EPA funding success for project on SDG’s: Postdoctoral research position available

Prof Patrick Paul Walsh of CSD and School of Politics and International Relations, and Prof Enda Murphy of the School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy have been awarded EPA Project Funding for their project: “Framework for Achieving Environmental Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)“.

The project will provide a governance, reporting and data needs framework for transitioning Ireland towards achieving environmental targets for the SDGs. This will represent the first such attempt in Ireland and will establish an important benchmark for understanding future SDG requirements in the environmental area. The research will: (1) supply the evidence-base for a national data map on the environmentally relevant official UN and EU SDG indicators; (2) provide a benchmark national environmental SDG Index in line with international best practice to comprehensively assess Ireland’s environmental status in relation to the SDGs and identify data needs for improving this index in the future; (3) identify gaps and conflicts in Irish environmental policy and legislation relative to global and EU-level SDG indicator sets; (4) review academic literature, international reports and national/regional initiatives on inclusive institutions for SDGs and multi-stakeholder processes (MSPs), and conduct interviews with UN HLPF stakeholder representatives in Ireland and abroad to identify current thinking on international best practices for MSPs; (5) mobilise this knowledge to develop innovative practical guidance to policy makers and relevant stakeholders on effective government enabled MSPs for assisting the delivery on the environmental SDGs.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow position

Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, based in the UCD School of Politics and International Relations, to work on this project. This is a temporary post for 1.5 years.

The purpose of the role is to deliver a specific research project funded by the Irish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The role allows the Research Fellow the professional development opportunity to demonstrate the capacity for independent and self-directed research and scholarship and the management of a research project. The role allows the Fellow to assemble a portfolio of independent achievements and render themselves competitive for tenured academic positions or senior scientific roles in industry.

This research will:

(1) supply the evidence-base for a national data map on the environmentally relevant official UN and EU SDG indicators;
(2) provide a benchmark national environmental SDG Index in line with international best practice to comprehensively assess Ireland’s environmental status in relation to the SDGs and identify data needs for improving this index in the future;
(3) identify gaps and conflicts in Irish environmental policy and legislation relative to global and EU-level SDG indicator sets;
(4) review academic literature, international reports and national/regional initiatives on inclusive institutions for SDGs and multi-stakeholder processes (MSPs), and conduct interviews with UN HLPF stakeholder representatives in Ireland and abroad to identify current thinking on international best practices for MSPs;
(5) mobilise this knowledge to develop innovative practical guidance to policy makers and relevant stakeholders on effective government enabled MSPs for assisting the delivery on the environmental SDGs.

See Job Description for more details.

Salary: Level 1 or 2 Postdoctoral  Research Fellow, depending on experience.

Closing Date: 17.00hrs (Local Irish Time) on Monday 16th April 2018.

Full details and application process are available on the HR search vacancies page.  (Search under Research)