Postdoctoral Fellowship Opportunities

Risk Perception and Adaptation Behavior Postdoctoral Research Fellow

University of Michigan, School for Environment and Sustainability

Job Summary

University of Michigan’s School for Environment and Sustainability invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship to investigate risk perception and adaptation behavior regarding climate change and natural hazards, specifically wildfires and wildfire smoke. The successful candidate will join an interdisciplinary working group of faculty, students, and postdocs studying human and ecosystem adaptation to wildfire risk using an integrated social-environmental system framework. The fellow will assist with a research project entailing the collection and quantitative analysis of survey data, culminating in scholarly research publications as well as practical policy recommendations. 

The postdoc will report to and work under the mentorship of Dr. Paige Fischer (School for Environment and Sustainability) and a team of other faculty members engaged with the research through the Western Forest and Fire Initiative and a NASA Interdisciplinary Research in Earth Science (IDS) award.

This position will be a one-year, full-time, term-limited appointment with the possibility of renewal depending on performance. The start date is flexible, with a preference for summer or fall 2025.

Responsibilities

• Help design, administer, and analyze a survey regarding risk perception and behavioral responses to wildfire and wildfire smoke

• Write and submit a manuscript to a scholarly journal

• Make a paper presentation at a professional meeting

• Interact with faculty, PhD students, other postdoctoral fellows, and practitioners to design and interpret the research

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in psychology, sociology, human geography, public policy & planning, or another related field

• Formal training and research experience with topics such as risk perception, protective action or risk mitigation behavior, natural hazards, or climate change adaptation

• Formal training with quantitative social science research methods, including quantitative survey design and administration and data analysis

• Candidates must have authorization to work in the United States without current or future sponsorship.

Modes of Work

Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan (flexible)

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.

Application Deadline

Applications will be reviewed as received throughout the posting period and continue until the position is filled. Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days. This job may be removed from posting boards and filled any time after the minimum posting period has ended.

How to Apply

Applications are welcomed and encouraged from all qualified individuals regardless of background and identity. To apply, please complete the application on the U-M Careers site. Please submit the following in a single PDF file:

• Cover letter describing your relevant experience and scholarly interests

• Curriculum vitae

• Relevant publications

• References (Contacted after an initial interview)

If you are having issues uploading your PDF, please contact Joshua Wright (joshtw@umich.edu, SEAS HR Business Partner).

Who We Are

School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)

The School for Environment and Sustainability (https://seas.umich.edu/) is collaborative and interdisciplinary. Our mission includes contributing to the protection of environmental resources and the achievement of a sustainable society. We accomplish this by generating and sharing knowledge, contributing to policy, and engaging managers and stakeholders. The University of Michigan is a top-ranked public university with excellence in research and teaching. Ann Arbor, home to the University of Michigan, is a town known for arts, culture, parks and restaurants. SEAS is committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive and equitable environment that respects diverse experiences, promotes generous listening and communications, and discourages and restoratively responds to acts of discrimination, harassment, or injustice. Our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is deeply rooted in our values for a sustainable and just society.

The Western Forest and Fire Initiative (WFFI) at the University of Michigan

The overarching goal of the WFFI is to understand how human and ecological communities can adapt to increasing wildfire risk. The WFFI aims to serve as a research hub and a bridging organization, working with practitioners and other researchers in the US West to identify research questions and undertake intensive problem analyses to answer those questions. The work of the WFFI is made possible with support from Kathy and Steve Berman, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and other sources.

For more information, visit 

https://sites.google.com/umich.edu/wffi

https://seas.umich.edu/research/faculty/alexandra-paige-fischer

Why Work at Michigan?

In addition to a career filled with purpose and opportunity, The University of Michigan offers a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package to help you stay well, protect yourself and your family, and plan for a secure future. Benefits include:

• Generous time off

• Many choices for comprehensive health insurance

• Life insurance

• Long-term disability coverage

• Flexible spending accounts for healthcare and dependent care expenses

Researchers at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor are seeking a postdoctoral scholar to assess compound hazards associated with wildfire in the Pacific Northwest. The postdoc will be part of a NASA-funded Earth Action: Wildland Fires project to support proactive decision making to protect vulnerable populations from coincident risks arising from heat, fire, and air quality.

The postdoctoral scholar is expected to analyze satellite data, climate model output, and geospatial socioeconomic data. They should have experience working with atmospheric and/or remote sensing data, and an interest in multi-disciplinary collaboration. Outputs of their research, specifically analysis about the incidence of compound hazards and the driving climate and atmospheric conditions, will be used to understand behavioral and public policy responses to compound hazards and to improve adaptation to changes climatic and fire conditions. The scholar will be supervised by Prof. Gretchen Keppel-Aleks in the department of Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering and is expected to work in person on the Ann Arbor campus.

Responsibilities: 

• Work closely with climate scientists to design, carry out, and communicate cutting edge research

• Collaborate with social scientists and stakeholders to translate scientific analysis into useable information for decision support

• Publish results in high-quality, peer-reviewed journals

• Present results at conferences and workshops

Required Qualifications: 

• Ph.D. in atmospheric or climate science or Ph.D. in a related science or engineering discipline

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

• Strong quantitative analysis skills, including experience with advanced statistical methods and ability to work with large data sets

• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively

• Commitment to an inclusive workplace

Start date: Spring 2025 (flexible)

Compensation: $62,000 per year

Term: One year, with a second year likely pending sufficient progress.

Contact Information: For further information or to apply for this position, please email Prof. Gretchen Keppel-Aleks at gkeppela@umich.edu.

Application: Candidates must submit a CV, cover letter, example of a published or in review paper, and three professional reference contacts. Applications will be considered until the position is filled, with a priority for applications received by January 30, 2025.