Two Positions PhD, Postdoc in Social-Ecological Restoration in Rwanda at Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research in Germany:
1 – Doctoral Researcher Position (f/m/d) 78-2023:
The mission of the Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) as a nationally and internationally active research institute is to deliver solutions for an ecologically, economically and socially sustainable agriculture – together with society. ZALF is a member of the Leibniz Association and is located in Müncheberg (approx. 35 minutes by regional train from Berlin-Lichtenberg). It also maintains a research station with further locations in Dedelow and Paulinenaue.
The DFG research unit “A social-ecological systems approach to inform ecosystem restoration in rural Africa” will approach ecosystem restoration from a social-ecological systems perspective to better understand the mechanisms involved in generating different restoration outcomes.
We will integrate diverse disciplines to provide a comprehensive understanding of the past, present and future of ecosystem restoration in our study area in western Rwanda while also generating valuable transferable knowledge for restoration of degraded ecosystems worldwide. The sub-project focuses on exploring the impacts of restoration on social cohesion.
Within the frame of the ZALF project ” A social-ecological systems approach to inform ecosystem restoration in rural Africa: Subproject Social Cohesion and Restoration -Rwanda” in the working group Sustainable Land Use in Developing Countries (SusLAND), we offer a part-time position (75% full-time equivalent) from 01.12.2023 until 30.11.2027 for a Doctoral Researcher (f/m/d) 78-2023
Your tasks:
- identify and map key stakeholders and their interrelations based on levels of cooperation, trust and socioeconomic inclusion for a selected set of restoration sites
- develop a set of social cohesion indicators to measure impacts of ecosystem restoration
- evaluate different restoration approaches and practices with respect to their impacts on social cohesion across the selected districts
- assess and visualize in-depth causal relations of different restoration approaches and social cohesion
- ensure high quality academic output in form of publications in the appropriate internationally scientific journals
- public results presentation, e.g. at international conferences
- successful submission of final PhD thesis to university commission
Your qualifications:
- excellent completion of an advanced University degree (Master or equivalent degree) in the field of (rural) sociology, human geography, (ecological/environmental) economics, natural resource management, political ecology, or related subjects
- good knowledge on the concepts of social cohesion, social-ecological transformation, and restoration
- good knowledge of designing and applying qualitative and/or quantitative research methods as well as their analysis: e.g. interviews, focus groups, household survey
- experience in participatory social research, e.g. stakeholder mapping, participatory workshops (World Café), causal-loop diagrams
- experience in socioeconomic analysis and statistics
- experience in empirical research and conducting fieldwork, preferably in Sub-Sahara Africa (Rwanda)
- excellent written and oral command of English
- fulfill the entry requirements for PhD students at a German university (HU Berlin or other)
- availability for periods of research in Rwanda
What we offer:
- an interdisciplinary and international working environment
- opportunity to work on social ecological systems and ecological restoration within an international, high profile team
- salary will follow the guidelines for public employees according to the German TV-L level up to E13, including special annual payment
- the working place is in Müncheberg near Berlin, Germany (with annual field work in Rwanda)
- mobile work of max. 40% of monthly working time is possible given reconciliation with project requirements
- company ticket
Women are particularly encouraged to apply. Applications from severely disabled persons with equal qualifications are favored. It is generally possible to work in the position on a part-time basis. Please send your application preferably online (see button online application below).
For e-mail applications, create a PDF document (one PDF file, max. 5 MB; packed PDF documents, archive files like zip, rar etc. Word documents cannot be processed and therefore cannot be considered!) with the usual documents, in particular CV, proof of qualification and certificates, stating the reference number 78-2023 until 14 August 2023 to (see button e-mail application below).
For further inquiries, please contact: Dr. Katharina Löhr, Tel. 033432/82-445, katharina.loehr@zalf.de
For cost reasons, application documents or extensive publications can only be returned if an adequately stamped envelope is attached.
If you apply, we collect and process your personal data in accordance with Articles 5 and 6 of the EU GDPR only for the processing of your application and for purposes that result from possible future employment with the ZALF. Your data will be deleted after six months.
2 – Post doctoral Researcher Position (f/m/d) 77-2023:
The mission of the Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) as a nationally and internationally active research institute is to deliver solutions for an ecologically, economically and socially sustainable agriculture – together with society. ZALF is a member of the Leibniz Association and is located in Müncheberg (approx. 35 minutes by regional train from Berlin-Lichtenberg). It also maintains a research station with further locations in Dedelow and Paulinenaue.
