Two PhD student positions in the project "Cooperation, Evolution and Resource Management"
Our project funded by the Kone Foundation tests the applicability of evolutionary models to the study of human decision-making processes in the context of natural resource management. Our approach is interdisciplinary, and combines research questions and methodologies from both social and natural sciences. An important methodology shared by the two disciplines is the game theoretical approach. In the global scale there has been a shift from the Tragedy of Commons approach to the Drama of Commons approach with a more optimistic view on the capacity of local stakeholders to solve problems related to common pool resource management. We are mainly interested to find out in what circumstances a stable local common pool resource management might succeed. Our empirical focus will be on the management of Finnish fish and game resources, reindeer pastures and common forests. A more theoretical focus is finding the key differences and commonalities between the theories used in different fields.
Duties: We recruit two graduate students who would cooperate in data collection, statistical analyses and writing articles. Data will be extracted from the long-term datasets collected by Finnish national research institutions (mainly Statistics Finland, Natural Resources Institute Finland, Finnish Environment Institute, The Finnish Wildlife Agency, Finnish Forest Centre, Reindeer Herders' Association) and their local offices. For specific research questions interview studies will be performed. An important theoretical framework throughout the project will be the Social Ecological Systems (SES) theory developed by Elinor Ostrom and her co-researchers.
Qualifications: Applicants should hold an MSc or equivalent degree, for example in (evolutionary) biology, economy or some of the social sciences. Priority will be given to applicants with a strong interest in interdisciplinary work and theoretical issues, and willingness to learn new methodologies or approaches also from other disciplines. Knowledge of Finnish is not a requirement but is considered an asset as most of the data will be sources in Finnish.
Place of work: University of Turku (with one of the PhD degrees done to University of Oulu)
Work group: LuHa - Jon Brommer, Timo Vuorisalo (University of Turku), Lauri Rapeli (Åbo Akademi University),
Patrik Karell (NOVIA University of Applied Science), Heikki Helanterä (University of Oulu)
Form of employment:
The doctoral candidates recruited for this position will be paid a non-negotiable grant of €28,800/year during 2019-2022 for which approximately 14% is to be paid as compulsory social charges (see https://www.mela.fi/en/grant-and-scholarship-recipients/premiums-and-invoicing/myel-premium-amount) and of which some part is taxed (see www.vero.fi).
Extent: 100 %
Starting date: Preferably February 1, 2019 (negotiable)
Application: No later than 20 January 2019. The application is electronic, sent by Email to jon.brommer@utu.fi Please attach your diploma, CV, a letter of motivation where you describe why you would be a suitable candidate for the position, and names and contact addresses of at least two persons who can provide a reference for you. Your application will be temporarily stored for the sole purpose of recruiting the two positions advertised here; it will not be shared with others than the LuHa workgroup members and will be permanently deleted after recruitment is concluded.
Contact person: Associate professor Jon Brommer (jon.brommer@utu.fi), University of Turku; Associate professor Heikki Helanterä (heikki.helantera@oulu.fi), University of Oulu.
