Postdoctoral Research Associate

The Role

We are seeking an enthusiastic and ambitious Postdoctoral Research Associate to complement the skills of the research team for project Social Outcomes and Benefit-Sharing of Enhanced Soils. Project Leads are Dr Simona Capisani and Prof Karen Johnson and you will contribute to the analysis of collected qualitative data, data interpretation, and possible write-up using a range of analytic methodologies alongside the PI. The applicant should have (1) extensive experience with social science research and qualitative research methods and (2) should have experience coding and analysing qualitative data from sem i-structured and in-depth interviews, workshop participant observations, focus groups, qualitative surveys etc. Experience in using qualitative data analysis tools and software (such as NVivo) is important. A candidate who has had prior experience with document analysis, thematic analysis (an inductive qualitative data analysis method) and discourse analysis (focusing on the use of language in social contexts) is ideal. Researchers who have good knowledge of - or who have engaged in research with - farming and rural communities, issues of soil and environmental change, climate resilience, biodiversity policy, and/or environmental politics are desired. We particularly welcome applications from candidates from under-represented groups and we value and promote diversity and equality at all levels of the project.

Little research has been conducted on the socio-cultural dimensions of soil innovations and it thus remains unclear whether certain “soil enhancement practices” can be operationalized and if the benefits of such innovations can be implemented merely through top-down policy and governance. This interdisciplinary project engages directly with farmers about the way they conceptualize particular values and preferences as well as the relationship between soil, waste, and farmers’ societal roles in order to better understanding barriers and pathways to bottom-up participation in practices for soil enhancemen t in the context of climate change and biodiversity loss.

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