EcoFoodSystems project seeking postdoctoral researcher for interdisciplinary research on climate-resilient agroecological transitions of city regional food systems.

Food systems encompass all actors and interlinked value-adding activities involved in the production, aggregation, processing, distribution, consumption and disposal of food products that originate from agriculture, forestry or fisheries, and components of the broader economic, societal and natural environments in which they are embedded. Most available data for food-systems decision making remains at the national scale, while day-to-day multi-sectoral decision-making in food systems largely happens in city regions and along value chains with their interconnected peri-urban and rural foodsheds.

Research and innovation activities are needed to enable scaling of innovations and evidence-based transitions to climate-resilience food systems across interlinked urban, peri-urban and rural communities. The EcoFoodSystems project will conduct research and innovation activities that enable stakeholders, decision-makers and change-agents within City-Regional food systems (encompassing both rural and urban communities, production systems, value chains and consumption systems) to improve day-to-day performance towards agroecological and climate-resilient transitions.

By integration of data (including big-data) and research findings, the project will develop sub-national decision-support dashboards and decision-support tools in collaboration with stakeholders, end-users and beneficiaries in the food systems of selected city regions. The project will co-develop and disseminate a common framework, methods and innovative action-learning processes that can be scaled with multi-stakeholder platforms across (and beyond) the selected cities and the rural communities which supply their food.

The EcoFoodSystems project is funded by IFAD/EU and led by the University of Galway’s Ryan Institute, in partnership with Alliance Bioversity International – CIAT, Wageningen University & Research (WUR), and RIKOLTO International. EcoFoodSystem’s research and innovation activities are focused on city regions in Vietnam, Colombia and Ethiopia. 

To further build the EcoFoodSystems project team, the EcoFoodSystems project at the University of Galway is now recruiting a postdoctoral researcher based in the EcoFoodSystems project within the Ryan Institute at the University of Galway and who will conduct research and innovation activities between Galway and the partner countries (Vietnam, Colombia, Ethiopia).

We are seeking an impact-motivated postdoc who is willing to conduct research across disciplinary boundaries that contributes to meeting the goals and objectives of the EcoFoodSystems project. We are particularly interested in applications from talented and motivated researchers with strong backgrounds in the arena of sustainability and food systems, who have strong and proven skills in food systems data analytics, big data, modelling, geospatial analytics, data visualisation, network mapping and environmental footprinting (e.g. life cycle analysis) and development of data-driven decision support tools. Experience in data analytical and visualisation tools such as R (incl. statistical, GIS packages), Python, Tableau, PowerBi, SQL, ArcGIS) and strong competency in data-analytical and statistical techniques.

The successful applicant for the postdoc position will have a PhD and significant/proven prior practical research experience and be willing and capable of conducting field-based research activities via EcoFoodSystems partner institutions in Vietnam, Colombia and Ethiopia. Evidence of prior involvement in research leading to high-quality publications and reports would be particularly welcome, including engagement in the process of drafting, revising and publishing research outputs. The successful applicant will be paid a salary of €39,523-€43,127 per annum.

Applications to include a covering letter, CV, and the contact details of three referees should be sent, via e-mail (in word or PDF only) to Prof. Charles Spillane. Please put reference number University of Galway 283-22 in the subject line of the e-mail application.

The deadline for applications is 1700 (GMT) 25^th January 2023. Please note that only applications that put reference number University of Galway 283-22 in the subject line of e-mail application will be considered.