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Opportunities
Opportunities at, or through, the ACDI will be listed here as and when they are available.
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Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Closes 1 June 2020)
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Closing Date: 01 June 2020
The African Climate and Development Initiative (ACDI) wishes to appoint a Postdoctoral Research Fellow (PDRF) on a new multi-institutional project.
The PDRF will work with an international team of scientists on two ACDI-led work packages that are part of a large multi-institutional project that explores the nexus between climate change, sustainable livelihoods and multidimensional poverty and inequality (MDPI) in Africa. The PDRF will work with a team led by Mark New at ACDI to develop a catalogue of examples of local climate change mitigation and adaptation actions and that assesses these in relation to their livelihood and inequality outcomes, as well as other metrics related to their implementability in terms of financial, political and cultural factors. This desk-based work will draw on grey literature and expert elicitation processes. The resulting catalogue will be used to inform the selection of some on-the-ground case studies that will be evaluated in terms of their MDPI. The second component of the PDRF’s work, will involve support on another work package that aims to evaluate a selection of local cases of adaptation and mitigation across partner African countries. The PDRF will work together with this work package lead (Prof Sheona Shackleton) to help develop a framework to assess the selected cases in relation to 1) their livelihood benefits; 2) the extent to which they have promoted MDPI reduction; 3); what has resulted in positive and negative outcomes for different social groups; and 4) whether they can be considered transformative, and then assist with the fieldwork and write-up for cases across South Africa, Kenya and Ghana.
Qualifications, experience and skill criteria:
Required
- A PhD, awarded within the previous four years, in a field relevant to developing country adaptation and mitigation: climate vulnerability, risk and adaptation; rural energy; rural livelihoods, poverty and inequality; and/or climate and development.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
- Experience in literature searches and use of reference management software.
- Experience in field data collection – using quantitative and/or qualitative methodologies.
- Excellent organisational capability, interpersonal abilities, and ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.
Desirable
- A growing scientific publication record, commensurate with experience.
- Experience in synthesising insights from multiple sources, including peer-reviewed and grey literature.
- Statistical analysis skills.
- Experience working in Africa.
Value and tenure:
- A tax-free post-doctoral stipend of ZAR 250,000-300,000 depending on experience.
- The position is for 36 months, subject to meeting agreed annual targets.
Application requirements:
Applicants should submit, combined into a single PDF (i) an application letter that includes a short description of their expertise and research interests, and how these relate to the position, (ii) a CV including a publication list, (iii) copies of academic transcripts and/or certificates, and (iv) email addresses of at least two references who been directly involved in their PhD and/or previous postdoctoral research.
Applications should be emailed to: adiela.floris@uct.ac.za by 23:59 on 01 June 2020, to guarantee consideration.
Selection process:
- Only eligible and complete applications will be considered by the selection committee.
- Interviews will likely take place in the week of the 15 June 2020 and the successful candidate is expected to start as soon as possible thereafter.
Further Information:
Contact details for submission of applications: Rabia Karriem: rabia.karriem@uct.ac.za
Contact details for academic enquiries: sheona.shackleton@uct.ac.za
Additional information on ACDI and UCT can be found at: www.acdi.uct.ac.za / www.uct.ac.za
The University of Cape Town reserves the right to disqualify ineligible, incomplete and/or inappropriate applications. The University of Cape Town also reserves the right to change the conditions of the award or to make no awards at all
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ACDI Senior Research Assistant (Closes 8 June 2020)
ACDI Senior Research Assistant - T1 fixed term 6-month post
Application Deadline: 8 June 2020 or until position is filled
Call for Applications
ACDI is seeking a Senior Research Assistant to work on synthesizing evidence of climate change impacts, projected risks, and adaptation responses for human health in Africa. The Senior Research Assistant will be part of the Climate Risk Lab (climaterisklab.com) and will work closely with the research team developing the Africa chapter on climate change impacts, adaptation and vulnerability for the 6th Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The Senior Research Assistant will be motivated to help coordinate and work as part of a highly interdisciplinary research team in health, climate change, biodiversity, food security, and water security. The Senior Research Assistant will engage with a diversity of climate change researchers and decision-makers, and generate research findings and a peer-reviewed publication relevant for the work of the IPCC. This Senior Research Assistant position is an excellent opportunity for those who want to push forward the frontiers in policy-relevant health and climate change research.Project research will address the following key objectives:
(1) Synthesize qualitative and quantitative evidence on observed impacts and projected risks of climate change for health in Africa and/or Synthesize evidence of effective adaptation options for reducing climate change risks to health in Africa.
(2) Develop text and infographics for the Africa chapter on the IPCC report.
(3) Help coordinate chapter authors from multiple disciplines (working remotely).
(4) Develop publication from synthesis research work.The Senior Research Assistant will report to Dr Christopher Trisos and Dr Nick Simpson at ACDI.
The monthly salary range (depending on qualifications) is R15 000 – R20 000.
Academic / experience criteria:
Required
• Completed Masters or PhD degree (or currently enrolled in PhD) with a specialisation relevant to climate change and/or health.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Experience helping coordinate and project manage an interdisciplinary research team.
• Excellent literature search and literature review skills using search engines such as Scopus, Web of Science and Google.
• Experience of synthesizing large quantitative and/or qualitative datasets.
• Excellent computer literacy – advanced use of MS Word and Excel, Google Drive Apps.
