Postdoctoral Research Fellow - Community Conservation Global Synthesis

Location: Notre Dame, IN
Open Date: Nov 14, 2025
Deadline: Jan 12, 2026 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time

Description:The University of Notre Dame and the University of Michigan are partnering to invite applications for an outstanding Postdoctoral Research Fellow with deep expertise in quantitative analyses of socio-ecological systems. Areas of expertise could include geospatial analysis, integration and causal analysis of environmental and social data, and/or evidence syntheses and meta-analyses.

The Research Fellow will lead analyses as part of a global working group synthesizing evidence on the biodiversity, climate, and social outcomes of community-based conservation (CBC) in land and coastal systems. The evidence synthesis will advance understanding of the status, impacts and drivers, and prospects of CBC in a changing world. The working group is composed leading interdisciplinary scholars and practitioners based in the US (Universities of Notre Dame, Michigan, Miami, Cornell, and Stanford, Rights and Resources Initiative, and WWF), Brazil (Federal University of Para); the UK (University of Manchester); Madagascar (University of Antananarivo); India (Indian School of Business); and Indonesia (AMAN - Indigenous Peoples Alliance of the Archipelago).

The postdoctoral fellow will assume the following key responsibilities:

• Lead a systematic review of relevant peer-reviewed and grey literature, including a conceptual synthesis of the term "community-based conservation" and its variants used in marine and terrestrial ecosystems to develop a typology and conceptual framework.
• Compile, harmonize, and analyze diverse social, environmental and climate change mitigation datasets linked to CBC across multiple spatial and temporal resolutions.
• Support horizon scanning or similar Delphi-style efforts to collect data on practitioner, policymaker, and researcher views on the future prospects for CBC.
• Co-author and support high-impact, interdisciplinary research publications in leading sustainability and environmental science journals.
• Contribute to collaborative grant writing, proposal development, and data-sharing infrastructure to sustain and expand the project's activities.
Engage with global partners and practitioners to ensure findings are accessible and actionable for both research and policy audiences.

The research fellow will join a cohort of postdoctoral fellows supporting and elevating the sustainability-related research efforts of faculty and students at Notre Dame and Michigan. Together, this cohort will help advance impactful, solution-oriented sustainability research that engages ecological, social, economic, and ethical dimensions in an integrated manner.

This search is conducted with leadership from Notre Dame's Just Transformations to Sustainability Initiative and University of Michigan's Institute of Global Change Biology, which are partnering on an international synthesis effort focused on interactions between biodiversity and climate change.

This is a full-time position available with an initial appointment of one-year, renewable for an additional year on the basis of satisfactory performance and availability of funding. The Fellow will be based at the University of Notre Dame, with opportunities for collaborative meetings and research stays at the Universities of Michigan and Manchester in the UK.

Qualifications:
Required Qualifcations:

• Ph.D. (in hand by the starting date) in Data Science, Statistics, Environmental Science, Economics, Sustainability Studies, Conservation Biology or a related field with a strong quantitative focus. Applicants with an interdisciplinary degree are welcome.
• Demonstrated proficiency in geospatial analysis, data management, data harmonization for data analysis and/or evidence synthesis and meta-analysis, ideally with experience related to ML/NLP/AI tools.
• Strong programming skills in ArcGIS, QGIS, Google Earth Engine, R, Python, or similar software.
• Experience working with large and complex datasets, such as those relating to geospatial and temporal data.
• A strong publication record in data-driven sustainability research or closely related fields.
• Excellent communication skills and an ability to work collaboratively with researchers and practitioners from a range of disciplines and backgrounds.
• Expertise related to community-based conservation in terrestrial and/or marine realms preferred.

To apply, visit https://apply.interfolio.com/177757

This appointment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. Applicants will be asked to identify all felony convictions and/or pending felony charges. Felony convictions do not automatically bar an individual from employment. Each case will be examined separately to determine the appropriateness of employment in the particular position. Failure to be forthcoming or dishonesty with respect to felony disclosures can result in the disqualification of a candidate. The full procedure can be viewed at https://facultyhandbook.nd.edu/?id=link-73597.

Equal Opportunity Employment Statement
The University of Notre Dame seeks to attract, develop, and retain the highest quality faculty, staff and administration. The University is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or age in employment. Moreover, Notre Dame prohibits discrimination against veterans or disabled qualified individuals, and complies with 41 CFR 60-741.5(a) and 41 CFR 60-300.5(a). We strongly encourage applications from candidates attracted to a university with a Catholic identity.

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