Post-doctoral researcher position - Modelling of the co-design of climate change mitigation and circular economy strategies (100% for four (4) years)
100% position, starting earliest on June 1st, 2022
For the Horizon Europe project “Circular Economy Modelling for Climate Change Mitigation” (CIRCOMOD), starting in June 2022, we are seeking for a motivated and talented early career researcher who holds (or is about to receive) a doctoral degree in a discipline that involves the modelling of core aspects of the circular economy, such as material cycles, supply chains, material-related climate change mitigation scenarios, or co-design of sustainable development strategies.
The candidates need to display genuine interest in advancing sustainability science, open science, and in collaborative science (e.g., via the development of computational infrastructure for cumulative research, collaboration in teams, and version management). Very good knowledge of written and spoken English as well as good team working skills are a prerequisite. Sound knowledge of a higher programming language (C, Python, etc.) is a core requirement.
Core responsibilities and scope of the work
- Improve the representation of material demand (modelling of services and product use) and material production (raw material supply chains and circular economy measures) in existing physical circular economy models (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-25300-4)
- Develop and help implement a linkage between the physical circular economy models to integrated assessment and economy-wide equilibrium models.
- Contribute to the development of scenarios for the co-design of ambitious climate change mitigation and circular economy strategies.
- Contribute to the management of the project’s database.
Background
The Industrial Ecology Group at the University of Freiburg is a place where scientists from different disciplines design and assess sustainable futures. The group is part of the Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, one of 11 faculties at our internationally renowned research university. See www.indecol.uni-freiburg.de/en for our research mission and profile.
Material production now accounts for almost 25% of global GHG. It is also a major driver of land destruction and water use. To better understand the global sustainability transformation of our material use, over the coming years, our group will build the material futures lab. This lab a collaborative modelling tool for building scenarios of future lifestyles and policies and their impact on material cycles and the circular economy. Here, we want to develop research infrastructure to generate consistent scenarios for future service, product, and material demand. We will apply these models to relevant case studies at the city, regional, national, and global levels and assess a broad array of policy options, lifestyle changes, and technology for a sustainable circular economy. Particular focus shall be given to the co-design of circular economy (resource saving) and climate change mitigation strategies, for which a consistent micro and macro-economic description also needs to be developed. The use of natural resource, land, and water shall be included as well as future urban forms and lifestyles.
The EU-funded project CIRCOMOD is at the heart of our research agenda.
Working environment and working conditions
The successful candidate will join our international research group in Freiburg. We offer an open-minded and diverse work environment and a vibrant multi-disciplinary research community. Numerous employment benefits and ample qualification options exist, including training on professional skills and soft skills, courses for teaching skills, and conferences.
- The weekly working time and payment is according to the tariff agreement for scientific personnel: 39.5 hrs per week (100%), 30 paid holidays per year, and payment at level TV-L E13.*
- The place of work is Freiburg and due to the important role of the post-doc for the group, regular presence in the office is a requirement. Solutions for home office of up to 3 days per week on average can be arranged for.
- The language for research and teaching is mainly English. German is used in many social settings at the faculty and university level, and non-German speakers are expected to make an effort to acquire some basic language skills during the first years of their stay in Germany.
- The position does not come with a formal teaching requirement but a small contribution to teaching is expected.
*) https://oeffentlicher-dienst.info/c/t/rechner/tv-l/west?id=tv-l-2021&matrix=1
Additional information
For inquiries regarding the position, contact Stefan Pauliuk, Tel +49-761-203-98726, email stefan.pauliuk@indecol.uni-freiburg.de.
Our university is strongly committed to diversity within its community, and we especially welcome applications from members of underrepresented groups.
Please provide the following documents/information
- Motivation letter. Please describe your research vision and your intended contribution to the project for the coming years.
- CV (German or English), including a list of scientific publications (can also be a link to a public profile, like Google Scholar), also including the link to your doctoral thesis
- Relevant professional certificate (Ph.D. or Dr.)
- Documentation of modelling and coding experience, e.g., links to GitHub or GitLab repositories or similar.
- The contact details of two referees for me to contact.
The application deadline is April 30, 2022. Review of applications will commence in early May, and relevant candidates will be interviewed subsequently until an agreement will be reached. Late applications may still be considered.
Please send your application in one document (or download link to it) to the same email address, by April 30, 2022! Later applications may still be considered.