The Future Oceans Lab (FOL) offers a new position for a PhD student with a background in marine ecosystems and/or policy. This is a fellowship to start a PhD project in the FOL lab at the University of Vigo, collaborating with Hokkaido University (Japan).
Job description
The successful applicant will enroll in the doctorate program Do Mar from Campus do Mar and develop a PhD proposal in the first months with guidance from both co-supervisors, Elena Ojea and Jorge García Molinos. The subsequent research will be related to climate change adaptation in small-scale fisheries, being highly multidisciplinary, with ecological, social and economic components. Moreover, it will have a strong applied focus on coastal-dependent human communities affected by shifts in marine species composition. The student will have the chance to explore adaptation processes in different geographical settings and marine systems, such as areas under property rights, and the socioeconomic consequences of implementing adaptation options. During the PhD, the student will conduct field research abroad, including a research stay at Hokkaido University (Japan).
FOL is looking for a Master’s level individual with background in Marine ecosystems and/or policy, highly motivated for conducting a PhD in the topic, and with great technical, language, and team work skills. We expect candidates to be willing to work on a PhD proposal that will be submitted to competitive grants to assure continuous funding through the whole PhD project.
Salary and benefits
- 1-year fellowship (renewable to 2-years depending on performance) to start a PhD project. Thereafter, the student is expected to secure external funding with support of both supervisors to continue the project for years 3 and 4.
- Salary level and step commensurate with qualifications, in the range of 15.000 – 18.000 € gross per year.
- Start date is September, 2019.
- The project covers PhD enrolment and other fees related to the PhD program and research activities.
- The position is based in Vigo (Spain) and potentially covers a research stay of up to 6 months at Hokkaido University (Japan).
- The fellow will have access to a wide range of academic activities (research seminars and workshops), as well as ad hoc training in specific scientific skills and career development courses.
Minimum qualifications
- Degree formally entitling him/her to embark on a doctorate for the academic course 2019-2020 (Master Degree or minimum 300 ECTS), and be willing to be enrolled in the DoMar Ph.D. Program. Candidates are advised to check that they fulfill the requirements admission here: http://campusdomar.es/es/phd-in-marine-science-technology-and-management-domar
- Master’s in marine ecology, natural resource economics, environmental science and management, climate change adaptation, fishery science or related field.
- Competitive academic background to apply to consecutive PhD funding.
- Willingness and capacity to travel abroad and conduct research stays.
- Demonstrated English proficiency (written and spoken).
- Should not have already a PhD.
Preferred quealifications
- Experience with quantitative, statistical and modeling approaches to environmental management, including models related to fisheries management, climate vulnerability analyses and/or MPA design;
- Experience with qualitative approaches to environmental management, stakeholder analysis, focus groups, preference analysis, participative methods, etc.;
- Coding skills and experience with R or similar;
- Experience in GIS;
- Proven records of peer-reviewed scientific publications, presentations at international conferences, and capacity to present scientific concepts for diverse audiences;
- Strong interpersonal skills to build and maintain relationships with academic, NGO and government partners and to work effectively as part of a highly collaborative research team;
- Proficiency in Spanish or Portuguese is a plus but not a requirement.
To Apply:
Interested students are invited to send the application by email to futureoceanslab@uvigo.es with the following subject: “CLOCK project Predoc researcher application_family name of the applicant”.
The deadline for applications is June 30th 2019 at 8pm (CET).
The following documentation should be attached in a single PDF file:
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- A letter of interest up to 1000 words (2 pages) in English, explaining the motivation for conducting a PhD, and to dedicate her/his research to the topic for the next years and the applicant’s background and expertise, with a focus on the skills, knowledge and aptitudes they would bring to the position.
- A Curriculum Vitae of the applicant: indicating the grade point average of the applicant bachelor’s and master’s degree, courses taken as relevant for the position, specific technical skills, and previous work related to the topic (master’s thesis, reports and others).
- Up to three references with their contacts. Support letters will be required only in the second step of the evaluation.
Selection
All candidates will have feedback with a message as proof of delivery. All candidates complying with the Required Qualifications will be evaluated based on the Preferred Qualifications by the Evaluation Commission formed by research and administrative staff of the University of Vigo. Top candidates will be invited to an individual online interview. The final decision criteria will be based on merits (70%) and the interview (30%).
More information at EURAXESS