AdresseRef PAR 2024/174
The University of Gothenburg tackles society’s challenges with diverse knowledge. 56 000 students and 6 600 employees make the university a large and inspiring place to work and study. Strong research and attractive study programmes attract researchers and students from around the world. With new knowledge and new perspectives, the University contributes to a better future.
The Department of Earth Sciences has around 80 employees. We have bachelor and master programs in Earth Sciences and in Geography as well as third-cycle education in several Earth Science subjects. Our main research themes are “Climate and Climate Change”, “Earth Surface Processes” and “The Geosphere”, and the research strategy of the department emphasizes further development of Earth System Science.
Job assignments
The announced position is part of the GroundedExtremes project. GroundedExtremes is a 3-year European funded research project that aims to investigate groundwater processes in relation to hydrological extremes and the potential for improved groundwater management as a powerful adaptation strategy to both droughts and floods. In GroundedExtremes, six postdoctoral researchers will study and compare groundwater dynamics, management and governance in four case studies regions located in Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Sweden.
Within the GroundedExtremes project, the successful candidate will foremost work in work package 2 “Groundwater risk governance under extremes” and with a smaller share in work package 3 “Effects of groundwater drought adaptation strategies, including side-effects”. About 75% of the work will be dedicated to a case study in Sweden, 25% to shared work in case studies in the other countries.
Within the frameworks of the mentioned work packages, the postdoctoral fellow will investigate (i) the roles, risks and synergies associated to groundwater governance across governmental and non-governmental actors at present and in the future, (ii) the tensions and synergies between regulatory frameworks and policies for governance and management of different hydro-social risks in relation to groundwater, (iii) how trade-offs and feedback loops between groundwater sustainability and water supply are managed before, during and after droughts, and (iv) governance structures that have the potential to improve the resilience to extremes.
To achieve this, the postdoc will analyze tools and policy instruments for decision-making using the information collected in systematic policy and legal document analysis. Institutional mapping will be conducted for the Swedish case study using semi-structured interviews with different stakeholders from public, private and civil society sectors. The postdoc will co-organize regional workshops in the Swedish case study including the public, private and civil society stakeholders involved in the groundwater risk management process. The findings of the postdoc will be used in a modelling exercise to investigate the effect of different policy scenarios for the future.
The postdoc will be based at the Department of Science at the University of Gothenburg, and the work will be carried out in close cooperation with the Department of Technology Management and Economics at Chalmers Technical University, which is in close geographical distance. The postdoc will also collaborate with a postdoc based at the university of Oslo, who will work in workpackage 1 on groundwater drought data analysis in Sweden.
Qualifications
The postdoc will join a multidisciplinary research team doing research on groundwater governance and risk management at the intersection of environmental science and engineering (hydrology and hydrogeology) and social science. The person appointed needs to be open to multiple scientific perspectives, able to work in a distributed international, multidisciplinary team, well-organized and have excellent communication skills in Swedish and English.
Mandatory: Good proficiency in Swedish language. PhD in a subject area relevant to the project and task description. Experience with qualitative social science methods, including interviews, and documentary studies. Excellent English speaking and writing skills. Demonstrated ability to publish research results in international scientific journals and to present research at international conferences.
Meritorious: Experience of addressing questions in the field of environmental sciences, in particular hydrology and water resources management. Understanding of Swedish and European water governance structures and decision-making processes. Experience with stakeholder engagement approaches.
Desirable: Knowledge in environmental science and engineering, in particular hydrology and water resources management, geographic information systems (GIS) and statistics.
Employment
The Postdoc position is temporary for two years, full-time (100%) at the Earth Science Department of the University of Gothenburg.
First day of employment: On agreement.
Further information regarding the position
For further information regarding the position, please contact Prof. Roland Barthel, roland.barthel@gu.se.
Unions
Union representatives at the University of Gothenburg: https://www.gu.se/en/about-the-university/work-at-the-university-of-gothenburg/how-to-apply
How to apply
In order to apply for a position at the University of Gothenburg, you have to register an account in our online recruitment system. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions in the job advertisement, and that it is submitted before the deadline. The selection of candidates is made on the basis of the qualifications registered in the application.
The application should include:
A cover letter with a motivation that describes the applicant’s suitability for the position (maximum one A4 page)
A Curriculum vitae including education, qualifications, and previous experience
A copy of examination certificates
A publication list
A copy/link of/to the PhD thesis
Other documents deemed important by the applicant
Contact information for at least two references that are familiar with the applicant’s qualifications.
It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions in the job advertisement, and that it is submitted before the deadline. The selection of candidates is made based on the qualifications stated in the announcement.
Closing date for applications: March 17th, 2024
The University works actively to achieve a working environment with equal conditions, and values the qualities that diversity brings to its operations.
Salaries are set individually at the University.
In accordance with the National Archives of Sweden’s regulations, the University must archive application documents for two years after the appointment is filled. If you request that your documents are returned, they will be returned to you once the two years have passed. Otherwise, they will be destroyed.
In connection to this recruitment, we have already decided which recruitment channels we should use. We therefore decline further contact with vendors, recruitment and staffing companies.
