Postdoctoral Researcher/Project Researcher, Climate and Environmental Law and Policy

A Postdoctoral Researcher/Project Researcher position in Climate and Environmental Law and Policy is open for applications. The position will be hosted by the Center for Climate Change, Energy and Environmental Law (CCEEL) at the UEF Law School on the Joensuu campus and will start on 1 January 2025, or as agreed. Please find more information below, and submit your application by 30 November 2024. 

Role and salary

The Researcher position will be filled at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies and will be hosted by the Center for Climate Change, Energy and Environmental Law (CCEEL) at the UEF Law School. CCEEL is an internationally recognised centre for climate, energy and environmental law research, which employs over 100 researchers.

The Researcher will work as part of the ClimAirPathways project, which is funded by the Research Council of Finland (2023-27). The project brings together legal scholars at CCEEL and climate modellers from the Finnish Meteorological Institute to develop pathways to reduce black carbon emissions in the EU and China through a stronger integration of climate and air quality policies. Commonly known as soot, black carbon is a particulate pollutant with negative effects on both human health and the climate.

The Researcher will focus particularly on the Chinese case study, mapping out relevant laws and policies that address climate change and air pollution and evaluating their integration across different elements of law- and policy-making processes. Further collaborative work with the project team may include comparisons between the EU and China regarding climate-air quality policy integration and potential for policy diffusion. The project has a multilevel focus, analysing both national and urban-level governance. If needed, a research visit to China can be funded as part of the position.

The duties of the Researcher include:

• conducting legal and policy research on the themes of the project; participating in the key project tasks and publishing activities
• contributing to the interdisciplinary component of the project, including joint publications and
• assisting in the coordination of the project.

Our minimum requirements:

• a background in law, political science, public policy, or a similar field
• a doctoral degree in an applicable field by the time the employment begins. If the doctoral degree was awarded less than five years ago, the post will be one of a Postdoctoral Researcher. If the doctoral degree was awarded more than five years ago, the post will be one of a Project Researcher. In this context, five years refer to a net period of time, which does not include parental leaves or military service.
• an excellent command of English (both for writing and general communication purposes) and
• an affinity for social scientific / empirical legal research methods.

The Postdoctoral Researcher/Project Researcher position will be filled for a two-year term starting on 1 January 2025, or as agreed. The position is filled for a fixed term due to it being a fixed-term project position. A probationary period is applied to new members of the staff.

The salary of the post is based on the salary system for the teaching and research staff of Finnish universities. The salary consists of a job-related salary element and a personal salary element. The job-related salary element is based on level 5 of the job requirement level chart (EUR 3,213.55) and the personal salary element is 6–50% of the job-related salary element.

We expect researchers to

• have an independent and productive approach to working
• be interested in developing their skills in conducting legal and policy research.

We consider as an advantage

• expertise in climate and/or air quality governance
• experience in conducting research in or on China and Chinese language skills
• a strong interest in interdisciplinary work with climate modellers.

We offer you  

• an interesting position in an international, creative, participatory and inclusive university community
• the opportunity for flexible multilocation work
• the opportunity for international collaboration as part of a research team
• the staff benefits of the University of Eastern Finland, including comprehensive occupational health care, extensive provision of staff training, affordable lunch in our campus restaurants and Sykettä sports services. 

Please read more in the Work at UEF section on our website.  

Enjoy your life in Finland! Known for its cleanliness, welfare know-how, modern technology and superb education system, Finland is an exotic and safe country to work in. Please visit the Life in Finland section on our website to learn more.   

How to apply  

The application needs to be submitted no later than 30 November 2024 by 24:00 (midnight) Finnish time (UTC+2) by using the electronic application form. Please clearly indicate whether you are applying as a Postdoctoral Researcher or as a Project Researcher.

Please note that if the applicant does not yet have a doctoral degree, any employment offer will be conditional until the applicant has formally obtained their doctoral degree.

Please note that the application is required to contain the following appendices: 

•  a free-form application containing a presentation of the applicant’s research interests and orientation, as well as previous research merits (up to five pages)
• a CV (Template for CV, TENK website)
• a list of publications (Instructions, Research Council of Finland website)
• copies of academic certificates/diplomas and of certificates/diplomas relating to the applicant’s language proficiency, if not indicated in the academic degree certificates/diplomas
• other documents with which you wish to demonstrate your merits for the position 

Questions? 

For more information on the position, please contact Associate Professor Yulia Yamineva, yulia.yamineva@uef.fi. For more information on the application process, please contact HR Specialist Airi Leppänen, airi.leppanen@uef.fi.

Tutkijatohtori/Projektitutkija

Haemme tutkijatohtoria/projektitutkijaa oikeustieteiden laitoksen ilmasto-, energia- ja ympäristöoikeuden keskukseen (CCEEL) Joensuun kampukselle. Tehtävä sijoittuu yhteiskuntatieteiden ja kauppatieteiden tiedekuntaan ja  täytetään 2–vuoden määräajaksi 1.1.2025 tai sopimuksen mukaan. Tässä tehtävässä tehtäväkohtainen palkanosa on vaativuustasoluokittelussa tasolla 5 (3213,55 €). Lisäksi maksetaan henkilökohtaiseen suoriutumiseen perustuvaa palkanosaa, joka on 6–50 % tehtäväkohtaisesta palkanosasta. Tehtävässä edellytetään erinomaista englannin kielen taitoa.

Lue tarkemmat tiedot tehtävästä ja hakuohjeet yllä olevasta englanninkielisestä ilmoituksesta. Jätäthän hakemuksesi englanniksi. Hakuaika tehtävään päättyy 30 November 2024.

The Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies operates on two campuses of the University of Eastern Finland – in Joensuu and Kuopio. The faculty trains experts in the fields of history, geography, economics and business administration, law, social sciences, and social and health management. The faculty's research is closely linked to the research areas identified in the university's strategy. The faculty has 4,480 Bachelor’s and Master’s degree students and approximately 500 postgraduate students actively pursuing their studies. The faculty has 550 staff members.

The University of Eastern Finland (UEF) is the most multidisciplinary university in Finland. Our university employs approximately 3,200 employees, and our community includes approximately 17,000 degree students and 16,000 adult education students. Our campuses are located in Joensuu and Kuopio. We represent the world’s cutting edge of research in many fields and produce research-based knowledge, which is made openly available to benefit everyone. Learn more about our university at www.uef.fi/en. Read also about UEF as a working community and employer and the career stories of our employees.