CALL FOR POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP TENABLE AT THE INSTITUTE OF RESOURCE ASSESSMENT, UNIVERSITY OF DAR ES SALAAM

ENVIRONMENTAL RISK MANAGEMENT UNDER INCREASING EXTREMES AND UNCERTAINTY (MERIT) PROJECT

The University of Dar es Salaam, which is a partner institution in the MERIT research project, is pleased to invite interested and qualified candidates to apply for Postdoctoral fellowship position under the MERIT research project.

The MERIT research project

MERIT is a partnership of five universities; Norwegian University of Science and Technology (Norway), Makerere University (Uganda), Uganda Marty’s University (Uganda), University of Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) and Haramaya University (Ethiopia). The regional level project responds to knowledge and capacity gaps with respect to environmental risk, increasing extremes and uncertainty linked to climate change and changing demographic and socio- economic conditions. The fundamental challenge that the MERIT partnership seeks to address is to identify sustainable development paths for communities and ecosystems under increasing environmental risk, uncertainties and extremes.

Besides, the objective of the Environmental Risk Management under Extremes and Uncertainty (MERIT) project is to strengthen the capacity of the University of Dar es salaam to provide high quality education, research and outreach in the field of environmental risk and extremes that meet labour market demands, supports sustainable national socio-economic development and achievement of Sustainable Development Goals. The intended development impact is to provide East African countries with co-created new knowledge and tools that help in propelling the resilience agenda and realization of the UN SDGs and Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015-2030). Research sites will be highland and dryland landscapes in Simanjiro, Mbulu and Babati Rural districts in Manyara region and Kondoa district in Dodoma region, which are considered to be at high risk to climate change risks and disasters.

The solicited Post-doctoral scholar will work under Research Cluster III – Risk Governance and policy. The stated fellow shall interrogate governance and policy arrangements that either constrain or propel effective environmental risk management. Institutional and policy frameworks for environmental risk and climate change governance are expected to be tackled. Issues of legal frameworks, institutional mandates, service delivery structures, state and non- state actors at national and local government levels shall be explored including interactions between national and lower governance scales.

Priority Study Sites in Tanzania

Research sites will be highland and dryland landscapes in Simanjiro, Mbulu and Babati Rural districts in Manyara region and Kondoa district in Dodoma region, which are considered to be at high risk to climate change risks and disasters.

General conditions for the Postdoctoral fellowship position:

1. The position is fully funded, encompassing basic stipend as per UDSM postgraduate studies rates.
2. The duration of Postdoctoral fellowship is 2 years. The scholarship will start in April, 2023.
3. The Postdoctoral fellow is expected to undertake fieldwork in Dar es Salaam and Dodoma cities at the national level and Manyara and Dodoma regions in the selected study LGAs
4. The Post-Doctoral fellow is expected to fully participate in MERIT project activities; as well as adhere to UDSM Postgraduate studies regulations.
5. As noted in the Postdoctoral fellowship guideline at UDSM, unless in case of special circumstances of the applicant or the UDSM, the duration between receipt of the application forms and registration of suitable candidates by the Director of Research shall not exceed 21 days.

Eligibility criteria

1. A postdoctoral fellow/scholar shall be a Tanzanian Citizen.
2. Postdoctoral Fellow shall refer to a research staff who has had a doctoral degree for not more than five (5) years at the time of application.
3. Ideally, the Fellow/Scholar have been engaged in Governance, Institutions and Policy analysis related to environmental risk issues before.
4. Preference will be given to UDSM Academic Staff.
5. Be willing to conduct fieldwork in rural district councils/local government authorities in Manyara and Dodoma regions, and preferably possess previous fieldwork experience.
6. Be willing to travel and actively participate in the MERIT project activities.
7. Possess good scientific writing skills.
8. Be a smart, hardworking, constructive and engaged research team worker.

Application process

Submission of the application for Postdoctoral fellowship/scholarship should be accompanied by the following documents:

1. Applicants will be required to dully fill and submit standard Application Form (Annex 1);
2. A detailed CV stating the applicant’s educational and professional history;
3. All applications shall be accompanied by at least 2 referee’s reports (Annex 2);
4. All applications shall be accompanied by copies of transcripts and certificates;

The application

The entire application package should be sent with the subject title ‘MERIT Postdoctoral fellowship application’ via mailbox to the Director, Institute of Resource Assessment, P.O. Box 35097, Dar es salaam or physically to Director Office, IRA-UDSM. For access to a detailed MERIT research programme description and more information about this call, please contact Prof. Joel Nobert through email: njoelk@yahoo.com

Closing date:

The deadline for submitting the application is 16^th March 2023 at 1600hrs (East African Time).

ISSUED ON 3^RD MARCH 2023.

Click to download the application form