The National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), Japan, is inviting applications for a Postdoctoral Researcher (Research Associate) position focusing on environmental footprint implications of behavioural change and sustainable consumption.
This position may be of interest to early-career researchers with a strong interest in pro-environmental behaviour who enjoy working across disciplines and applying industrial ecology approaches to sustainability challenges.
Research focus
The successful candidate will contribute to research that examines how behavioural changes in domains such as housing, mobility, food, leisure, and consumer goods can support simultaneous transitions toward decarbonised, circular, and nature-positive societies.
Key research questions include:
- Which behavioural change options and policy interventions should be prioritised to accelerate sustainability transitions?
- How can industrial ecology methods be extended to dynamically model transformations in consumption patterns and lifestyles?
- How can synergies and trade-offs among climate, resource, and biodiversity objectives be addressed through pro-environmental behavioural change?
- How can future scenarios be explored under deep uncertainty to support the achievement of long-term sustainability targets?
What we are looking for
- A Ph.D. (or close to completion) in a relevant field
- Experience with industrial ecology methods, particularly environmentally-extended input-output analysis (EEIOA) and/or life cycle assessment (LCA)
- Programming and data analysis skills, including the handling and analysis of statistical data related to consumption and other aspects of daily life
- Strong interest in pro-environmental behaviour, sustainable consumption, and sustainability transitions
- Interest in applying behavioural research and future scenario exploration methods, such as questionnaire surveys, social simulation, and uncertainty analysis
- Motivation to work in an interdisciplinary research environment
What we offer
- Research with strong real-world and policy relevance
- Institutional funding for data collection (e.g. consumer surveys, databases) and engagement with the international research community (e.g. conference travel)
- Access to state-of-the-art environmentally extended input-output databases, including globally nested and municipal-level datasets
- Dedicated high-performance computing resources with extensive memory for large-scale environmental assessment, simulation, and scenario analysis
- A multi-disciplinary team with expertise in environmental footprint analysis, behavioural science, and social simulation, enabling close collaboration on high-impact research
- Opportunities to publish, grow an international research profile, and build global networks
- The chance to live and work in Japan, with access to the Tokyo metropolitan area, while tackling global sustainability issues
Appointment details
- The position offers a maximum contract duration of up to 4.5 years (initial appointment through March 2027, with possible extensions)
- Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis; early applications by the end of July are encouraged
Full details and application instructions are available at:
https://www.nies.go.jp/en/careers/r08-r-035e.pdf