Postdoc in social and policy dimensions of forest restoration
This two year Postdoc position is announced by the Department of Forest Ecology and Management at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences SLU, the Postdoc will be based at SLU in Umeå Sweden. The Postdoc will be part of an interdisciplinary team with social and natural scientists involved in related research projects at SLU. Focali member Harry Fischer is the contact person for the position and the project leader of the project “Restoration futures: Pathways forward with the European Union Nature Restoration Law. “ The project is a research to policy impact project funded under the FORMAS call “Action! From research to impact”.
Read more at the SLU website about the position and how to apply.
Deadline January 29, 2025
About the position - from the SLU announcement:
This position will work on the project “Restoration futures: Pathways forward with the European Union Nature Restoration Law”. The European Union’s Nature Restoration Law (NRL) of 2024 has set ambitious targets for nature restoration across the continent. The NRL holds great potential to improve and conserve biodiversity, promote climate action, safeguard critical ecosystem services, and enhance human well-being. However, realizing these objectives requires policy frameworks that are able to connect goals under the law with diverse needs and values of rural landowners and users.
This project builds a science-to-practice collaboration between researchers at SLU, Umeå University, and staff at the Swedish Forest Agency to examine how the NRL can support more sustainable and thriving forested landscapes in Sweden. Focusing on private forest owners that comprise nearly 50% of Sweden’s total forest area, this project examines how the environmental goals from restoration can be aligned with diverse societal objectives and human needs and values, and we work with policymakers, civil society actors, and forest owners to co-produce visions and pathways to scale up restoration over time.
The position will be based at SLU in Umeå. You will become part of an interdisciplinary team with social and natural scientists. We are interested in candidates trained in the social sciences, with good knowledge of Swedish forestry and policy. The candidate should have previous experience of using qualitative research methods, with knowledge of approaches for analyzing people’s needs and values for nature. Previous experience interacting with private forest owners and engagement with strategies of knowledge co-production are a merit.
The position requires good communications skills in English and Swedish. The ability to interact with forest owners and other stakeholders in Swedish is a requirement.
As postdoctoral appointments are career-developing positions for junior researchers, we are primarily looking for candidates with a doctoral degree that is three years old at most. Our team is also committed to providing support for growth and mentorship to help the postdoc build their research profile and move to the next state of their career.
Read more at the SLU website about the position and how to apply.