Research Fellow (Place and Wellbeing)

The Post

We are seeking an experienced and highly motivated Research Fellow with a strong background in a relevant discipline to support LPIP/FORTH2O’s work on place and wellbeing. The Research Fellow will be centrally involved in all aspects of this work including project development, partner engagement, data collection and management, data analysis and dissemination of findings in a variety of formats
for different audiences. In particular, the post holder will take the lead in building, developing and delivering effective research strategies to answer questions across the FWB such as:

• (i) How can sensitive and sensible land use, planning and regeneration support place-
  identity and inclusive growth?
• (ii) How can the interactions of human and natural systems be optimised for ‘healthy’
  outcomes?

Initiatives and activities associated with economic growth often come with implications for both place and the natural capital associated with water resources. Work here will consider how to manage water and adjacent land to get the best from finite water resources, bringing together planners, landowners, developers, construction managers, communities and those responsible for protecting our natural capital. Relatedly, notions of ‘ecosystem services’ (ESS) include water as a ‘provisioning’ service (e.g. water quantity); a ‘regulating’ service (e.g. water quality); and a ‘cultural’
service (e.g. aesthetic appreciation, recreational opportunities, tourism potential). Yet ‘ecosystem dis-services’ (e.g. flooding and water scarcity events) are becoming more frequent in Scotland, and water bodies are now regularly affected by sewage, agricultural and industrial pollution. In these conditions, ESS are not guaranteed. Healthy communities depend on both the avoidance of harms (e.g. water related-disease, mental health issues from flooding), and the promotion of physical and mental wellbeing (through more active lives and access to blue-environments). Importantly, the Research Fellow will raise capacity for stakeholder-led solutions to counter the drivers and pressures that affect the delivery of ESS, including how to restore ecosystems to deliver multiple benefits. This will examine a full range of benefits from which ecosystem restoration might generate the most significant impact.

Description of Duties

• Manage the day-to-day work of the Partnership on place and wellbeing issues, and take a lead in data collection and analysis
• Initiate and develop research objectives, projects, and proposals which contribute to the above, using qualitative, quantitative and mixed methodologies, including identifying and recruiting a diversity of research participants
• Contribute to a review and analysis of relevant policy
• Assist in the design, delivery and administration of two ‘Policy Challenge Labs’ (Place and Natural Capital; Health and Wellbeing), including supervision of lab-specific research consultants

Essential Criteria

Qualifications

• PhD in a relevant discipline (or extensive research and knowledge exchange experience to a demonstrated equivalent level)

Knowledge/experience

• Experience of successfully conducting high quality place-based and/or wellbeing research, both independently and collaboratively within strict timescales
• Experience delivering research projects with innovative impact and high-quality evaluation

For further information, including a full description of duties, essential criteria and details on how to apply, please see Vacancy details | University of Stirling

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