Applications are invited for a Post-Doctoral/Senior Post-Doctoral research position in the MaREI Centre in University College Cork (UCC), based at Environmental Research Institute’s (ERI) Beaufort Building in Ringaskiddy. MaREI is a key research centre within UCC’s Environmental Research Institute (ERI), which is an internationally recognised Institute for environmental research dedicated to the understanding and protection of our natural environment and to developing innovative technologies, tools and services to facilitate a transformation to a zero carbon and resource efficient society. The MaREI Centre is an SFI funded research centre headquartered in the ERI and includes 13 other Universities and Third Level Institutes from across Ireland, has 50 industrial partners and has accumulated research funding of approximately €60m. It combines the expertise of a wide range of research groups and industry partners, with the shared mission of solving the main scientific, technical and socio-economic challenges across the climate, energy and marine spaces. MaREI is also funded by SEAI, EI, EPA, ERDF, EU, HEA, Marine Institute, DCCAE and IRC, as well as through contributions from our industry partners. Researchers in the MaREI Centre have over 30 years of experience in conducting fundamental and applied research supported by competitively won national and international funding, and commercial contracts with government agencies and industry. MaREI’s strengths lie in the multi-disciplinary nature of its research teams, allowing it to combine insights across areas such as MRE Technologies, Materials & Structures, Observations & Operations, Coastal & Marine Systems, Bioenergy, Energy Policy & Modelling and Renewable Energy Management
We are seeking a Post-Doctoral/Senior-Postdoctoral researcher with experience in disaster risk management and climate change adaptation training and capacity development, particularly in relation to professionals across public, private and civil society organisations. The role will include: collaborating with project partners in making a significant contribution to the EU’s Disaster Resilient Societies programme of Horizon Europe; co-designing and delivering programmes to train multiple stakeholders (online and offline); curating eLearning programmes based on governance and technical frameworks to support disaster resilience and interoperability; developing evaluation frameworks to assess capacity and skill development and needs. Experience in designing e-Learning modules (teaching or training) is deemed favourable but not essential.
The successful candidate will be part of a research team working on the DIRECTED project DIsaster Resilience for Extreme ClimaTe Events providing interoperable Data, models, communication and Governance an Innovation Action under the Civil Security for Society, Disaster-Resilient Societies programme of Horizon Europe (2022 – 2026) funded by the European Union. DIRECTED aims to foster disaster-resilient European societies through interoperable data, models, communication and governance by: expanding capabilities to communicate, utilize and exchange state-of-the-art data, information and knowledge between the different actors in the Disaster Risk Management (DRM) cycle; boosting the integration, accessibility and interoperability of data, models and tools supporting Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) and DRM: from early warning systems through communication and climate change risk assessment tools; and facilitating knowledge sharing, improved dialogue and cooperation encompassing actors at all governance levels based on enhanced community engagement and development of new governance and risk management strategies using a bottom-up, value-driven co-development approach and multi-criteria decision making.
The UCC research team will lead tasks on developing and testing training programmes that support integrated responses and solutions to multi-hazard risk and climate change adaptation. Programmes would target DRM and CCA professionals with different levels of technical and governance experience be co-designed (through a series of in-person and online workshops) based on experiences and learning from Real World Labs. Programmes will marry governance frameworks that can be supported by innovative technical frameworks to access, transform and integrate data and models into customized workflows for creating actionable solutions. Tasks also include examining how capacity/skills and related evolving pathways in development of governance and technological frameworks can better address the challenges of integrated responses to risk and adaptation management. The co-designed training programmes developed in combination with other DIRECTED training and learning resources will be made available on an openly accessible e-Learning platform. UCC also supports tasks around developing and applying a risk governance framework (Risk-Tandem) that enables more coherence and integration across DRM and CCA and implementation of a knowledge co-production process with multiple stakeholders in the Real World Labs across Europe.
This role provides the opportunity to join an exciting transdisciplinary team of researchers in MaREI, and to work at a pan-European scale to deliver an innovative programme of research supporting disaster resilience in Europe. The candidate should have relevant experience and knowledge in areas of capacity development (including eLearning), disaster risk/ climate governance, and risk-related data/models/ tools, and experience in research and initiatives at European scale. Candidates should have a track record in working in project-based environments, and preferably be familiar with the European funding landscape. They will be self-motivated with ability to conduct independent research to a very high level, and will be expected to contribute to the development of new research efforts, grants, and publications. The appointee will have significant project management experience and experience of working (and training) with diverse teams including external actors.
