, a curriculum vitae including contact information, qualifications, software experience and technical expertise, a list of publications, if any, one reference letter and the diploma and transcripts of grade. The deadline for applications is November 30, 2012. 

An assessment committee will be appointed to evaluate the applications. The applicant will be notified of the composition of the committee. The final selection of a successful candidate will be made by the Head of Department, based on the recommendations of the assessment committee. The successful candidate will then be requested to formally apply for enrolment as a PhD student at the PhD school of Science, University of Copenhagen. 

The University of Copenhagen wishes to reflect the diversity of society and welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background. 

Applications received after the deadline, or with insufficient documentation or otherwise not complying with the above requirements, may not be considered. It is expected that the successful candidate will be enrolled at the PhD School of the Faculty of Science starting between January 1 and March 1, 2013.

Apply online
http://www.ku.dk/english/available_positions/vip/

Founded in 1479, the University of Copenhagen is the oldest university in Denmark. With 37,000 students and 9,000 employees, it is among the largest universities in Scandinavia and one of the highest ranking in Europe. The University consists of six faculties, which cover Health and Medical Sciences, Humanities, Law, Science, Social Sciences and Theology.

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PhD Position in GIS and Energy Systems (DTU Denmark)

http://www.job.dtu.dk/English.aspx?guid=9a6f0c95-ba5c-4040-baa4-88e8f8678d09

PhD Position in GIS and Energy Systems (DTU Denmark)

DTU Management Engineering invites application for a PhD fellowship in GIS and energy systems. The starting date will be October 1, 2012 or later, depending on agreement with the candidate.

System Analysis Division is one of five divisions with each with several research programs at DTU Management Engineering. DTU Management Engineering has 269 employees consisting of 148 academic staff, 74 PhD students and 47 technical and administrative staff. Furthermore, we employ a large number of external associate professors each term which contribute to making our education programs relevant by including cases from the business sector. More than 20 % of our employees are from abroad and in all 38 different nationalities are represented at the Department.

The theme for the Fellowship is "Geographical representations of renewable energy systems”. In the application for funds is the project described as follows:

Renewable energy sources and supply are to be mapped allowing local distributions of available resources and their specific geographical potentials, costs and their use in future district heating systems - using GIS and energy system modelling tools.

This work builds on top of the idea of a Danish heat atlas. By including “all” relevant information in a common GIS database as social status, energy consumption, resources and energy supply systems this creates the basis for a power-full tool for understanding possibilities and potentials for sustainable solutions in an energy system. Analysis can be carried out in the GIS tool, but it also links to energy system models as input database and for treating modelling results.

The research fellow is one of a total of 12 research fellows who are included in the 'Strategic Research Centre for 4th Generation District Heating Technologies and Systems (4DH)'. 4DH is a project which runs during the period 2012-2017, with an overall budget of DKK 60 million. Of this, DKK 37 million comes from The Danish Council for Strategic Research (Det Strategiske Forskningsråd), and the rest comes from various private and public organisations. The aim of the 4DH Strategic Research Centre is to promote the development of future fourth generation district heating technology. This is essential for the achievement of Denmark's goal of being independent of fossil fuels by 2050 and for achieving the EU's 2020 target.

The specific proposal that Denmark should be independent of fossil fuels by 2050 indicates that in future district heating will be decisive for being able to exploit waste-heat from power generation, renewable energy, low-temperature geothermal sources, industrial waste-heat, waste incineration and biomass. However, it is emphasised that district heating must be Integrated with savings and flexible electricity generation. It is thus a significant challenge to be able to optimise, reorganise and develop new district heating technology based on lower temperatures and interaction with both low-energy housing and flexible electricity generation. The 4DH Strategic Research Centre is multi-disciplinary, and it will develop knowledge, among others, of: the design of low-temperature geothermal district heating systems; the interaction with the heating of low-energy housing; planning tools based, among others, on GIS systems; tools for designing flexible systems for using waste-heat from power generation; legal, tariff and organizational structures. See further on the 4DH website: www.4DH.dk.

Qualifications

Master degree in Engineering, economics, or other relevant education.

Approval and Enrolment

The scholarships for the PhD degree are subject to academic approval, and the candidates will be enrolled in one of the general degree programmes of DTU. For information about the general requirements for enrolment and the general planning of the scholarship studies, please see the DTU PhD Guide.

Salary and appointment terms

The salary and appointment terms are consistent with the current rules for PhD degree students. The period of employment is 3 years.

Further Information

You are welcome to contact Senior Scientist Kenneth Karlsson, phone: 4677 5117, e-mail: keka@.dtu.dk for further information.

Application

We must have your online application by 5 August 2012. Please open the link "apply online", fill in the application form and attach the following documents;

A letter motivating the application (cover letter)

• Curriculum vitae
• Grade transcripts and BSc/MSc diploma
• Excel sheet with translation of grades to the Danish grading system (see guidelines and excel spreadsheet here)
• Candidates may apply prior to ob­tai­ning their master's degree, but cannot begin before having received it.

