Postdoctoral Researcher – The City Theme (Project TRANS-OBS)

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?: No

Offer Description

Research project or operation

Title: Supporting the creation of "Terrestrial Laboratories" for habitability at the territorial level, drawing on the wealth of long-term academic observatories.

Context:

This postdoctoral position is part of Project TRANS-OBS within the PEPR TRANSFORM program. The ambition of PEPR TRANSFORM is to help reverse current trends that are degrading human well-being and the living conditions of all living beings on Earth. To achieve this, the program aims to:

• advance the understanding of the biophysical and social conditions of habitability;
• strengthen the co-construction of evolving knowledge based on the creation of "third places"—earth habitability laboratories (EHLs)—to foster engagement between scientists and society;
• define effective, collective options for restoration as well as desirable futures.

To this end, TRANSFORM aims to transform how research is conducted in partnership with society, at three levels:

1. strengthening large-scale interdisciplinary research (natural and experimental sciences, humanities and social sciences);
2. building effective transdisciplinarity (cross-sector collaboration) by optimizing partnerships between academic and societal stakeholders;
3. leveraging these transformations to develop learning processes and educational programs.

Project TRANS-OBS focuses on applying these general principles to existing academic observation systems that receive long-term funding and national accreditation from research organizations (CNRS, INRAE, IRD, BRGM) and universities. These sites include:

• Critical Zone Observatories (IR-OZCAR);
• "Zones Ateliers" (ZA) and Human-Environment Observatories (OHM)—IR TRESSE;
• SOSI systems (Open Monitoring of Societies and their Interactions).

These initiatives were historically developed and funded independently of one another by various communities (Earth sciences, ecology, socio-ecology, sociology) that were not necessarily aligned regarding the objectives to be achieved, nor the role and practice of academic research within and in relation to society. While they do not all engage with society to the same extent, they have all developed research characterized by its situated nature.

TRANS-OBS aims to leverage this academic foundation to develop new research by funding specific sites or networks of sites. TRANS-OBS earth habitability laboratories can be viewed as pilot experiments designed to foster a new generation of long-term academic observatories—ones that are more interdisciplinary (spanning the natural sciences and the humanities and social sciences), more aligned with societal issues regarding habitability, and capable of paving the way for the transformations demanded by the ways we inhabit the Earth. TRANS-OBS is based on the premise that the research and data gathered by the diverse scientific communities involved in territorial observation and experimentation—with "territory" understood in the sense of landscape rather than in cartographic terms—can help improve the resolution of political conflicts concerning territorial habitability and contribute to societal well-being.

The hybridization of knowledge—whether scientific or otherwise—with other forms of describing our relationship to the Earth (such as artistic practices) should enable us to overcome opposing forces, renew the narratives and representations regarding our ties to the Earth, and serve as a lever for public policy action. In this context, TRANS-OBS is recruiting for three postdoctoral positions (covering the themes of "The City," "Rural and Border Territories," and "Health-Environment"). These researchers will form a collective working in a coordinated manner within TRANS-OBS, sharing a conceptual framework, joint working sessions, and a unified scientific coordination structure.

However, they will be recruited by and affiliated with three distinct institutions, each linked to one of the project's designated themes. This UNISTRA job posting concerns only the postdoctoral position focused on the "City" theme.

The recruitment of the postdoctoral researcher will coincide with the selection of the TRANS-OBS "Earth Habilitability Laboratories". The selected laboratories must be centered around controversies, clearly identified local conflicts over land use, or significant issues requiring a multi-scale approach—for instance, to link the local, regional, and national levels. As with the TRANSFORM project as a whole, artistic approaches may be considered one of the levers for TRANS-OBS.

Research Project:

The research project must develop proposals for radical interdisciplinarity to enable territorial action-research and a shift in scientific practices, thereby giving long-term initiatives greater societal visibility. Key challenges to be addressed include:

• Disciplinary fragmentation—specifically between the experimental sciences and the humanities and social sciences (HSS)—which hinders the societal and political translation of data from observatories.
• The disconnection between research observatories (originating in academia) and the "operational" sphere—which in France falls under the Ministry for the Ecological Transition but more readily informs policy decisions.
• Issues regarding representation and the need to construct new narratives to break academic science out of its silo and better integrate it with other dimensions, such as vernacular or artistic perspectives.
• The "tyranny of data," which leads to initiatives being evaluated solely based on the data they produce, without regard for their societal translation.
• The inadequacy of experimental attempts as a means of devising levers for transformation.
• Modeling as a complementary tool for generating scenarios of evolution and transformation.
• Links to "generative approaches," which illustrate one path taken by the "experimental turn" in public policy. Beyond the political realm, the legal dimension is also a major factor in driving transformation: environmental law must evolve and align more effectively with scientific observations, experiments, and models (see, for instance, efforts to grant legal personhood to non-living entities).
• Analysis of the social conditions required to roll out experiments, ensuring the feasibility of scaling them up and replicating them through public policy.

Activities

➢ Description of the research activities:

TRANS-OBS is recruiting for three postdoctoral positions (covering the themes of "The City," "Rural and Border Territories," and "Health-Environment"). These researchers will form a collective working in a coordinated manner within TRANS-OBS, sharing a conceptual framework, periods of joint work, and a unified scientific coordination structure.
This UNISTRA job description relates solely to the postdoctoral position focused on "The City." The recruitment process will run concurrently with the selection of the TRANS-OBS Thematic Lines (LTs); the postdoctoral researcher will specifically focus on the "City" Thematic Lines.

➢ Related activities:

• Liaison with "City" EHLs, including site visits.
• Contribution to scientific reporting.
• Contribution to the data management plan.
• Liaison with other Transform Work Packages, including site visits.

Skills

➢ Qualifications/knowledge:
A PhD thesis completed within the last three years is required, along with a track record demonstrating the ability to leverage research or action-research projects.
➢ Operational skills/expertise:
Autonomy, rigor, critical thinking, inter- and transdisciplinarity, collaboration, communication
➢ Personal qualities:
Reliability, scientific curiosity, adaptability, initiative, respect

Desired level of education: Doctorate (less than 3 years)
Experience required: Doctorate (less than 3 years)

Where to apply

Website: https://www.unistra.fr/fr/recrutement/chercheurse-post-doctoral-projet-cible-4-trans-obs-18-mois

Requirements

• Research Field: Other
• Education Level: PhD or equivalent

Additional Information

Work Location(s)

• Number of offers available: 1
• Company/Institute: Laboratoire ICUBE
• Country: France

Contact

• City: Strasbourg
• Website: https://www.unistra.fr/
• Street: 4 rue Blaise Pascal
• Postal Code: 67000