UC Davis Center for Environmental Policy and Behavior: Post-doctoral Fellowships in Environmental Governance  

Position Description

The University of California, Davis (UCD) Center for Environmental Policy and Behavior (CEPB) seeks four (4) post-doctoral fellows for the following positions under the combined mentorship of Drs. Gwen Arnold, Mark Lubell, and Tyler Scott. This is a unique opportunity to join a cohort of post-doctoral fellows that integrates with the vibrant CEBP research community. The expected start dates for the post-doctoral positions are listed below. Each position will be for one-year residence with potential second year renewal depending on funding and performance. Annual salary ranges from $55,631 to $66,598 depending on experience. As a postdoctoral fellow, 20% of your time can be allocated to self-directed work.

Agricultural Nitrogen Management (PI Mark Lubell, Expected start June or July 2022)

This post-doctoral position supports a large-scale extension, education, and outreach project on agricultural nitrogen management in California’s Central Valley, spearheaded by California Department of Food and Agriculture and involving any other partners. The fellow will support evaluating an outreach program that aims to accelerate the adoption of sustainable nitrogen management practices and increase N-use efficiency. The research will involve qualitative interviews of farmers and other stakeholders, and quantitative analysis of farmers survey data from a variety of sources. The fellow should have strong skills in program evaluation methods such as causal inference models, project management, and experience with research in agricultural decision-making.  The project builds on a long history of agricultural decision-making research in CEPB.

Science Governance in the California Delta (PI Mark Lubell, Expected start July or August 2022)

This post-doc position is focused on policy learning for adaptive management in the context of the California Delta Science enterprise. The science enterprise is a polycentric institutional arrangement featuring many forums and organizations, which seeks to develop science and knowledge to inform Delta management. The position will extend the data analysis of a survey conducted in 2021 and conduct a wide range of key informant interviews to identify the drivers and barriers to policy learning across the science enterprise. The fellow should have strong qualitative interview skills including comfort with high-level discussions about science and policy and developing synthetic recommendations for improving governance. Knowledge and experience with California water governance is also preferred.

Urban Climate Governance (Expected start data July 2022)

Position three is focused on Urban Climate Governance (PI Gwen Arnold). This post-doctoral position supports an NSF-funded project called “Dealing with Disruption: Investigating the Micro-level Underpinnings of City Response to the Climate Crisis,” in a collaboration with Dr. Rachel Krause at University of Kanas. The fellow will analyze the structure and function of governance networks addressing climate change-related disruptions in major U.S. cities, particularly investigating their potential to foster transformative change necessary to tackle the climate crisis. The fellow will further analyze quantitative data from a (completed) survey of officials in major U.S. cities and develop in-depth case studies of governance dynamics in specific cities.

Science and Innovation Policy (Expected start date July 2022)

Position four is focused on Science and Innovation in Policy (PI Tyler Scott). PI Scott has worked with the UCD DataLab to develop a suite of text mining and bibliometric tools to measure science use by public agencies and local governments in policy and planning documents. The postdoctoral fellow will analyze scientific references extracted from environmental impact assessments, regional and local transportation plans, and other documents related to infrastructure decision-making to understand drivers of science use by government and test theories of policy learning and innovation. Further, the fellow will support turning the prototype tools into a cohesive set of public-facing applications (e.g., R packages) that can be used by others.

General Qualifications

Applicants should have recently completed doctoral degree or be able to demonstrate ability to complete a doctoral degree by fellowship start date. The position is open with respect to discipline, and could include political science, public policy, economics, public administration, urban studies, sociology, or a related field. Necessary qualifications are: (1) demonstrated capacity to work independently and lead the development and publication of research results; (2) training and experience in quantitative and/or qualitative research methods as relevant to a particular fellowship position; (3) training and experience in environmental policy and governance. Preferred qualifications include: (1) experience in statistical network analysis, natural language processing, multilevel models, spatial regression, causal inference, or other methods specific to the projects outlined above; and (2) programming experience in R, Python, or a similar object-oriented programming language.

Application Process

One application can be submitted for all four positions. Please submit materials via email to cepb@ucdavis.edu. Applications should include a CV, a letter (2 pages maximum) describing research interests and background, fit for preferred fellowship position(s), examples of any relevant publications, and a page listing contact information for three references. Applications review will begin May 30, 2022, and continue until positions are filled. Top candidates will be interviewed virtually, with possibility of campus visit, and asked to supply letters of reference. For questions, please contact Gwen Arnold, Mark Lubell, or Tyler Scott.

UC Davis Notifications

The University of California, Davis, is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer with a strong institutional commitment to the development of a climate that supports equality of opportunity and respect for differences. UC Davis is a smoke and tobacco free campus.