Deadline for applications: 31 December 2015!
A 1-year postdoctoral fellowship is available for research on two inter-related topics: (1) options for community-based responses to the impacts of marine hazards on Canada’s coastal communities, and (2) examination of these response options in relation to potential social and economic impacts of ocean acidification.
The postdoctoral fellowship will be engaging with two major projects of MEOPAR.The Community Response to Hazards project has carried out a global review of community responses to a wide range of hazards, from oil spills to hurricanes to earthquakes to flooding. The postdoctoral fellow will be working on this project under the supervision of Dr. Anthony Charles and Dr. Barbara Paterson at Saint Mary’s University. The Integrated Coastal Acidification Program (I-CAP) is developing an interdisciplinary framework to address actual and potential ocean acidification impacts on Canada’s coastal communities. The postdoctoral fellow will work on this community-focused initiative, supervised by Drs. Charles and Paterson, and Dr. Jennifer Silver (University of Guelph).
The above two projects will be coordinated, and will involve work on Canada’s Atlantic and Pacific coasts, with aboriginal and coastal community partners. The focus will be on examining socioeconomic impacts and risks of marine hazards generally, and ocean acidification in particular, on coastal communities and regional groupings of First Nations. The research team will assemble data on key social and economic variables at multiple scales, and local experience with responses to marine hazards, to develop an integrative, interdisciplinary model for socio-economic risk assessment. This will provide a launching point to support long-term policy planning for communities that will need to respond to hazards, and to adapt to the impacts of ocean acidification. This model will be expanded eventually to other coastal regions.
The individual selected for the postdoctoral appointment will have demonstrable interest and experience in working with coastal communities and/or on human dimensions of coastal resources and systems. The individual will be capable of, and have experience in, working (i) within interdisciplinary social/economic research environments, and (ii) across multiple spatial and jurisdictional scales, i.e. from local communities and First Nations, to regions and/or provinces, to entire coasts. The individual will be familiar with methodologies ranging from participatory approaches of local-level knowledge compilation, to collection and analysis of secondary data (locally, regionally and coast-wide), to policy analysis. There is no specific disciplinary background required.
The postdoctoral fellow will be based at Saint Mary’s University, in Halifax. It is expected that at least one visit will be made to the University of Guelph. The salary is $44,000 annually. The position is expected to commence February 1, 2016, for a one-year period. There is a possibility of an extension of the fellowship depending on the availability of funds.
Applicants should provide a cover letter describing their suitability for this initiative, a full curriculum vitae, and the names and contact information for three references. Submissions should be by e-mail to Barbara Paterson (Barbara.Paterson(at)smu.ca) with the subject heading “MEOPAR PDF”. The deadline for applications is December 31, 2015.
