Postdoctoral researcher position at Stellenbosch University (South Africa) Economics of land use change for climate change

The position in a nutshell

This position is a unique opportunity to contribute to the development of a research program for the highly strategic and newly established School for Climate Studies at Stellenbosch University, located in the vicinity of Cape Town, South Africa. The postdoc will be able to have an impact on the framing of the research program for the years to come and will be part of a vibrant on-going effort to tackle climate change issues in southern Africa in close interaction with experienced scientists in the field.

Institutional background for the postdoc position and the supervising team

This postdoc position will take place in the context of financial support provided by the French government to the School for Climate Studies (hereafter “the School”) at Stellenbosch University (SU):

• SU is one of South Africa’s leading tertiary institutions, with a vibrant cohort of students and highly rated scientists. The University currently has the highest weighted research output per full-time academic staff member of all South African universities.
• Leading the field in the move toward a carbon-neutral university, SU launched the School in 2021. This is the first school of its kind in South Africa and aims to create transdisciplinary capacity to combine the climate-related knowledge systems of our faculties, the public sector's climate policies and initiatives, the private sector's climate redress and innovation capacities, and the social impact mission of SU in both academic and applied ways – all in support of the transition to a climate-resilient society and a sustainable, low-carbon economy.

• In support to the launch of the School, the French Government has appointed a scientist hosted by Stellenbosch University (Dr Romain Pirard) and in charge of contributing to the development of its research program. A grant was also provided for the recruitment of human resources to assist the appointee in his duties, of which the present postdoc description is one crucial element.
• The postdoc will be recruited and hosted by the School; they will report to the scientific appointee and to the director of the School (Prof. Guy Midgley) to ensure that the ultimate objectives of this scientific cooperation are met. They will also benefit from a stimulating environment of dynamic and experienced scientists that support the development of the School in connection with the Global Change Biology Group and the Centre for Invasion Biology.

Description of the postdoc and expectations

While some directions and themes have been explored and discussed for the development of the research program as described in the next section, at this stage many options remain and the postdoc will help gather additional strategic information, contribute to group thinking, suggest research questions and partners, and identify promising avenues for fundraising.

This will lead to the development of project proposals in response to identified calls for proposals and tenders. On the side, the postdoc will also be expected to co-write at least one article for publication in a peer-reviewed journal either based on their previous line of research or in response to the indications provided by the supervisors.

To summarise, the postdoc will conduct the following activities:

• Assist the School in a pro-active manner in the design of project proposals that involve the participation in/leading of group thinking on the most relevant topics, the identification of promising partners, the gathering of necessary inputs such as references and background information, and the identification of fundraising opportunities;
• Contribute to the writing of at least one peer-reviewed article on a topic related to the research questions explored by the School on climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Research directions

At this stage, the favoured research leads revolve around the concepts of climate change mitigation and adaptation based on sustainable land uses and Nature-based Solutions (NbS) in South Africa but possibly including the broader Southern Africa region. This broad domain translates in a number of entry point of particular relevance for the School such as:

• the design of monitoring tools (biophysical and socio-economic) that enable policymakers and practitioners to take stock of progress of restoration activities and engage in an adaptive management approach that has largely been missing so far;
• the prospects of wildlife management and economies to provide solutions to climate change adaptation and mitigation considering the impacts of restoring savannahs and grasslands on carbon, especially with the combination of several income-generating activities such as ecotourism, game meat production, trophy hunting and livestock grazing;
• the design of incentive systems and fiscal measures that support sustainable land uses on private and/or community lands;