• Experience in Endnote or similar reference manager.Desired
• Interest or experience in engagement with policy and decision-makers.
• Experience creating complex figures or infographics
• Experience working with GIS or statistical coding software, such as QGIS or R.
• Interest or experience in public communication of science.
Conditions:
• Applicants may not previously have held a full-time permanent academic post.
• Working remotely is an option, including from outside South Africa.
Application requirements:
Applicants should submit: (i) an application letter no longer than 1 page that includes a description of
research interests, research expertise, and suggestion for how they can work towards the project
objectives; (ii) a CV including a publication list; (iii) copies of academic transcripts and/or certificates;
(iv) an example of written work; (v) email addresses for two references who have been directly involved
in their research work.
Selection process:
• Only eligible and complete applications will be considered for selection.
• Interviews will take place during mid-June 2020 and the successful candidate is expected to start as soon as possible thereafter and ideally no later than mid-July 2020.Closing date: Applications received before 8 June 2020 are guaranteed to be considered.
Applications received thereafter may be considered if the position has not been filled.
Contact details for submission of applications: rabia.karriem@uct.ac.za
Contact details for enquiries about the fellowship topic and ACDI: christopher.trisos@uct.ac.za
Additional information on ACDI, the Climate Risk Lab and IPCC can be found at: www.acdi.uct.ac.za / www.climaterisklab.com / www.ipcc.ch/assessment-report/ar6/
Selection process:Eligible and complete applications will be considered by the ACDI and we will communicate with short-listed applicants. If you have not heard within one month of the deadline, please assume your application has been unsuccessful.
The University of Cape Town reserves the right to:
• Disqualify ineligible, incomplete and/or inappropriate applications;
• Change the conditions of the award or to make no awards at all
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Urban Ecolution: Four Master's Project Bursaries (Closes 12 June 2020)
Call for MSc thesis bursary
Fifty-nine percent of Sub-Saharan African urban populations live in informal settlements (UN-HABITAT 2019), expected to triple by 2050. Despite an increase in improved housing from 11% to 23% between 2000-2015, 53 million urban Africans were still living in unimproved housing in 2015, often in hazardous sites such as riparian corridors and on steep slopes (Shatterthwaite et al. 2018, Tusting et al. 2019). Complex natural and socio-cultural dynamics, combined with climate variability, severe and persistent drought, extreme rainfall and heatwaves, expose much of the population to high levels of risk, and threaten ecosystem functioning (Thorn et al. 2015, Dodman et al. 2017, Shatterthwaite 2017). Ecosystem-based solutions in the form of ecological (or green) infrastructure (EI or GI) have emerged as spatial planning tools for ensuring functional networks of natural and semi-natural areas. They demonstrate the importance of ecological systems as part of the infrastructural fabric that supports and sustains society and builds resilience (Harrison et al. 2014, Lindley et al. 2018, Cilliers 2019). Yet, informal urbanisation continues to intrude upon and undermine ecological space (e.g., illegal dumping, open defecation, criminality), while encroachment on formal green spaces that can be of ecological importance (Adegun 2019), especially urban parks, is common (Bhattacharya 2014, Israt and Adam 2017). Most research on UGI outcomes to enhance climate resilience has been conducted in formal settlements in the Global North, while the unique sociocultural context, and spatial challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa means that Africa must not necessarily emulate Western models of green infrastructure planning.
The Urban Ecolution research programme is ongoing in Namibia, and Tanzania, supported by Climate Research 4 Development implemented by the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) in partnership with the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DfID) Weather and Climate Information Services for Africa (WISER) programme and the African Climate Policy Center (ACPC) of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).
We seek to support four MSc projects with a bursary of R40,000 each. The call is open to both full time dissertation and course work students registered for the 2020 and/or 2021 academic years, including late registering students.
Awarded proposals would be expected to be translated into peer-reviewed publications and students would be exposed to the wider network and programme of work in Urban Ecolution. We invite master’s students to submit MSc proposals related to, but not limited to, the following topics:
- The effectiveness of incorporating ecological infrastructure in informal settlement upgrading;
- Linking ecological infrastructure and health for climate resilience in informal settlements, with a focus on sanitation and water;
- Environmental migration, rural-urban linkages and resource flows across the rural-peri-urban gradient using the approach of securities in the water energy food nexus;
- The role of biodiversity in supporting resilience to climate change in peri-urban settlements;
- A geographic analysis of the distribution of informal settlements in flood prone regions in the face of climate change;
- Economic valuation of ecological infrastructure in informal settlements; and
- Urban public policy and how it incorporates ecosystem-based adaptation in informal settlements.
In light of the current COVID-19 global situation, we suggest proposals are geared towards novel desk-based. online, or communication device-based research, with a plan on how to expand into fieldwork should it become possible within the timeframe.
Please send a proposal by the 12th of June 2020, including a title, problem statement, objectives, research methodology, research activities, time schedule, a risk assessment and references in 3-5 pages, and any questions to Dr Jessica Thorn: jessica.thorn@york.ac.uk.
African candidates must be enrolled in a master’s course in the natural, social, physical, engineering, life, mathematical, of architectural and planning sciences.
More information can be found here: http://www.acdi.uct.ac.za/green-urban-infrastructure-peri-urban-areas-sub-saharan-africa and http://www.acdi.uct.ac.za/peri-urban-resilient-ecosystems-pure.
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