Closing date: 24 August 2016.

Project description and main responsibilities
We are seeking a postdoctoral fellow to form part of the secretariat of the new EAT-Lancet commission on Health Diets from Sustainable Food Systems, placed at the Stockholm Resilience Centre.

EAT (www.eatforum.org) is a global multi-stakeholder platform and international consortium advancing knowledge and solutions for healthy and sustainable food systems through dialogue and action between science, policy and business. The Stockholm Resilience Centre (SRC) is an international research center, by the Swedish Royal Academy of Sciences and Stockholm University, that advances sustainability science for biosphere stewardship. The SRC serves as the main academic partner of the EAT Initiative.

The objective of the EAT-Lancet commission is to carry out a state-of-the-art assessment of the scientific knowledge on healthy diets from sustainable food systems and pathways to attain the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on food, health and sustainability. The secretariat of the EAT-Lancet commission will work with internationally recognized academics from the fields of health and nutrition, sustainability, and food systems research.

The scientific synthesis and research will be conducted during 18 months, and is Funded by the EAT Foundation. The Lancet commission is co-chaired by Professor Johan Rockström at Stockholm Resilience Centre and Professor Walter Willet at Harvard School of Public Health.

The research will address the interface of food systems, sustainability and health with a specific focus on transformative pathways towards diets that are both healthy and sustainable. As such the research will address aspects such as how to achieve universal access to healthy diets within Planetary Boundaries, the preventive and mitigation potential of a transformative shift towards healthy and sustainable diets, and the potential benefits, synergies and trade offs of different dietary patterns, their constitution, means of measurement and the system changes required for their implementation.

The planned start of the appointment is September 2016. The fellow will be part of a collaborative research group engaged in different aspects of healthy and sustainable food systems. Postdoctoral positions are appointed primarily for purposes of research, but up to 20 % of the time will be allocated to supporting the secretariat with coordination of the commission. The research will form part of inputs to the Lancet Commission.

Assessment criteria
Applicants are expected to hold a doctoral degree in public health or nutrition, sustainability science and/or food systems research. We are particularly interested in candidates that have shown capacity to work in interdisciplinary teams, and with strong systems thinking and quantitative analytical skills. Additional merits include capacity to work in a cross-national team of researchers and to communicate research findings to wider audiences beyond academia.

Qualification requirements
The degree should have been completed no more than three years before the deadline for applications. An older degree may be acceptable under special circumstances, which may involve sick leave, parental leave, clinical attachment, elected positions in trade unions, or similar.

Terms of employment
The position involves full-time employment (70 percent research and 30 percent coordination) for a maximum of two years, with the possibility of extension under special circumstances. Start date 2016-09-01 or as per agreement.

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

Contact
Further information about the position can be obtained from Brent Loken, telephone: +46 738 28 55 03, brent@eatforum.org, and Professor Johan Rockström, johan.rockstrom@su.se.

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

Application
Apply for the position at Stockholm University’s recruitment system by clicking the “Apply” button. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions in the job advertisement, and that it is submitted before the deadline.

Please include the following information with your application

  • Your contact details and personal data
  • Your highest degree
  • Your language skills
  • Contact details for 2–3 references

and, in addition, please include the following documents

  • Cover letter describing:
    – why you are interested in this position
    – what makes you suitable for this position
  • CV – degrees and other completed courses, work experience and a list of publication
  • Copy of PhD diploma
  • Letters of recommendation (no more than 2 files)
  • Publications in support of your application (no more than 3 files).

The instructions for applicants are available at: Instructions – Applicants.

For more information, please visit the Stockholm University vacancies website.