Governance challenges with automated trading

Vacancy: Post-Doctoral Fellowship to link financial investments to sources of aerosols in South Asia

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Vacancy: Post-Doctoral Fellowship to link financial investments to sources of aerosols in South Asia

NOTICE: deadline extended until Aug 30, 2019

The postdoc would form part of a transdisciplinary team of researchers aiming to link state-of-the-art models of aerosol emission sources with a novel methodology to identify key financial mechanisms and actors underpinning activities driving the ‘Atmospheric Brown Cloud’ (ABC). The position starts Dec 2019-Jan 2020.

Even with global efforts to reduce emissions drastically there are several major scientific uncertainties in the climate system. These ‘Wild Cards’ are Earth system phenomena that climate sciences show can trigger abrupt changes in the climate. This research build on decade-long investigations of the air pollution-climate change nexus across South Asia, and link it to the most recent models of emission sources using a novel methodology to identify key financial mechanisms and actors underpinning activities driving the ABC. The novelty of the research is the combination of detailed information on emission sources, with value chain analysis and analysis of corporate ownership and debt to understand the financial actors and financial flows underpinning key emitting sectors in the region. This will form the basis for our second deliverable – a dialogue with key stakeholders in the financial sector and policy on how financial flows can be redirected to shift away from contributing to climate risks, to enhancing climate stability.

The research is funded by Formas (the Swedish Research Council for Sustainable Development), under the project: Financial Dimensions of a key climate system “Wild Card”:  The Atmospheric Brown Cloud over South Asia, and is a collaboration between Stockholm Resilience Centre and the Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry (ACES), both at Stockholm University, as well as The Global Economic Dynamics and the Biosphere Program (GEDB), and University of Groningen (Netherlands).

The postdoc would be employed at Global Economic Dynamics and the Biosphere Program (GEDB), which is a research programme at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. The Programme addresses the economic dynamics of global change and its implications for a sustainable future, and is funded by the Erling-Persson Family Foundation. For more information about the programme see: www.kva.se/GEDB

The postdoc would work closely with all members of the team, to assess the value chains associated with key economic activities driving aerosol emissions, and to map the financial actors (financial institutions) implicated in the ABC dynamics via these value chains. Depending on the development of the project we also foresee the assessment of alternative financing mechanisms for mitigating ABC phenomena, as a key deliverable of the project which we would expect the postdoc to contribute to. The postdoc would also be invited to take part in the impact-related work of the project, directed at key stakeholders in the financial sector.

Supervision of the PostDoc will be undertaken by the Executive Director of GEDB, Beatrice Crona, as well as senior researchers affiliated with project (including Örjan Gustafsson (ACES/SU), Victor Galaz (SRC/SU), and Bert Scholtens (U of Groningen).

Qualification requirements and selection
Applicants should be able to demonstrate a track record in research, including publications, related to sustainability and/or economics. Applicants who can demonstrate an engagement in both fields or other interdisciplinary experience, will be prioritized. Demonstrated experience in working with international trade data, value chains, and climatic (or other) models will also be favorably looked at.

The selection among the eligible candidates will be based on:

  • experience working with sustainability issues. We are particularly interested in candidates with documented experience working with the interplay between finance and various sustainability issues (including those related to extractive industries, energy, air pollution etc)
  • experience/knowledge of working with/studying global value/supply chains
  • experience conducting interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary research;
  • demonstrated academic outputs in the form of scientific publications;
  • the applicants personal references;
  • willingness and ability to work as part of a transdisciplinary team;
  • communication and presentation skills.

Terms of employment/Duration
The term of the contract is two years (100%). Please note that selection decisions cannot be appealed, starting Dec 2019-Jan 2020.

Salary

According to agreement.

Contact
For more information about the Global Economic Dynamics and the Biosphere Program, see: http://kva.se/GEDB

For specific questions about the fellowship, contact Beatrice Crona, beatrice.crona@kva.se

Union representatives
At the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences – Sila Özgüven (SACO), phone: 08-6739508.

Application
Send your application to: sofia.kokinelis@beijer.kva.se

It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the application is complete and in accordance with the instructions in the job advertisement, and that it is submitted before the deadline. Please include the following information with your application. NOTE: consolidate your documents into ONE SINGLE pdf – multiple documents will not be accepted

  • Your contact details and personal data
  • Your highest degree
  • Your language skills
  • Contact details for 2–3 references (NOTE: do not include reference letters. You will be asked to provide these if you are selected for interview)

and, in addition, please include the following documents

  • Cover letter
  • CV – degrees and other completed courses, work experience and a list of degree projects/theses/publications
  • Research proposal (no more than 1 page) describing:
    – why you are interested in the field/project described in the advertisement
    – why and how you would wish to complete the project
    – what makes you suitable for the project in question
  • Degree certificates and grades confirming that you meet the general and specific entry requirements (no more than 6 files)

NOTE: Do not include any papers/publications in the initial application. If you are selected for interview you will be asked to provide electronic copies of three of your most relevant works and letters of reference.

You are welcome to apply!

Closing date: 30/08/2019