Position overview
Position title: Postdoctoral Scholar Salary range: The posted UC academic salary scales ( https://www.ucop.edu/academic-personnel-programs/compensation/2022-23-academic-salary-scales.html ) set the minimum pay determined by rank and/or step at appointment. See the following table for the salary scale for this position https:// www.ucop.edu/academic-personnel-programs/_files/2022/may-2022-postdoc-scales/t23.pdf . A reasonable estimate for this position is $55,632-$77,287. Percent time: Full-Time Anticipated start: Spring 2023 Position duration: Initial appointment is for 2 years with possibility of renewal based on performance and availability of funding. Application Window
Open date: January 22, 2023
Next review date: Sunday, Feb 5, 2023 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)
Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee.
Final date: Tuesday, Mar 21, 2023 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)
Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.
Position description
The Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management at the University of California, Berkeley, is seeking to fill a Postdoctoral Scholar position.
The Postdoctoral Scholar will conduct qualitative comparative case study research of farm to school initiatives funded by California's Farm to School Incubator Grant Program (CA F2S), with the aim of identifying barriers to and opportunities for CA F2S to improve the economic, environmental,
and social impacts of farm-to-school initiatives in California.
Embedded within a large interdisciplinary team, this position will focus on researching various permutations of F2S supply chains from a food systems perspective, conducting in-depth interviews with a wide range of F2S stakeholders, from farm to fork. The overall project is a comprehensive and multidimensional evaluation of CA F2S. The successful candidate will work
closely with the broader team that includes scholars in sociology, agroecology, agricultural economics, values-based supply chains, school food, and related policy. In particular, this team includes a cohort of postdocs and PhD students that will form an interdisciplinary working group.
Unlike other farm to school grant programs, CA F2S is intentionally designed to "award competitive grants to support projects that cultivate equity, nurture students, build climate resilience, and create scalable and sustainable change." The evaluation of this program will build on earlier studies on farm to school that tended to focus on one area (e.g., nutrition, education, school gardens) by also assessing potential impacts on farms and agriculture in ways that affect
the environment, as well as on schools and local economies. The program aims to center equity, program sustainability, and relationships within the school, the community, the region, and the state. The evaluation is designed to be a model for comprehensive, systemic evaluations that measure broad impacts of this important investment in California's children, schools, farms, and communities.
The successful candidate will be based in UC Berkeley's Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, working with co-PI Christy Getz, and will also be affiliated with the Berkeley Food Institute.
Responsibilities
Participate in weekly meetings with members of the interdisciplinary research and project management team.
Collaboratively develop a systems-focused comparative case study research design to assess enabling conditions and challenges for successful farm to school initiative implementation.
Conduct in-depth interviews with a wide range of farm-to-school stakeholders, including nutrition service directors, school food aggregators and distributors, farmers, and partner organizations.
Review relevant literature.
Lead preparation of relevant reports for the CA F2S evaluation.
Work with the policy team to develop briefs for policymakers.
Provide oversight to undergraduate and graduate students as appropriate.
Present results at state and national conferences.
Co/lead author academic papers for relevant peer-reviewed journals.
Qualifications
Basic qualifications (required at time of application)
Candidates must have a PhD (or equivalent international degree) or enrolled in a PhD (or equivalent international degree) program.
Additional qualifications (required at time of start)
PhD (or equivalent international degree) required by the appointment start date.
No more than three years of post-degree research experience.
Preferred qualifications
The successful candidate should have demonstrated expertise in agricultural and food systems, with the ability to work effectively across disciplines. Prior experience with farm to school programs and/or research is desired but not required.
This position requires strong community-based and qualitative research skills as well as the ability to work independently and collaborate effectively as part of an interdisciplinary team that includes sociologists, agroecologists, agricultural economists and public health professionals. It will require some fieldwork throughout California.
Application Requirements
Document requirements
Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.
Cover Letter - 1-2 page cover letter describing research experience.
Statement on Contributions to Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion - Statement on your contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion, including information about your understanding of these topics, your record of activities to date, and your specific plans and goals for advancing equity and inclusion if hired at Berkeley (for additional information go to https://ofew.berkeley.edu/recruitment/contributions-diversity ).
(Optional)
Reference requirements
3 required (contact information only) Apply link: https://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF03774
Help contact: jmajackson@berkeley.edu
Campus Information
Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are core values at UC Berkeley. Our excellence can only be fully realized by faculty, students, and academic and non-academic staff who share our commitment to these values. Successful candidates for our academic positions will demonstrate evidence of a commitment to advancing equity, inclusion, and belonging.
The University of California, Berkeley is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status. For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy see: http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000376/NondiscrimAffirmAct
In searches when letters of reference are required all letters will be treated as confidential per University of California policy and California state law. Please refer potential referees, including when letters are provided via a third party (i.e., dossier service or career center), to the UC Berkeley statement of confidentiality prior to submitting their letter.
As a condition of employment, you will be required to comply with the University of California Policy on Vaccination Programs - With Updated Interim Amendments . All Covered Individuals under the policy must provide proof of receiving the COVID-19 Vaccine Primary Series or, if applicable, submit a request for Exception (based on Medical Exemption, Disability, Religious Objection, and/or Deferral based on pregnancy or recent COVID-19 diagnosis and/or treatment) no later than the applicable deadline. All Covered Individuals must also provide proof of receiving the most recent CDC-recommended COVID-19 booster or properly decline such booster no later than the applicable deadline. New University of California employees should refer to Exhibit 2 , Section II.C. of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Vaccination Program Attachment for applicable deadlines. All Covered Individuals must also provide proof of being Up-To-Date on seasonal influenza vaccination or properly decline such vaccination no later than the applicable deadline. Please refer to the Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Program Attachment . (Capitalized terms in this paragraph are defined in the policy.) Federal, state, or local public health directives may impose additional requirements.
Positions that are represented by a collective bargaining unit or agent have particular contracts. For more information, please refer to the relevant contract: Lecturer contract , Postdoctoral contract , Research Series contract , and Librarian contract . Questions about represented positions can be directed to the hiring unit.
Job location
This appointment has a preference for being based locally at UC Berkeley in Berkeley, CA, USA. Remote work from another location in California will be considered.
To apply, visit https://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF03774
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