The DFG research unit “A social-ecological systems approach to inform ecosystem restoration in rural Africa” will approach ecosystem restoration from a social-ecological systems perspective to better understand the mechanisms involved in generating different restoration outcomes.
We will integrate diverse disciplines to provide a comprehensive understanding of the past, present and future of ecosystem restoration in our study area in western Rwanda while also generating valuable transferable knowledge for restoration of degraded ecosystems worldwide.
The position is based at ZALF, but will also ideally include some research stays at Leuphana University Lüneburg to collaborate with Prof. Vicky Temperton in the Institute of Ecology as well as with other partners in the consortium.
Within the frame of the ZALF project ” A social-ecological systems approach to inform ecosystem restoration in rural Africa: Subproject Living Lab -Rwanda” in the working group Sustainable Land Use in Developing Countries (SusLAND), we offer a full-time position (100% full-time equivalent) from 01.12.2023 until 30.11.2027 for a Post doctoral Researcher (f/m/d) 77-2023
Your tasks:
- establishing and managing in co-design a Living Lab (Real World Experiment) in two communities in Rwanda (co-creating round tables, participatory documentation and monitoring system, setting up of field trials)
- liaising with diverse stakeholder actors from policy, practices, society and science in Rwanda and abroad
- enabling the selection of a wide range of local native and non-native tree seedlings from local tree nurseries for incorporation within the living labs in the two selected communities
- establishing a documentation system to continuously monitor living lab process and social-ecological impacts of restoration (indictor development, monitoring formats, capacity building, and impact analysis assessment)
- assessing comparative impact assessments of Living Lab effects using qualitative and quantitative mix-methods approaches (This position will involve using both natural science and a social science methods, and as such we would expect candidates with more of a focus in one area to be open for learning the respective methods of the other area.)
- supervising PhD and Master Theses in collaboration with partner universities
- support of management and coordination tasks including the administration / reporting activities of the ZALF DFG research project
- ensuring high quality academic output in form of publications in the appropriate internationally scientific journals
Your qualifications:
- excellent completion of a PhD in the field of (ecological/environmental) economics, conservation policy, natural resource management, human geography, political ecology, (rural) sociology or related subjects
- strong track record of peer-reviewed publications
- ability to coordinate teamwork and interact with a broad range of scientific, policy and local stakeholders Experience in in co-design and transdisciplinary methodologies within the scope of sustainable land-use systems (esp. agroforestry) is an advantage
- good knowledge of applying qualitative and/or quantitative research methods as well as analyzing the results in integrated approaches would be an asset (Should the candidate have more experience in one area, we would expect the candidate to be open to learn new methods from the other area. The consortium covers a very wide range of expertise in different research methods, so there is ample opportunity for learning new methods.)
- experience in empirical research and managing and conducting fieldwork; local knowledge in the region Gishwati, Rwanda is a bonus
- excellent written and oral command of English; command of local languages for community work are a bonus
What we offer:
- an interdisciplinary and international working environment
- opportunity to work in a key position within the whole social ecological systems and ecological restoration within an international, high profile team
- salary will follow the guidelines for public employees according to the German TV-L level up to E13, including special annual payment
- the working place is in Müncheberg near Berlin, Germany as well as some research stays in Lüneburg, Lower Saxony at Leuphana University Lüneburg, and the projects requires extensive field work in Rwanda
- mobile work of max. 40% of monthly working time is possible given reconciliation with project requirements
- company ticket
Women are particularly encouraged to apply. Applications from severely disabled persons with equal qualifications are favored. It is generally possible to work in the position on a part-time basis. Please send your application preferably online (see button online application below). For e-mail applications, create a PDF document (one PDF file, max. 5 MB; packed PDF documents, archive files like zip, rar etc.
Word documents cannot be processed and therefore cannot be considered!) with the usual documents, in particular CV, proof of qualification and certificates, stating the reference number 77-2023 until 14 August 2023 to (see button e-mail application below). For further inquiries, please contact: Dr. Stefan Sieber, Tel. 033432/82- 125, stefan.sieber@zalf.de
For cost reasons, application documents or extensive publications can only be returned if an adequately stamped envelope is attached.
If you apply, we collect and process your personal data in accordance with Articles 5 and 6 of the EU GDPR only for the processing of your application and for purposes that result from possible future employment with the ZALF. Your data will be deleted after six months.