PostDoc “Follow the enforcement: Spatialising understandings of monitoring, reporting and sanctioning at sea” (m/f/d)

Background
Institute overview
The Helmholtz-Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity (HIFMB) is a new institute on interdisciplinary marine biodiversity research, established on the campus of the Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg. It joins the scientific profiles of the Institute of Chemistry and Biology of Marine Systems (ICBM) Oldenburg and the Alfred Wegener Institute – Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research Bremerhaven (AWI). The university is home to a vibrant Institute for Social Science, which is developing ties to the HIFMB. Within the HIFMB, expertise in marine functional ecology, data science and theory are joined with establishing a strong social science and humanities profile.

In this context, we are offering a postdoctoral Research Scientist position within the recently established Research Group: Marine Governance led by Professor Kimberley Peters.

Marine Governance at HIFMB
The Marine Governance Group of the HIFMB uniquely understands "governance" as an inherently geographical process. The Group explores how governance does not just happen anywhere, but somewhere, and is shaped by spatial processes (borders, boundaries, networks, flows, verticalities and assemblages). Group members investigate how the geographies of what we seek to govern, or do govern at sea, are shaped by the location, character and qualities of place and relations with surrounding spaces. In this respect, marine governance is regarded not as a technical-legal practice but a politicised process.
The Group explores this spatialised approach to marine governance through a focus on four central, broadly-connected questions:

Q1: How have current modes of marine governance come to be?
Q2: How can we govern our seas and oceans differently?
Q3: How does governance offshore fall short and fail?
Q4: How can we better share understandings of marine governance/share governing the marine environment?

The position
This Research Scientist position will work to spatialise understandings of monitoring, reporting and sanctioning at sea. Despite of the proliferation of marine management and conservation tools to steward over and protect ocean life and resources, there remains a gap in the effectiveness of those tools through limited regimes of monitoring, reporting and sanctioning. This position aims to "follow" cases of marine policy contraventions to track narratives of monitoring, reporting and sanctioning at sea to understand its presence and absence. Moreover, it will use ideas from geography to spatialise understandings of how bounded modes of governance for biodiversity succeed or fail. In doing so, the project will bring insights into possibilities for more effective routes to marine governance (whilst also critically assessing what constitutes an "effective" regime and for what and whom). Moreover, it is intended that the position will use such investigations to also progress spatial theories of borders, containment and control and their application for marine biodiversity outcomes.

Tasks

• To work within the Marine Governance Group contributing to the mission of the Institute and the Helmholtz program in closing knowledge gaps critical for the development of effective and sustainable conservation and management strategies.
• Develop careful, feasible, yet innovative research questions.
• Conduct literature reviews and contextual research on issues of enforcement at sea.
• Design and carry out effective research to "follow" the geographies of enforcement measures.
• Analyse and synthesise a range of qualitative data for dissemination in academic and policy fields.
• Use ideas from geography, to spatialise understandings of how bounded modes of governance for biodiversity succeed or fail.
• Use such investigations to also progress spatial theories of borders, containment and control and their application for marine biodiversity outcomes.
• Develop of independent, aligned projects, to support career development.

Requirements

• An academic university degree (Masters or equivalent) and a PhD in a social science field such as Human Geography, Planning, Political or Social Sciences, International Relations, Criminology, or similar.
• A track-record of independently designing, conducting, and coordinating research projects in the social sciences.
• A publication profile demonstrating dissemination of research in appropriate academic journals and books, commensurate to career stage.
• Experience of using qualitative methodologies such as archival and textual analysis and in-depth interviewing.
• Fluent English language skills.

Additional skills and knowledge

• An openness, willingness and enthusiasm to work in an interdisciplinary environment and to collaborate with the sciences.
• Ability to work closely in partnership with other members of the Marine Governance Group where necessary for joint goals, and aligned groups, for example in Political Ecology.
• An awareness of key debates in the Marine Social Sciences is preferred.
• Experience working with key conceptual ideas such as borders, boundaries and carcerality, as well as space, power and territory. This is desired but not essential.
• Teaching experience is beneficial but not required.

Further Information
For further information, please contact Prof. Dr. Kimberley Peters (kimberley.peters@hifmb.de; +49(471)4831-2546).

This is a full-time position, limited to 3 years. It is also suitable for part-time employment. The salary will be paid in accordance with the Collective Agreement for the Public Service of the Federation (Tarifvertrag des öffentlichen Dienstes, TVöD Bund), up to salary level 13. The place of employment will be Oldenburg.

Postdocs havee to register with AWI's postdoc office PROCEED, thereby gaining access to a set of tailor-made career development tools.

The AWI is characterised by

• our scientific success - excellent research.
• collaboration and cooperation - intra-institute, national and international, interdisciplinary.
• opportunities to develop – on the job, aiming at other positions and beyond AWI.
• a culture of reconciling work and family – an audited and well-supported aspect of our operation
• our outstanding research infrastructure – ships, stations, aircraft, laboratories and more.
• an international environment – everyday contacts with people from all over the world.
• having an influence – fundamental research with social and political relevance
• flat hierarchies – facilitating freedom and responsibility
• exciting science topics, with opportunities also in technology, administration and infrastructure

Equal opportunities are an integral part of our personnel policy. The AWI aims to increase the number of female employees and therefore strongly encourages qualified women to apply.

Disabled applicants will be given preference when equal qualifications are present.

The AWI fosters the compatibility of work and family in various ways and has received a number of awards as a result of this engagement.

We look forward to your application!
Please forward your application by April 4^th 2021 exclusively online.
An application should consist of a letter (2 pages maximum) explaining research background, expertise and motivation for the position, alongside a CV with list of publications and the documentation of university degrees and PhD.

Reference number 21/54/D/Bio-b