All interested candidates irrespective of age, gender, race, inability, religion or ethnic background are encouraged to apply

DTU Management Engineering carries out research, education and dissemination of knowledge within the fields of planning, innovation and management. The Department comprises a staff of 235 persons. Every term, 3000 students are enrolled at courses taught by the Department. The EIS alliance has contributions from ten universities and research institutions in Denmark and abroad. It is funded by the Danish Council for Strategic Research and the involved research institutions. See more on www.man.dtu.dk and www.eis.dk.

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PhD position at the Department of Geography

PhD position at the Department of Geography
Justus-Liebig- Universitä t Gießen

We seek a highly motivated PhD-student to investigate the variability and projected future changes of weather and climate extremes in Germany, with a focus on the state of Hesse, in the climatology research group of Prof. Jürg Luterbacher and Dr. Douglas Maraun

Work description:

The PhD position is part of the INKLIM programme funded by the Hessian Centre on Climate Change, Agency for Environment and Geology (Fachzentrum Klimawandel Hessen, Hessisches Landesamt für Umwelt und Geologie). INKLIM comprises research groups that work on different questions related to a better understanding of current and future regional climate change, extremes and impacts assessment on different sectors (e.g. forestry, agriculture, ecosystem, town planning).

The successful candidate will study the meteorological mechanisms causing extreme events in Germany (in particular extreme precipitation and heat waves) using station data and reanalysis driven regional climate simulations. The candidate will then develop a novel statistical approach to correct regional climate model simulations and construct and analyse an ensemble of future changes in extreme events across Germany.

The candidate will present their results at national and international conferences and publish them in international peer-reviewed journals.

The PhD student will work with Prof. Jürg Luterbacher and Dr. Douglas Maraun using recent developments in extreme value statistics, and closely collaborate with scientists within the research group. The collaboration with international partners in the fields of climatology and statistics, for instance, in France and England, is possible.

This position provides an excellent opportunity to work in a dynamic and growing group integrated with a network of international collaborations.

The position is for 3 years initially, with a possible extension after completion of the PhD. Payment will be in accordance with a civil service position (BAT 2A/2).

Requirements:

We seek a motivated, well organised and creative team player. The successful candidate has a MSc degree or equivalent experience in a quantitative science, in an area related to climate, meteorology or hydrology. Experience in statistics and computer programming skills are required.

Application:

The post will start as soon as possible. All applications arriving until 9 December 2009 will be considered, later applications until the position is filled.

Please submit your application, including a letter of motivation, curriculum vitae and copies of your master certificate as a single .pdf electronically to:
juerg.luterbacher[ at]geogr. uni-giessen. de and
douglas.maraun[ at]geogr. uni-giessen. de

The University of Giessen is an equal opportunity employer. To increase the number of women in the faculty, female applicants are recommended to apply for this position. Applicants with severe disabilities will be favoured if they are equally qualified as the other candidates.

Do not hesitate to contact us for informal enquiries.

Inserat-Nummer: 18717
Titel: 2 PhD positions in Environmental Geochemistry

Hochschule: ETH Zuerich

We are inviting applications for two PhD student positions based jointly in the Soil Chemistry Group (Prof. Ruben Kretzschmar) and the Isotope Geochemistry Group (Prof. Bernard Bourdon) at ETH Zuerich. The research topic will be the application of stable mercury (Hg) isotopes as novel tracers for biogeochemical Hg cycling in soil environments. Mercury is an important pollutant element and Hg isotope ratios provide a promising new tool to trace Hg sources and transformations in natural ecosystems. One PhD project will focus mainly on the investigation of field samples, whereas the other PhD project is dedicated to perform laboratory based experiments. Both project parts will be strongly linked and use the state-of-the- art facilities of the Soil Chemistry and Isotope Geochemistry laboratories at ETH Zurich.

We are seeking highly motivated candidates with a strong interest to perform interdisciplinary research at the interface of soil chemistry and isotope geochemistry. Previous experience in these fields and/or analytical chemistry would be beneficial. Applicants should hold a MSc degree (or equivalent) in geosciences, environmental sciences, chemistry, geoecology, or a related discipline. Good knowledge of English is essential. Female and male candidates are equally invited to apply. Employment will be according to standard regulations of ETH Zurich (funding secured for 3 years). Start in March 2010 or upon mutual agreement.

Applicants should submit letter of application, CV, statement of research interests, transcripts/ copy of certificates, and addresses of 2-3 potential referees to:

Prof. Ruben Kretzschmar,

ETH Zuerich

CHN F23.1,

8092 Zurich, Switzerland

(paper copy by mail or single pdf-file by e-mail to jan.wiederhold[ at]env.ethz. ch).

For further details on the project please contact Dr. Jan Wiederhold. Evaluation of applications will start 4.1.2010 and continue until the positions are filled.



