Doctoral studentship in Sustainability Science at the Stockholm Resilience Centre. Reference number SU FV-0892-14.

Deadline for applications: May 2, 2014.

Project title: Identifying craftsmanship and local ecological knowledge in coastal fisheries for sustainable use of sustainable management of Nordic sea- and landscapes. 

Project description
Soon Nordic coastal fishing will be a memory. During the last century the total number of fishers in nordic countries diminished dramatically. This decline has been particularly pronouced among coastal fishers. The loss of cultural capital that Nordic coastal fishers represent, i.e. ´their working knowledge´ and skills, implies a tremendous setback for sustainable management of coastal sea- and landscapes.

The decline of marine biomass and biodiversity due to overfishing, together with expected rises in oil prices, will require development trajectories that keep fisheries within local ecological boundaries. The cultural capital that Nordic coastal fishers embody and that is rooted in specific localities can serve as a foundation for new sustainable development trajectories. However, it is only when cultural capital becomes visible that it can be used for this purpose. The objective of this PhD project is therefore to systematically study the working knowledge of coastal fishery, and to make this knowledge visible as cultural capital that can contribute to the sustainable management of Nordic coastal sea- and landscapes. The research will first identify through ethnographic and visual methods the types of local ecological knowledge and craftsmanship that Nordic coastal fishers embody. Next to that, it will investigate how different forms of fishers ́ cultural capital can be successfully communicated within mainstream fisheries science and management.

About the PhD position
The PhD position forms part of the research project Green Growth Based on Marine Resources: Ecological and Socio-Economic Constraints (GreenMAR). GreenMAR is a NordForsk sponsored research project about the fundamental challenge of green growth and how to use our renewable natural resources more efficiently while ensuring that ecosystems retain their functionality. The PhD is expected to collaborate with researchers from the GreenMAR network, and to spend considerable time at one or several institutes connected involved in GreenMAR. For more information: www.greenmar.uio.no. The PhD will be part of the Stockholm Resilience Centre’s Resilience Research School, as well as a member of the interdisciplinary teams of GreenMAR and Boonstra’s Formas Young Researcher Grant. He/she will be supervised by Dr. Wijnand Boonstra and Prof. Carl Folke, Stockholm Resilience Centre.

Eligibility
Basic eligibility requires a degree at advanced level, completion of at least 240 credits of courses, including 60 credits at advanced level, or equivalent knowledge.

If the applicant has fulfilled earlier requirements for general eligibility before 1 July 2007, i.e. at least 180 credits, or the equivalent, then this eligibility is valid until the end of June 2015.

Specific entry requirements for admission to postgraduate studies in Sustainability Science are that the applicant has a total of at least 30 credits, or equivalent, at advanced level in natural science, as well as a thesis of at least 30 credits at advanced level in a relevant subject, or equivalent knowledge.

A graduate student, may only be employed if admitted to doctoral studies at a university. Selection for employment as PhD student will be primarily based on the applicant’s ability to benefit from postgraduate level studies.

Selection
Applications will be assessed based on the following criteria:

  • subject knowledge relevant to the research task,
  • practical experience and knowledge relevant to the research task,
  • knowledge of scientific theory and methodology,
  • analytical ability as demonstrated by a scientific report, paper or degree project thesis,
  • the applicant’s personal references and
  • willingness and ability to work as part of an international transdisciplinary team, which includes long-term visits to Nordic research centres.

In addition, a background in sociology, anthropology, cultural geography or development studies, is meritorious.

Terms of employment
The period of employment for a new graduate student is one year. The appointment may be renewed for up to two years. The total employment may not be longer than the equivalent of four years of full-time doctoral studies.

A person employed as a PhD student will primarily devote themselves to their studies at the graduate level, but may work a maximum of 20 % with education, research and administration. This position will offer an opportunity to work part-time (no more than 20 %) as a research analyst (RA) at Stockholm Resilience Centre or the Swedish Royal Academy of Sciences.

The PhD candidate will be enrolled within the Stockholm Resilience Centre’s Resilience Research School throughout their doctoral studies.

Please note that the decision on employment of a PhD student cannot be appealed.

Stockholm University strives to be a workplace that is free from discrimination and provides equal opportunities for all.

Stockholm Resilience Centre (SRC)
The mission of the Stockholm Resilience Centre is to advance research for biosphere stewardship and innovation. Research at the SRC applies a social-ecological systems perspective and resilience thinking to generate knowledge and understanding to enable social-ecological transformations towards sustainable futures. Research is advanced through transdisciplinary collaboration with international leading researchers, research environments worldwide, and environmental actors.

The SRC aims to foster new generations of researchers and academic leaders through our Resilience Research School that integrates young scientists within the research themes of the centre to create new approaches, insights and tools for biosphere stewardship and innovation. The school equips students with a theoretical and practical foundation in Sustainability Science with a resilience focus. It encourages students to develop new approaches that integrate methods and concepts from the social, natural and applied sciences. Emphasis is placed on developing student ability to define a problem, develop research methods, and communicate research findings within international scientific and science-policy discussions.

Information
More details about the project and the PhD position can be requested from Dr. Wijnand Boonstra, telephone +46-(0)73-460 49 26, e-mail wijnand.boonstra@su.se.

Further information about the PhD programme can be obtained from Head of Subject, Prof. Garry Peterson, telephone +46-(0)73 707 85 92, garry.peterson@su.se.

Union representatives
Anqi Lindblom-Ahlm (Saco-S) and Lisbeth Häggberg (Fackförbundet ST),
telephone +46-(0)8-16 20 00 (switchboard), and Gunnar Stenberg (SEKO),
telephone +46-(0)70-316 43 41.

Application
The application should include:

  • a letter of intent/research proposal (1–2 pages) expressing why you are interested in the project, why you want to carry out doctoral studies, what you hope to achieve through your graduate studies, as well as what skills you may contribute to the project,
  • Curriculum Vitae,
  • certified copies of diplomas and certificates of special competence,
  • a copy of undergraduate theses & publications and
  • names and telephone numbers of 2–3 referees.

Please send your application, marked with the reference number
SU FV-0892-14, no later than May 2, 2014, by e-mail to: registrator@su.se.

Documents sent electronically should be in Word or PDF format.
NOTE! Enter the reference number SU FV-0892-14 also in the subject line.