Postdoctoral Researcher (f/m/div) in Environmental History and Public Policy

Postdoctoral Researcher (f/m/div) in
Environmental History and Public Policy

The High Meadows Environmental Institute, Princeton University, USA [HMEI], is accepting applicants to be appointed within HMEI and with a formal affiliation with the Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany [MPI GEA], and within the framework of the CCHRI/EnvHist4P project. The International Panel on Environmental History & Policy (EnvHist4P) is a global network of interdisciplinary scientists researching the relationship between past societies and their environmental history. The network is concerned in particular with past societal responses and adaptations to environmental stress, especially climatic change, and epidemics. The focus is on the Late Holocene that is the last 3,000 years, the most recent period of human history during which the first complex modern civilisations and economic systems emerged, leading into socio-economic globalisation, the Industrial Revolution, and the onset of the Anthropocene. The postdoctoral or more senior researcher will have the task of systematically screening ongoing and planned consultations and policy debates within the EU and key European national states (and in the UN and the US federal government and agencies). In cooperation with experts involved in the EnvHist4P network (https://envhist4p.org/), the researcher should identify the debates / consultations that have the greatest need of environmental history and archaeology expertise and assist EnvHist4P and other associated experts in producing consultation opinion or a policy brief and related academic publication (ideally, one to two per year). The researcher should also organize at least two events, one each year, with policy experts, stakeholders, and academics, and – as far as possible – participate in other events planned by the EnvHist4P network. The researcher should support the activities of the EnvHist4P program and would be in turn supported by the established networks and collaborative initiatives at Princeton and the MPI GEA in Jena, as well as the other collaborating Max Planck and Leibniz Institutes (MPI EVA Leipzig, MPIWG Berlin, GWZO Leipzig). The postdoctoral or more senior researcher position in environmental history and public policy will be offered for two years, with the first year spent in Germany (in Jena or Berlin) and the second year spent in Princeton. The position will commence on September 1st, 2023, or as soon as possible thereafter. The successful applicant will sign a one-year postdoc contract (100% E 13 position) at the MPI GEA for one year and one-year postdoctoral research position (100% duty time) at Princeton for the other year. In Germany, the researcher will be a member of the Palaeo-Science & History Independent Research Group at the MPI GEA, supervised by Dr. hab. Adam Izdebski. In Princeton the researcher will be a member of the HMEI and of the CCHRI (www.princeton.edu) under the general supervision of Prof. Em. Kreike and Prof. J.F. Haldon (History and CCHRI). and Prof. G. Vecchi (HMEI). PhD in political science or a related discipline is preferred, but a PhD in history, archaeology, or environmental science is also welcome; documented research or practical interests / experience in public policy and environmental crises; proficient command of English; ideally, also good command of French or German or other EU languages. Applicants should include a cover letter, a curriculum vitae including a publication list, and contact information for three references by applying on the Princeton University Academic Hiring website at https://www.princeton.edu/acad-positions/position/30022. This position is subject to the University's background check policy. Princeton University is an equal opportunity employer / affirmative action employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Requisition No: D-23-HME-00010