ACDI Postdoctoral Research Fellowship

Forecasting Climate Change Risks to Wild Food Plants

Application Deadline: 31 August 2020 or until position is filled

Call for Applications

A research team from the African Climate and Development Initiative (ACDI) at the University of Cape Town is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Fellow (PDRF) to join a project forecasting climate change risks to wild food plants and the nutritional consequences for the communities that depend on them.

The PDRF will be motivated to work as part of a diverse research team, engage with decision-makers in food systems and conservation, and generate peer-reviewed publications. Additionally, there is the opportunity to work with the ACDI-based team on climate change impacts and adaptation in Africa for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) 6th Assessment Report, due in 2021.

Project research will address the following objectives:

(1) Synthesize evidence from diverse case studies (Zambia, Brazil, Turkey, among others) on the importance of wild edible plants for nutrition.

(2) Forecast where and when wild-harvested food plant species are at risk from climate change.

(3) Assess how wild edible plants might help people adapt to climate change risks to food systems.

The overall aim of the broader research project is to link these key objectives in order to provide improved forecasting about climate change risks and adaptation options for biodiversity and food systems that goes beyond staple crops to the exceptional diversity of wild edible plants.

The PDRF is an excellent opportunity for those who want to push forward the frontiers in biodiversity and food systems analyses, considering climate change. Research will be based on existing case study and biodiversity data on plants, including work flows for high spatial resolution species geographic range maps.

The PDRF will be advised by Dr Christopher Trisos at ACDI and will join an international team including researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and at Biodiversity International. The PDRF will be based at ACDI. ACDI promotes a diverse and inclusive work community and excellent candidates are encouraged to apply.

The PDRF will be given the necessary resources for their work: office space, IT and communication infrastructure and may participate in the Emerging Researcher Programme (ERP) and other supportive training at University of Cape Town for early career researchers. Remote working is allowed.

Value and tenure:

• The value of the fellowship is ZAR 330,000 per year, with extension for a second year dependent on performance and funding.

• Application for tax exemption of the fellowship stipend will be made by the University.