RWI – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research is an independent, non-profit research institution in Essen, Germany. The institute is a leading center for scientific research and evidence-based policy advice in Germany. RWI’s newly founded Policy Lab “Climate Change, Development and Migration” conducts research on environmental policies, labor markets, and migration in the Global South as well as economics of immigration in the Global North.
In a range of applied research projects, the policy lab cooperates closely with a wide network of academic partners, governments, and international organizations. The group is also engaged in the meta-science and research transparency debate. The unifying objective is to improve the effectiveness of pro-poor climate, development and migration policies. RWI is inviting applications for a Postdoctoral Position (m/f/d) in the new Policy Lab “Climate Change, Development and Migration”. The position will be part of the new research project “Rigorous Impact Evaluation of the Trigger-Based Agricultural Micro Insurance in Vietnam (InsureVietnam),” funded by the German Institute for Development Evaluation (DEval) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.
The InsureVietnam project will focus on a market-ready agricultural insurance product for smallholder farm households in Vietnam that may be scaled up to the national level in the coming years. The project aims at generating methodologically rigorous evidence in four areas: (1) whether insurance enhances the climate resilience of households in rural Vietnam, (2) whether premium discounts encourage insurance uptake, (3) whether training on product understanding encourages insurance uptake, and (4) whether providing households with access to climate projections encourages insurance uptake.
We will combine unique existing data – a household panel survey with eight waves serving as baseline – with a follow-up survey and several randomized controlled trials.
Your tasks:
• Carrying out all steps of a rigorous impact evaluation of agricultural insurance and writing scientific papers and reports for policymakers based on the results
• Assuming a leading role in the InsureVietnam project team consisting of researchers based at RWI, University of Göttingen, KfW, and the insurance industry
• Designing a household panel survey and randomized field experiments
• Carrying out several field visits to rural Vietnam to train survey enumerators, monitor the data collection, prepare field experiments, and conduct workshops with policy stakeholders
• Finish work in your pipeline: The position encourages and facilitates the production of high-quality papers in applied development economics and development studies
Your profile:
• You have a PhD or are close to completing a PhD in Economics (or related social sciences with a solid quantitative training) and excellent prospects for publications
• Your research agenda is in the field of applied development economics. A focus on climate change adaptation is an asset but not mandatory.
You have a strong interest in rigorous impact evaluations of policies and, ideally, have some prior experience in conducting impact evaluations
• You have excellent communication skills and intercultural sensibility and enjoy collaborating with partners from science and practice
• You have a strong background in applied econometrics; prior experience with analyzing household survey data with STATA is an asset
• You have an excellent command of English and strong writing skills. Knowledge of German is an advantage but not mandatory We offer:
• A cutting-edge research environment, encouraging innovative and ambitious research ideas, fruitful and methodologically ambitious exchange, and independent project leadership
• Presentation of research results at international conferences and publishing in leading academic journals are strongly promoted
• Internal and external research collaborations
• We encourage and facilitate teaching at Ruhr University Bochum, but this is not mandatory
• Fully funded position (see below) The position is based in Essen/Germany and starts in April 2023 or as soon as possible. Details can be arranged in consultation with the candidate.
Please send any inquiries regarding the position to Prof. Dr. Kati Krähnert and regarding the formal application to Tilo Schneider via humanresources@rwi-essen.de.
We offer a working contract limited to three years with an option to extend. Compensation and benefits are based on the German public service pay scale (100%, TV-L up to EG 14). The observance of the guidelines for the disabled and the provisions of the law on part-time work are guaranteed. We promote gender equality.
To apply, send your CV, a short cover letter, an academic writing sample, a reference letter, and certificates quoting the reference number 70900-09/23 before March 12, 2023 to RWI – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research, Tilo Schneider, humanresources@rwi-essen.de For further information on RWI and the research units constituting the policy lab https://www.rwi-essen.de/en/research-advice/departments/climate-change-… https://www.rwi-essen.de/en/research-advice/research-group/migration-an… https://www.rwi-essen.de/en/ Please note that if you choose to apply via email your message will not be encrypted and may be read by unauthorized persons and/or manipulated. You are welcome to send your application by surface mail.
Essen, February 21, 2023