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PhD Position in Geography, University of Zurich, Switzerland

PhD studentship
Glaciology, Geomorphodynamics and Geochronology
Department of Geography
University of Zurich, Switzerland

We are seeking a PhD candidate for the project CRYOSUB: Mountain
Cryosphere Subgrid Parameterization and Computation, starting 1 March
or 1 April 2009.
The expected outcome of this project is a method that allows for
continental-scale modeling of permafrost, snow and glacier mass
balance in mountain areas under present and simulated future climate.
This is important because the mountain cryosphere influences a large
proportion of the global land mass and population, experiences high
rates of climate change and is currently inadequately resolved in
regional climate models due to the dominating influence of sub-grid
variability. This project will provide a proof of concept for the
inclusion of topography sub-grid schemes into climate models as well
as applications of mountain cryosphere models over large mountain ranges.
Applicants are required to have successfully completed a Masters level
degree in a relevant area, e.g., Climatology, Meteorology, Computer
Science, Mathematics, Physics, Computational Geography or Earth
Sciences. Programming skills (low level such as C/FORTRAN and high
level such as Matlab/IDL) and experience with GIS are important
assets. You have a very good standard of written and spoken English
and will be working in a heterogeneous and multi-disciplinary
environment. Mountaineering skills are welcome. You will receive the
standard PhD salary according to the Swiss National Science Foundation.
Curriculum Vitae, transcripts and contact details (including e-mail
addresses and phone numbers) for two references should be sent with
your letter of application to:

Dr. Stephan Gruber
Department of Geography
University of Zurich-Irchel
Winterthurerstrasse 190
8057 Zurich, Switzerland
stephan.gruber@geo.uzh.ch

Reviews of applications will commence on 1 February 2009. Continue Reading...

2 PhD positions (Geographers) at PIK Potsdam

*2 Geographers (initially until 31.12.2010, kr02)*

/Qualification: /An advanced university degree (Master or equivalent) in Geography (social/physical), geoecology or in a closely related field. Good knowledge of all thematic areas of climate change (climate impact analysis, adaptation and mitigation, technology transfer) particularly from the developing country perspective, and GIS expertise is necessary.

/Tasks:/ Conduct regional climate impact analyses, development and systematic analyses of adaptation concepts for the target regions. Research will focus on sector-specific climatic impacts, and as well on the development of protection concepts with due consideration of climate protection, adaptation, and sustainability. A close cooperation with other projects targeting developing countries is mandatory. You should develop, implement and contribute to the improvement of processes and procedures concerning adaptation in the target regions. Close cooperation with scientific and administrative institutions, presentation of results to various audiences and communication with stakeholders are required.

Positions will contribute to the development of a Global Climate Impact and Adaptation Information System embedded in a project to be carried out in close cooperation with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ). Targeted countries in this context are India, China, Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, South-Africa and Tunisia. All positions require the willingness to work on climate change issues from a developing country perspective and for international travel. Teamwork, enthusiasm, flexibility, innovation, and excellent spoken and writing skills in English are prerequisite. Working knowledge in Spanish, French or Portuguese is an additional asset.

The project will be carried out in the working group North-South Theme within PIK's Research Domain 2 ("Climate Impacts & Vulnerabilities"). The North-South Theme focuses on development in particular with respect to the potential avoidance of ill-management and development traps associated with the challenges of climate change. The overarching idea of the project is to frame and to provide regional climate impact analyses for relevant sectors/regions in the target countries, and in parallel to design visionary and foresighted transition pathways to sustainability, information provision, and decision support. Central questions are, for example, to identify future no-stay/no-go areas as well as to evaluate innovative development pathways towards sustainability reconciling mitigation of and adaptation to climate change.

For more information:
http://www.pik-potsdam.de/news/jobs/index_html?set_language=en

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Research Degree Studentship at The University of Northampton

Full Time Research Degree Studentship

Growing up sustainably? Young people and ‘sustainable’ urban development

£12 500 per annum (including £1000 research expenses budget) and tuition fees for 3 years

The University of Northampton invites applications for a 3-year PhD studentship, to support a research project investigating impacts of ‘sustainable’ urban development upon children and young people’s everyday geographies and environmental behaviours.

The successful applicant will be based in the Centre for Children and Youth, a nationally flagged centre of excellence based at The University of Northampton. Supervisory support and research training shall be provided by staff from the Centre for Children and Youth and from the University’s Field of Environmental Science (based in the School of Applied Sciences).

The Doctoral research project will entail a programme of quantitative and qualitative research regarding new urban developments in the English East Midlands. It is envisaged that this research will entail:
• short, semi-structured interviews with young people;
• in-depth, qualitative projects with young people (perhaps involving discussion groups, diary-work or visual methods);
• consultation with key decision-makers and planners involved in local processes of ‘sustainable’ urban development.

It is anticipated that the research project will lead to new empirical/theoretical understandings relating to one or more of the following areas: sustainability; environmental behaviours; nature-society relations; youth; urban development.

Applicants should possess a good Honours or Masters Degree in Geography or a cognate discipline. They should have demonstrable experience of qualitative and quantitative social research, and a commitment to researching with young people.

Deadline for applications: 09:00 GMT, 11th August 2008,

It is intended that interviews will be held during the last two weeks of August 2008.

Start date: September/October 2008
For an application pack, please email: david.watson@northampton.ac.uk, or call 01604 892812.
Additional informal enquiries can be made to john.horton@northampton.ac.uk
Please quote reference: UN08SUSTAIN

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