United Nations University Postdoctoral Fellowship Programmes

Jointly organized by the United Nations University and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), the JSPS–UNU Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme is designed to provide promising, highly qualified, young researchers with the opportunity to conduct advanced research relevant to the main thematic focus areas of the UNU Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS, Tokyo) and UNU Centre for Policy Research (UNU-CPR, Tokyo), in co-operation with host researchers at Japanese universities and research institutions. UNU acts as the nominating authority for the JSPS–UNU Programme.

This fellowship is aimed at candidates who have completed their PhD degrees in the past six years and also have professional and/or research experience. UNU will assist in securing acceptance from host researchers for short-listed candidates.

Fellowships are awarded for a period of 24 months. Applicants must hold a doctoral degree (received on or after 2 April 2010) when the fellowship begins, or be scheduled to receive a doctoral degree before the fellowship begins. (Japanese nationals are not eligible.)

Terms of the Award

1. A round-trip air ticket (based on JSPS regulations)
2. A monthly maintenance allowance of JPY362,000
3. A settling-in allowance of JPY200,000
4. Overseas travel insurance coverage, etc.

[Note]

• The amounts of the Awards indicated above are subject to change by JSPS.
• If the fellow is already residing in Japan before his/her fellowship started or had resident status before or after the date his/her award letter was issued, the above-mentioned air ticket to Japan and settling-in allowance will not be provided.
• A research grant, “Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research”, of up to JPY1,500,000 per year (total of JPY3,000,000 for two years – the amount varying depending on the areas/disciplines of research) is available to cover cooperative research-related expenses. Application for these grants is made by the host researcher through his/her institution.

Natural Capital and Ecosystem Services Assessment (UNU-IAS)

The selected fellow in Natural Capital and Ecosystem Services Assessment will work at the forefront of applied research relevant to ecosystem assessments and governance in the area of biodiversity and ecosystem services. One focus of the project is sub-global and regional assessments undertaken by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). This includes accounting systems of natural capital and ecosystem services, synergies and tradeoff analysis across ecosystem services and scales, future scenario building, and policy and institutions designed to promote sustainable ecosystem governance such as the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and green growth, especially in developing countries.

Required qualifications:

• PhD degree from a range of disciplines including but not limited to agriculture, landscape ecology, and natural resources management
• Demonstrated research skills in similar areas
• Ability to design and implement research involving fieldwork
• Fluency in English is essential and a working knowledge of other languages is desirable

Governance for Sustainable Development (UNU-IAS)

The selected fellow will work at the forefront of applied research relevant to Governance for Sustainable Development. One focus of the project is governance related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This includes implementation mechanisms and governance of the SDGs at national or regional levels, comparison of implementation, science–policy interface, interlinkages between the SDGs and other international agreements, and follow up and review of the SDGs. In terms of issues, our primary focus is on Goal 12 and its linkage with other relevant goals, but not limited to it.

Required qualifications:

• PhD degree (no ABDs) from a range of disciplines including but not limited to political science, sociology, economics, legal and other social sciences, and civil engineering (socio-economic modelling)
• Demonstrated research skills in similar areas
• Ability to design and implement research involving fieldwork
• Fluency in English is essential and a working knowledge of other languages is desirable

Water and Urban Initiative (UNU-IAS)

The selected fellow will work at the forefront of applied research relevant to water issues for sustainable development in developing cities. The objectives of the project are to develop models and evidence-based policy tools which can be used elsewhere. Major research topics will be selected from the following:

1. Economic evaluation of urban ecosystem services
   This topic includes a non-market evaluation of ecosystem services in urban areas in Asian countries and evaluates the willingness of individuals to pay to protect and improve the quality of urban water bodies. Demonstrated knowledge and skills in non-market valuation, statistics/econometrics with ability to perform critical quantitative analysis of water resources as specified above are essential.
2. Health risk assessment of waterborne infectious diseases in urbanized areas
   This topic includes developing simulation models to assess human health risks caused by waterborne infectious diseases in urbanized areas in developing countries. Demonstrated skills and experience in some of the following topics are essential: quantitative microbial risk assessment, environmental microbiology, GIS-based computer simulation, water quality modelling.

