2 PhD Positions Political Science: Understanding Allocation of Climate Finance in the Global South

The Department of Political Science at the University of Amsterdam (UvA) is looking for two PhD’s in Political Science: Understanding the Allocation of Climate Finance in the Global South.
The impact of climate change on people’s lives and livelihoods is increasingly hard to ignore and is moreover characterized by trenchant inequities. In response, wealthy nations have pledged to mobilize US$100 billion annually in “climate finance” to help their more vulnerable counterparts. The past decade has seen climate finance double, but we know very little about what happens when these resources reach their intended beneficiaries in the Global South. As such, we lack information about where and how climate finance can have the greatest impact, and what constitutes the greatest areas of unmet need.  

ClimateFiGS develops new theory and methods to understand the allocation and spending of climate finance within Global South countries. The project aims to generate new global data on the mobilization of climate finance, while also studying detailed patterns of budget allocation and expenditure in three purposefully selected African countries. The project further adapts methods from social activism to map the power dynamics that drive climate finance decision making within countries and traces the processes that lead certain sectors and districts to be prioritized.  

Two PhD students with complementary skills and interests are sought to lead two subprojects that aim to understand allocation decisions in Tanzania, South Africa, and a third African country to be determined in earlier stages of the project. PhD1 will lead a subproject that employs qualitative methods and focuses on decision-making within African governments and civil society. PhD2 will lead a subproject that generates quantitative data through surveys of local government bureaucrats, using an instrument that includes an experimental intervention.  

What are you going to do

• Conduct PhD research on subnational climate finance allocation in Africa, using ethnographic or survey methods. The PhDs will be affiliated with the AISSR and will participate in its organized PhD training. The academic work is to result in a doctoral dissertation that will be defended at the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences at the University of Amsterdam with the goal of obtaining a PhD degree;
• Write academic articles with other team members (including the PI, a postdoctoral research fellow, and other associated researchers at the UvA and other institutions);
• Engage with government officials, practitioners, and civil society organizations in the three African study countries and in the Netherlands;
• Take active part in the research environment at the AISSR, including project group meetings and research seminars;
• teach Bachelor-level (undergraduate) courses, depending upon availability and as is suitable for the PhD schedule;
• Assist with administrative responsibilities related to the project (~10% of the time), such as project management, organization of workshops, or other project events;
• Make Amsterdam (or a location within commuting distance) their primary residence for the duration of the PhD project. The AISSR will assist with finding adequate housing and with applying for visa and residence permits.

Requirements 

The following qualifications are essential: 

• a Master’s degree or equivalent with a relevant specialization within the social sciences. Political Science, Environmental Studies, Development Economics, and Development Studies are preferred academic backgrounds. The degree must have been obtained before the employment starting date;
• excellent oral and written communication skills in English;

• Interest in climate change policy and politics in Africa, and willingness to develop additional subject-matter expertise;
• a good command of social science research methods, and willingness to build skills in:

• qualitative methods and process tracing (PhD1); or
• quantitative methods including survey analysis and statistical programming in Stata/R/Python/etc. (PhD2);

• ability and willingness to conduct fieldwork and engage with local actors in co-design and co-creation processes;
• a commitment to academic integrity and transparency;
• independent thinking and critical analytical skills;
• the ability to work independently as well as collaborate in an interdisciplinary team;

The following qualifications are desirable: 

• demonstrated expertise in research on climate finance in Africa/the global south;
• experience working with African government officials, practitioners, or civil society actors on issues related to climate change policy;
• experience conducting fieldwork or working as a research assistant in Tanzania or South Africa;
• previous practical ethnographic research experience, ideally with issues related to climate change policy (PhD1);
• Experience designing and implementing survey experiments (PhD 2)

What can we offer you

The position concerns temporary employment of 38 hours per week for a maximum term of four years. The initial employment is for one year and will preferably start on 1 September 2024. Following a positive assessment and barring altered circumstances, this term will be extended by a maximum of three years, which should result in the conferral of a doctorate. We will put together a curriculum which will also include the opportunity to attend training courses and both national and international events. 

For this position the University Job Classification profile “Promovendus” applies. Your salary will be €2,770 gross per month in the first year and will increase to €3,539 in the final year, based on full-time employment of 38 hours per week and in keeping with the Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities . We additionally offer an extensive package of secondary benefits, including 8% holiday allowance and a year-end bonus of 8.3%. The UvA offers excellent possibilities for further professional development and education. 

Questions

Do you have any questions or do you require additional information? Please contact:  

Ruth Carlitz , Associate Professor and Principal Investigator of ClimateFiGS, [email protected]  

Job application

If this vacancy speaks to you, but you are uncertain whether you meet all requirements, please do apply. Given the department’s commitment to diversity, we strongly encourage applications from all qualified candidates, and specifically from people of color, with a migration background, and/or with other backgrounds underrepresented in academia. 

Please submit your application by 31 March 2024. You may apply online by using the link below. 

Applications should be submitted as one bundled .pdf that includes: 

• a CV;
• a two-page cover letter that outlines your motivation to pursue this degree and your qualifications and experience; the letter should indicate whether you prefer to be considered for PhD1 or PhD2, and how your qualifications and experience are relevant for the position;
• undergraduate and graduate transcripts;
• the contact details of two academic references;
• a writing sample of max. 10 pages (this can be an excerpt from longer written material).

Additional materials such as recommendation letters, longer writing samples, and a short draft PhD proposal will be requested only for short-listed candidates. Please do NOT send these materials with the initial application. The committee expects interviews to take place in May. 

Please note that incomplete applications will not be considered. 

The UvA is an equal-opportunity employer. We prioritise diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for everyone. We value a spirit of enquiry and perseverance, provide the space to keep asking questions, and promote a culture of curiosity and creativity.

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