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UtrechtHybrid38 hours/week>12months
A research-dedicated postdoctoral researcher is sought to lead the development of a Mediterranean-wide Community of Practice (CoP) on social innovation and nature-based solutions (NBS). This is part of a European-funded project focused on climate adaptation and resilience in the Mediterranean region.
- The project brings together nine demonstration sites to scale up NBS for climate resilience, combining ecological, digital, and socio-economic approaches. An educational institution leads the work on the governance and social innovation dimensions of NBS.
- This position focuses on kickstarting and facilitating a translocal CoP of NBS social innovation initiatives across the MED region, connecting existing communities, NGOs, and local entrepreneurs into a "community of communities" for knowledge and experience sharing.
What you do
- Design and facilitate translocal community interactions, including social innovator dialogues and workshops, combining online, onsite, and hybrid formats.
- Co-organise a conference in spring 2027 to strengthen the CoP and share emerging insights.
- Lead the writing of a report on the Mediterranean NBS Community of Practice, synthesising the process and outcomes.
- Work closely with demonstration site partners to ensure the CoP is genuinely co-created and locally rooted.
- Contribute to wider dissemination and academic outputs, including a peer-reviewed publication on translocal social innovation networks for NBS.
Profile
- A PhD (awarded or in the final stages of completion) in sustainability science, urban planning and governance, human geography, policy studies, sustainability transitions, environmental policy and planning, environmental governance and politics, resilience studies, or a closely related field.
- Demonstrated experience with social innovation networks, communities of practice, or transdisciplinary/collaborative research processes.
- Proven ability to design, organise, and facilitate workshops, dialogues, or similar participatory formats, for both online and in-person/hybrid audiences.
- Excellent research skills, particularly in gathering and analysing qualitative data following ethical research practices.
- Experience publishing as lead author in international peer-reviewed journals.
- Excellent written and spoken command of English; working knowledge of one or more additional Mediterranean languages (Spanish, Italian, Greek, French, Portuguese, or Turkish) is an asset.
- Strong organisational, coordination, and time-management skills, including the ability to manage relationships across a large, culturally diverse international consortium.
- Ability to work independently while also facilitating collaboration between many different partners and stakeholders.
- Familiarity with the concept and practice of nature-based solutions and their social/institutional dimensions.
- Experience or at least affinity with participation, social innovation or community-based initiatives.
- Experience co-organising international conferences, seminars, or multi-partner events.
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