Required qualifications

• PhD (no ABDs) in the following areas: environmental and resource economics, ecological economics, environmental sciences, environmental engineering or related fields
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English are essential, as well as the ability to work independently and with the project team
• Demonstrated research skills and a sound record of publications

Low Carbon Technology (UNU-IAS)

The selected fellow will work at the forefront of applied research relevant to social and international aspects of Low Carbon Technology in the context of realizing a low carbon society. The primary focus of the project is technology transfer policy and institutions at the global level, including multilateral mechanisms and partnerships, as well as in OECD countries such as France, Germany, the UK and the US. The successful candidate is expected to have research interests aligned in this direction and contribute to the project. Familiarity with issues such as low carbon development pathways, international cooperation and policies in OECD countries, project implementation in developing countries, the UNFCCC process and the SDGs is an asset.

Required qualifications:

• PhD degree (no ABDs) from a range of disciplines including but not limited to political science, sociology, economics, legal and other social sciences, and civil engineering (socio-economic modelling)
• Demonstrated research skills in similar areas
• Ability to design and implement research involving fieldwork
• Fluency in English is essential and a working knowledge of other languages is desirable

Peace and Security Policies at the UN (UNU-CPR)

This fellowship will be with UNU’s Centre for Policy Research (UNU-CPR) in Tokyo for policy-relevant work in areas at the heart of the UN’s peace and security agenda, in particular conflict prevention, conflict resolution, peacekeeping or peace-building, or its efforts to confront new challenges created by international organized crime and trafficking, terrorism, and piracy as well as in the area of cybersecurity. Applicants will need to demonstrate an interest in influencing policy debates and in shaping UN decision-making on such peace and security topics. Knowledge translation, policy development and advocacy are central to the new Centre’s mandate.

Required qualifications:

• PhD degree (no ABDs) in the social sciences or humanities generally, or in international law, international relations, conflict and peace studies in particular
• Fluency in English is essential
• Superior writing skills
• Equally qualified candidates from developing countries as well as female candidates will receive preference

Implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (UNU-CPR)

This fellowship will be with UNU’s Centre for Policy Research (UNU-CPR) in Tokyo for policy-relevant work relating to the challenges related to implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and in particular the role of the UN therein. Applicants will need to demonstrate an interest in influencing policy debates and in shaping UN decision-making on such development topics. Knowledge translation, policy development and advocacy are central to the new Centre’s mandate.

Required qualifications:

• PhD degree (no ABDs) in the social sciences or humanities generally, or in international law, international relations, conflict and peace studies in particular
• Fluency in English is essential
• Superior writing skills
• Equally qualified candidates from developing countries as well as female candidates will receive preference

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Applicants must be citizens of countries that have diplomatic relations with Japan. Japanese nationals are not eligible. Applicants must hold a doctoral degree on or after 2 April 2010 (i.e., the degree must have been received within six years prior to 1 April 2016), when the fellowship begins or be scheduled to receive a doctoral degree before the fellowship begins.

Applicants with at least 10 months research and/or professional experience are especially encouraged to apply.

Those who have previously been awarded a fellowship under the “JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship Program for Overseas Researchers” (excluding Postdoctoral Fellowship Program (Short-term) for North American and European Researchers and Summer Program) are not eligible.

Duration of the fellowship

Fellowships are awarded for a period of 24 months.

Nomination of candidates

UNU will act as the nominating authority of the programme, and applications should be submitted to UNU-IAS. UNU-IAS nominates candidates to the JSPS based on the following criteria:

• the research objectives of the applicant and the quality of the research proposal,
• the relevance of the research proposal to the ongoing or planned research activities of the applicant’s indicated Research Programme at UNU-IAS or UNU-CPR, and
• the applicant’s academic merit and the potential for successful research while in Japan.

UNU will try to inform successful candidates of the results of the nomination in June 2016. JSPS takes up to 3 months after receiving the nominations to process its award decisions.

Starting date and deadline for applications

The JSPS-UNU Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme begins on 1 September and the selected Fellows are required to be in Japan by this date. The deadline for applications for the 2016 Fellowships is 29 February 2016.

Applications

Interested and eligible candidates are invited to complete the online application form. If an applicant does not have access to the Internet, he or she should contact UNU-IAS. The online form and the required documents indicated in the form must be in English. If supporting documents are not in English, English translations must be attached.

Review of applications by the Fellowship Committee will begin immediately after the application deadline. Short-listed candidates will be contacted for a telephone interview and to provide reference letters.

This opportunity has expired. It was originally published here:

http://ias.unu.edu/en/news/announcements/apply-now-for-our-2016-postdoctoral-fellowship-programmes.html