Doctoral Appointment in Risk and Environmental Studies - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

Description

The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences is accepting applications for a doctoral studentship leading to a PhD in Risk and Environmental Studies at the Department of Political, Historical, Religious and Cultural Studies.

The doctoral studentship is offered within the interdisciplinary subject Risk and Environmental Studies at Karlstad University, as well as being tied to the university’s Centre for Societal Risk Research, (CSR) and the graduate school at the Centre of Natural Hazards and Disaster Science (CNDS). CSR is a research centre at Karlstad University that creates and disseminates knowledge about societal risks and the role of society in relations to these risks (https://www.kau.se/en/csr). CNDS is an interdisciplinary research centre in Sweden that brings together early career scientists and leading researchers from engineering, social and earth sciences to work together on collaborative projects on natural hazards, socio-technological vulnerabilities, and societal security. CNDS was formed in 2010 when the Swedish Government marked natural hazards and disaster science as a strategic research area and is today a virtual centre comprising of ten departments from three universities (Uppsala University, Swedish Defence University, and Karlstad (www.cnds.se).

Risk and Environmental Studies is an interdisciplinary subject that developed from primarily environmental sciences, public health science and risk management. The doctoral programme in Risk and Environmental Studies at Karlstad University specialises in social strategies for the prevention of personal injuries, in climate adaptation, and risk reduction in relation to disasters, as well as society’s transition to sustainable development.

Education in Risk and Environmental Studies is primarily offered within the Bachelor’s programme in Environment and Safety, and the Master’s programme in Risk Management in Society (120 credits). The subject currently has eleven active doctoral students and a total of 30 staff members. For more information on research and the doctoral programme in Risk and Environmental Studies at Karlstad University, go to https://www.kau.se/en/risk-and-environmental-studies.

Duties

Different types of data concerning the consequences of disasters and society’s management thereof are needed to test theories, develop empirical studies, modelling, and ultimately develop measures. The doctoral student will focus their thesis towards increased knowledge development regarding the identification and application of data, which can be used in the evaluation of measures aimed at reducing society’s vulnerability in relation to natural hazards. Research is focused on the development of a high-resolution storm model for Sweden, based on open data and distributed as open source code. The thesis work includes, but is not limited to:

• Data collection
• Storm hazard modelling using meteorological data
• Analysis of risk exposure and investigation of data-related issues
• Development of vulnerability functions with a focus on various risk factors

A doctoral student is primarily expected to engage in their doctoral studies. The doctoral programme comprises 240 credits for a Degree of Doctor, including the doctoral thesis, and 120 credits for a Degree of Licentiate. The doctoral student is expected to work independently and be prepared to contribute to the activities and development of the subject and the department. Teaching and administration may also be included in the duties, but will not constitute more than 20% of full-time.

To contribute to a positive work environment and further the department’s activities, we expect you to be a present and active part of the day-to-day operations and workplace community.

Entry requirements

To be eligible for doctoral studies, the applicant must meet the general and specific entry requirements (Higher Education Ordinance, Chap. 7, Sect. 35)

To meet the general entry requirements, the applicant must have been awarded a second-cycle qualification, satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits were awarded in the second-cycle, or acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad (Higher Education Ordinance Chap. 7, Sect. 39).

To meet the specific entry requirements for doctoral studies in Risk and Environmental Studies, the applicant must hold a Degree of Master (60 credits), or equivalent qualifications, in a subject of relevance to Risk and Environmental Studies.

Admission and assessment criteria

To be eligible for doctoral studies, the applicant must be considered to have the ability required to benefit from the programme (Higher Education Ordinance, Chap. 7, Sect. 35). Admission is based on individual assessment.

The assessment will focus on the applicant’s performance in previous studies, the quality of any independent projects completed during these studies, language skills, and whether the applicant intends to be a present and active part of the research environment.

Experience and knowledge of data analysis (e.g., Python, R or equivalent) will be given special weight. Experience in using applications for geographic information systems (GIS) is a valuable qualification.

We are looking for a person who is well-organised and flexible, with good communication skills in both speech and writing. As a doctoral student, you are expected to take initiative and be able to work independently.

Terms

Upon admission to doctoral studies, the person will be offered the appointment of doctoral student (Higher Education Ordinance, Chap. 5, Sect. 3). The position comprises four years of full-time studies, or five years at a study rate of 80% with 20% teaching or other departmental duties. The position is fixed-term — one year initially, followed by possible extensions by a maximum of two years at a time. Start date September 1 or by agreement.

The salary for the doctoral studentship corresponds to the standard level of salary for doctoral students at Karlstad University.

Application

Submit the application via the university’s web-based recruitment tool, Varbi.

Applicants are responsible for submitting a complete application in accordance with the advertisement, for providing translations of any documents written in a language other than Swedish or English, and for ensuring that the documentation allows for objective and qualitative assessments. A complete application should be submitted by the application deadline. An incomplete application may jeopardise a fair assessment of qualifications.

The application should include:

• a cover letter where the applicant details the reasons behind their interest in the position a list of qualifications
• (CV) degree
• certificate with a complete transcript of the courses included, or a certified list of completed courses with grades and dates copy of the master’s thesis or equivalent where applicable,
• copies of publications or certificates for other qualifications any letters of recommendation
• two references, such as a teacher, supervisor, or previous or current superior
• a brief research plan (1,000-1,500 words) - this should show how the applicant plans to approach the above-described project based on theoretical and methodological orientations, if any. The research plan is not binding. The applicant who is admitted will complete his or her research plan in consultation with his or her supervisors.

Applicants with qualifications from abroad

If you have qualifications from a university outside Sweden or if they have not been recognised by a Swedish authority before, it is important that you attach degree certificates and official transcripts to facilitate the recognition of foreign qualifications.

Provide a contact for the degree-awarding institution (phone number or email) who can verify your qualifications.

Attach all the documents and publications you wish to be considered to the electronic application (do not just provide links). Name each uploaded document to clearly indicate its content.

Documents that cannot be submitted electronically should be sent to the following address:

Karlstads universitet
Erika Bergare
651 88 KARLSTAD

Application deadline: May 1, 2023

State the ref.no: REK2023/6

We look forward to your application!

Karlstad University has chosen advertising channels for this recruitment and firmly declines any contact with advertising or recruitment agencies.

Doctoral Appointment in Risk and Environmental Studies