Postdoc: Environmental Justice in scaling Nature Based Solutions

Are you interested in integrating environmental justice into social science research on Nature-Based Solutions? Are you a mixed-methods researcher who enjoys working with stakeholders and collaborating in an EU-wide consortium?

In this postdoc position, you will conduct applied research to address a major knowledge gap on how to scale Nature Based Solutions in an equitable and just way. You will develop research activities in the FairNature project, funded by Biodiversa+. You will work across two sections at IVM: Environmental Policy Analysis and Environmental Economics. You will co-lead the action case on farmyard transitions in the Netherlands.

Your function

Your duties

• You will conduct an online survey with a choice experiment to assess values for nature based solutions.
• You will conduct interviews with key stakeholders and experts to assess the justice trade-offs and identify governance structures.
• You will contribute to project management and stakeholder engagement.
• You will contribute 10% of your time to teaching activities.

Your profile

• You have a PhD degree in environmental social science, environmental economics, or a closely related field, or you are very near to completing your PhD.
• You have experience with qualitative approaches for interviews and stakeholder meetings.
• You have advanced quantitative skills for survey research.
• You have a strong interest in environmental justice theories and practices, or related normative theories and approaches, including participation.
• It is a strong advantage if you speak Dutch.
• It is an advantage if you have experience working on stakeholder engagement.

We realise that each individual brings a unique set of skills, expertise and mindset. Therefore, we are happy to invite anyone who recognises themselves in the profile to apply, even if you do not fully meet all the requirements.

What do we offer?

An exciting postdoc position in a socially-engaged organisation with a supportive project team and an active early-career scientist community.

• A position for at least 0.8 FTE.
• Your employment contract will initially start with a 1-year contract with the possibility to extend with another year.
• Solid pension scheme (ABP).
• Contribution to commuting expenses.
• Optional model for designing a personalized benefits package.

About us

Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM)

IVM is a leading environmental research institute internationally recognised for high-quality research across environmental disciplines and for its interdisciplinary work. Its research focuses on understanding sustainability problems in their social and economic context. IVM’s research community works within four departments: Environmental Economics, Environmental Geography, Environmental Policy Analysis, and Water and Climate Risk.

The department of Environmental Policy Analysis (EPA) at IVM is a team of more than 25 researchers. It addresses questions related to institutional effectiveness and change, governance innovation and complexity, as well as learning and adaptation, with a strong empirical focus on water, climate change and biodiversity.

The department of Environmental Economics (EE) leads the institute’s efforts to improve insights into the interaction between the environment and the economy. It is one of the main groups of environmental economists in Europe, consisting of around 35 scientific staff and PhD researchers. Important fields of application include climate change, energy, circular economy, water, ecosystem services, and environmental and natural resource management. The department closely integrates research projects with its teaching programme and conducts research jointly with stakeholders and collaborating institutes.

Faculty of Science

Working at the Faculty of Science means collaborating with students, lecturers and researchers who are focused on their field and take a broad view of the world. The faculty offers a positive workplace culture where people work together with energy and a pragmatic attitude to tackle social challenges.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is a values-driven university focused on education and research with social impact. Across disciplines, it works on sustainable solutions for people and planet and offers an inspiring environment for education and research.