How to Apply
Applications are welcomed and encouraged from all qualified individuals regardless of background and identity. To apply, please complete the application on the U-M Careers site. Please submit the following in a single PDF file:
- Cover letter describing your relevant experience and scholarly interests
- Curriculum vitae
- Relevant publications
- References (Contacted after an initial interview)
If you are having issues uploading your PDF, please contact Joshua Wright([email protected], SEAS HR Business Partner).
Job Summary
University of Michigan's School for Environment and Sustainability invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship to investigate risk perception and behavioral response to climate change and natural hazards, specifically wildfire risk. The successful candidate will join an interdisciplinary working group of faculty, students, and postdocs studying human and ecosystem adaptation to wildfire risk using an integrated social-environmental system framework. The fellow will undertake a research project entailing quantitative analysis of existing or new survey data, culminating in scholarly research publications as well as practical policy recommendations.
The postdoc will report to and work under the mentorship of Dr. Paige Fischer (School for Environment and Sustainability) and a team of other faculty members engaged with the research through the Western Forest and Fire Initiative.
Note: This position will be a one-year full-time term limited appointment with the possibility of renewal.
Who We Are
School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
The School for Environment and Sustainability (https://seas.umich.edu/) is a collaborative and interdisciplinary school. Our mission includes contributing to the protection of environmental resources and the achievement of a sustainable society. We accomplish this by generating and sharing knowledge, contributing to policy and engaging managers and stakeholders. The University of Michigan is a top-ranked public university with excellence in research and teaching. Ann Arbor, home to the University of Michigan, is a town known for arts, culture, parks and restaurants.
SEAS is committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive and equitable environment that respects diverse experiences, promotes generous listening and communications, and discourages and restoratively responds to acts of discrimination, harassment, or injustice. Our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion is deeply rooted in our values for a sustainable and just society.
The Western Forest and Fire Initiative (WFFI) at the University of Michigan
The overarching goal of the WFFI is to understand how human and ecological communities can adapt to increasing wildfire risk. The WFFI aims to serve as a research hub and a bridging organization, working with practitioners and other researchers in the US West to identify research questions and undertake intensive problem analyses to answer those questions. The WFFI is made possible with support from Kathy and Steve Berman.
For more information, visit
https://sites.google.com/umich.edu/wffi
https://seas.umich.edu/research/faculty/alexandra-paige-fischer
Why Work at Michigan?
In addition to a career filled with purpose and opportunity, The University of Michigan offers a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package to help you stay well, protect yourself and your family and plan for a secure future. Benefits include:
- Generous time off
- Many choices for comprehensive health insurance
- Life insurance
- Long-term disability coverage
- Flexible spending accounts for healthcare and dependent care expenses
Responsibilities*
- Design and implement a one-year study on a topic relating to wildfire risk perception and response using existing or new survey data and/or, if desired, secondary data
- Write and submit a manuscript to a scholarly journal
- Make a paper presentation at a professional meeting
- Interact with faculty, PhD students, other postdoctoral fellows, and practitioners to design and interpret findings
Required Qualifications*
- Ph.D. in psychology, sociology, human geography, public policy & planning, or another related field
- Formal training and research experience with topics such as risk perception, protective action or risk mitigation behavior, natural hazards, or climate change adaptation.
- Formal training with quantitative social science research methods such as quantitative survey design and administration and data analysis; secondary data analysis; and spatial data analysis
- Candidates must have authorization to work in the United States without current or future sponsorship.
Additional Information
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan (flexible)
This position may be eligible for flexible work opportunities at the discretion of the hiring department. Flexible work agreements are reviewed annually and are subject to change dependent on the business needs of the hiring department, throughout the course of employment.
Application Deadline
Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days. This job may be removed from posting boards and filled any time after the minimum posting period has ended.
Applications will be reviewed as received throughout the posting period and continue until the position is filled.
U-M EEO/AA Statement
The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.