PhD Position Modelling and analysing the impacts of trade on the environment

Would you like to do research on the interactions between trade, climate, and policies to improve potential negative effects of trade on climate? Then apply for this PhD position at the Institute of Environmental Studies (VU).

Job description

Trade plays a significant role in both driving and preventing emissions, climate change, and environmental degradation. On the one hand, production, transportation, and consumption of goods contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation. On the other hand, globalization and trade may prevent further land use change by concentrating production on the locations with the highest production. The integration of trade policies with environmental sustainability is crucial to mitigating potential negative impacts of trade and globalisation, fostering more responsible practices that protect ecosystems and reduce environmental degradation.

This research is part of the Horizon Europe ENhanced understanding of Trade Impacts on Climate, industries, and the Environment (ENTICE) project. ENTICE aims to develop novel data and modelling capacity to enhance our knowledge and inform policymakers on the positive and negative impacts of trade and trade policy on climate and the environment. The project will focus on emissions and climate change issues but also integrate the broader effects on the environment, biodiversity, pollution, and natural resources depletion.

Your duties:

• You will conduct cutting-edge research on the impact of trade on land use changes and the environment.
• You will enhance the land use model GLOBIOM and links with macro-economic models to better capture impacts of trade between regions on the land use sector and the environment.
• You will process data, analyze results and implement a range of scenarios on more sustainable trade agreements.
• You will carry out case-studies, mixing quantitative and qualitative methods to understand the impact on land use changes and the environment at a more fine-grained level.

Requirements

• A university masters’ degree in agriculture, environmental, trade economics with affinity to sustainability issues.
• Experience with or interest in quantitative research methodologies, including mathematical programming and scenario modelling.
• Experience with data and spatial analysis and processing, preferably in R or QGIS
• Experience with (or willingness to learn) qualitative data gathering and analysis
• Organisational, communicative and connective skills that allow you to collaborate with a wide variety of academic and societal actors.

We recognise that each individual brings a unique set of skills, expertise and mindset. We would like to invite everyone who recognises themselves in the profile to apply, even if you do not (fully) meet all the requirements.

Conditions of employment

Fixed-term contract: 1 year.

A challenging position in a socially engaged organisation. At VU Amsterdam, you contribute to education, research and service for a better world. And that is valuable. So in return for your efforts, we offer you:

• a salary of minimum € 2.872,00 (PhD salary scale 85.0) and maximum € 3.670,00 (PhD salary scale 85.3) gross per month, on a full-time basis. The exact salary depends on your education and experience.
• a position for at least 1 FTE. Your employment contract will initially last 1 year. Afterwards, the possibility of expansion for 3 years exists. The job profile is based on the university job ranking system.

We also offer you attractive fringe benefits and regulations. Some examples:

• A full-time 38-hour working week comes with a holiday leave entitlement of 232 hours per year. If you choose to work 40 hours, you have 96 extra holiday leave hours on an annual basis. For part-timers, this is calculated pro rata.
• 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus
• contribution to commuting expenses
• a wide range of sports facilities which staff may use at a modest charge
• solid pension scheme (ABP)

Additionally, we also offer a PhD education programme including training for teaching assistants and courses that are part of the SENSE graduate school.

Employer

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Institute for Environmental Studies
The work will be carried out at the Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM). IVM is a leading environmental research institute that is internationally recognized for its high quality research output in a range of environmental disciplines, as well as for its interdisciplinary work. The mission of the institute is to contribute to sustainable development and care for the environment through scientific research and teaching. IVM aims to do excellent problem-oriented research that is useful to a wide range of stakeholders in the Netherlands and internationally. A unique strength of our research is to understand sustainability problems in their social and economic context. IVM research community works within four departments: Environmental Economics; Environmental Policy Analysis; Environmental Geography; and Water and Climate Risk. IVM is part of the Faculty of Science at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (www.ivm.vu.nl). This position is based within the Environmental Geography department. The Environmental Geography department conducts interdisciplinary research on the spatial aspects of environmental and social challenges and the solutions sustainable land use can provide to these.

Faculty of Science
Researchers and students at VU Amsterdam’s Faculty of Science tackle fundamental and complex scientific problems to help pave the way for a sustainable and healthy future. From forest fires to big data, from obesity to malnutrition, and from molecules to the moon: we cover the full spectrum of the natural sciences. Our teaching and research have a strong experimentally technical, computational and interdisciplinary nature.

We work on new solutions guided by value-driven, interdisciplinary methodologies. We are committed to research, valorisation and training socially engaged citizens of the world who will make valuable contributions to a sustainable, healthy future.

Are you interested in joining the Faculty of Science? You will join undergraduate students, PhD candidates and researchers at the biggest sciences faculty in the Netherlands. You will combine a professional focus with a broad view of the world. We are proud of our collegial working climate, characterised by committed staff, a pragmatic attitude and engagement in the larger whole. The faculty is home to over 11,000 students enrolled in 40 study programmes. It employs over 1,600 professionals spread across 10 academic departments.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam stands for values-driven education and research. We are open-minded experts with the ability to think freely - a broader mind. Maintaining an entrepreneurial perspective and concentrating on diversity, significance and humanity, we work on sustainable solutions with social impact. By joining forces, across the boundaries of disciplines, we work towards a better world for people and planet. Together we create a safe and respectful working and study climate, and an inspiring environment for education and research. Learn more about our codes of conduct

We are located on one physical campus, in the heart of Amsterdam's Zuidas business district, with excellent location and accessibility. Over 6,150 staff work at the VU and over 31,000 students attend academic education.

Diversity
Diversity is the driving force of VU Amsterdam. VU wants to be accessible and receptive to diversity in disciplines, cultures, ideas, nationalities, beliefs, preferences and worldviews. We believe that trust, respect, interest and differences lead to new insights and innovation, to sharpness and clarity, to excellence and a broader understanding.

We stand for an inclusive community and believe that diversity and internationalisation contribute to the quality of education, research and our services.

Therefore, we are always searching for people whose backgrounds and experience contribute to the diversity of the VU community.

Additional information

Are you interested in this position and do you believe that your experience will contribute to the further development of our university? In that case, we encourage you to submit your application. Please ensure your application includes: a) a CV listing at the end the names and contact details of two referees; b) a 1-2 page cover letter outlining your background and how you envision your contribution to our department in terms of teaching and research.

Submitting a diploma and a reference check are part of the application process.

Selection will take place the week after the deadline. Interviews will take place during the last week of November/first week of December 2024.

Applications received by e-mail will not be considered.

Acquisition in response to this advertisement is not appreciated.