Postdoctoral opportunity in climate, infrastructure & poverty

The Extreme Poverty, Infrastructure and Climate (EPIC) Initiative at Stanford University seeks a motivated post-doctoral associate to conduct innovative research on the interactions between poverty, water and road infrastructure, and environmental change in sub-Saharan Africa. The research project aims to elucidate the causal pathways that link access to economic infrastructure and poverty reduction at the household level. The ultimate goal is to amplify the poverty-alleviating impacts of infrastructure investments, accounting for anticipated climate changes.

This position requires very strong skills in system thinking, analysis of socio-economic data, and field data collection. It will also require extensive fieldwork in Uganda. Applicants must have a Ph.D. from an accredited university and a publishing record in peer-reviewed journals. The researcher should have qualitative and/or quantitative data analysis and modeling skills, along with research experience on relevant topics. Strong written and oral communication skills are essential.

The interdisciplinary nature of this research will provide opportunities for the post-doc to interact with team members who have a range of expertise, from infrastructure planning and public health in Professor Jenna Davis’s lab to land system science in Professor Eric Lambin’s team. Our research team combines strengths in primary data collection and observation at the household and community scale with GIS and remote sensing data analysis.

The successful candidate will be based at the Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University, in Palo Alto, California, and will be jointly supervised by Professors Jenna Davis and Eric Lambin. The initial 12-month appointment can be renewed for an additional year or longer by mutual agreement. The position includes a competitive salary and benefit package.

Applicants should e-mail a PDF file that contains a letter summarizing relevant research experience and interest in the position, curriculum vitae (maximum 5 pages), list of three references with contact information (email and phone), and a sample of published work to Heather Bolei at hbolei@stanford.edu. Please include “EPIC Postdoc” in the e-mail subject line. Applications received by March 1, 2022 will receive priority consideration. The start date will be decided jointly, with preference for a date in Q2 of 2022.

The Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment is a research unit that encourages interdisciplinary and solutions-oriented approaches to important environmental problems. More than 150 Stanford faculty members, representing all seven of Stanford’s schools, are affiliates. The institute pursues its objectives through seed funding, hosting interdisciplinary centers, organizing convenings, and leadership training.