Location: Highfield Campus
Salary: £32,348 to £35,333 Pro rata per annum
Part Time Fixed Term (28/06/2024)
Closing Date: Wednesday 23 November 2022
Interview Date: To be confirmed
Reference: 2036122WR
We are seeking to appoint a Research Fellow in Spatial Modelling of Agroforestry Futures to work with Prof Felix Eigenbrod. This position will be part of a large, 2 year multi-institution multidisciplinary project (‘Agroforestry Futures’) led by Newcastle University funded via the Future of UK Treescapes programme.
Agroforestry (AF), where trees are deliberately combined with agriculture on the same piece of land has promise as a multi-functional land-use that maintains food production, but which could also drive down greenhouse gas emissions, deliver key ecosystem services, and create and improve (rural) livelihoods. Agroforestry in England could therefore support goals relevant to Net Zero, and the UK government’s 25 Year Environment Plan and Clean Growth Strategy. However, to date very little AF is taking place in the England and the biophysical and social limitations to wide-scale rollout of AF remain poorly understood. The Agroforestry Futures will provide an evidence base for the benefits (and limitations) of AF in England to enhance decision-making by stakeholders, including famers and land managers.
The Research Fellow position in Southampton will play a key role in this project by linking existing spatial datasets to provide first order understanding of the implications of different AF scenarios for biodiversity and ecosystem services in England. You will work closely with other members of the interdisciplinary AF Futures team, particularly ecologists Dr Robbie Girling and Prof Martin Lukac (Reading) Dr Marion Pfeiffer, Prof Yit Arn Teh and Prof Mark Whittingham (Newcastle), but also environmental economist Francisco Areal (Newcastle). In addition, your work will be closely linked to policy and will involve collaboration with key stakeholders such as DEFRA, Forest Research and the Woodland Trust.
The ideal candidate for this position will have a PhD in biology, geography, environmental studies or a related discipline. Advanced skills in the analysis and assembly of large spatial datasets is essential (i.e. using GIS within a package such as ArcGIS, QGIS or R) is essential. Some knowledge of programming in the R and/or Python would be a major advantage, as would experience in agroforestry and interdisciplinary research experience.
The School of Geography and Environmental Sciences is an outstanding research environment ranked joint 3rd in the UK in terms of overall research in the 2021 Research Assessment (REF). The School is committed to fostering a culture of equality, diversity and inclusion . We particularly encourage applications from candidates belonging to groups who are under-represented within academic posts at the University, including, but not limited to: people from Black and minority ethnic groups; and disabled people. The School are committed to providing equal opportunities for all and offer a range of family friendly policies, flexi-time and flexible working. We are a Disability Confident employer and the School holds a bronze Athena SWAN award.
This position is particularly flexible and can be between 11 months in length (at 100% time) to 18 months in length at 60% time, and will start in early 2023. Informal enquiries about this post can be made to Prof Felix Eigenbrod (f.eigenbrod@soton.ac.uk).
*Applications will be considered from candidates who are working towards or nearing completion of a relevant PhD qualification. The title of Research Fellow will be applied upon completion of PhD. Prior to the qualification being awarded the title of Senior Research Assistant will be given.
Application Procedure
You should submit your completed online application form below. The application deadline will be midnight on the closing date stated above. If you need any assistance, please call Janice Poon (HR Recruitment Team) on +44 (0) 23 8059 4043 or email recruitment@soton.ac.uk. Please quote reference 2036122WR on all correspondence.
Further details:
We believe equality, diversity and inclusion are fundamental to making the University of Southampton a welcoming, vibrant and successful organisation. Having a diverse workforce, inclusive of people of all ages and beliefs, from different racial, educational and social backgrounds opens up a wealth of possibilities, makes us more creative and accelerates our impact on society. We welcome applicants that value the diversity of our community and are willing to play their part in supporting the mission of inclusivity.