Research Associate/Fellow (Fixed term)

We offer a full-time PDRA position in an exciting, dynamic and international research environment, starting as soon as possible. The appointment will be on a temporary basis for a maximum period of 18 months. The successful candidate will join the NERC Integrating Finance and Biodiversity (IFB) programme’s Data, Tools and Metrics theme based at the University of Nottingham. The aim of the IFB programme is to build national capability bridging scientific, finance, policy and third sector communities, harnessing and catalysing world-leading science to enable the greening of finance for nature and mobilisation of capital for nature conservation and recovery.

A key purpose of the role will be to work with the principal investigator Prof. Franziska Schrodt on developing a roadmap of biodiversity data quality and quantity for the purpose of nature and biodiversity finance. This will include reviewing existing standards and international data infrastructure, as well as high-level principles of measurements and metrics, and mapping these against the data needs and gaps identified across the IFB programme, covering terrestrial, freshwater and marine systems as well as UK and international projects. As part of this role, the candidate will develop an excellent understanding of the current thinking on biodiversity finance and nature finance more broadly, including from the rapidly evolving grey literature.

We are looking for a candidate with excellent understanding of international biodiversity data standards and sources and/or nature/biodiversity finance, and an interest in linking the two. The successful candidate will work with key members of the IFB programme team, including PIs, CoIs and PDRAS across its three flagships (Financing Green Sector Transitions, Greening Finance for Nature, and Financing Biodiversity), as well as external bodies such as the International Advisory Panel on Biodiversity Credits (IAPB), the World Economic Forum (WEF) and/or the Biodiversity Credit Alliance (BCA). They will thus require excellent communication and collaboration skills and enthusiasm for participating in international consortia. Part of the role will also include working with stakeholders outside academia, including in finance institutions.

We anticipate that this position will lead to a number of publications, both in academic journals and the grey literature. An interest in communicating science to policy makers, financial institutes and members of the public is thus an advantage. Most importantly, the candidate should be enthusiastic about biodiversity data, finding financial solutions to the biodiversity crisis, and working towards the development of a high integrity and high effectiveness nature finance market.

The role holder will be encouraged to use their initiative and creativity to identify areas for research, develop research methods and extend their research portfolio.

This is a fixed term, full time (36.25 hours per week) available for 18 months. Job share arrangements may be considered.

Requests for secondment from internal candidates may be considered on the basis that prior agreement has been sought from both your current line manager and the manager of your substantive post, if you are already undertaking a secondment role.

Informal enquiries may be addressed to Dr Franziska Schrodt, email franziska.schrodt@nottingham.ac.uk. Please note that applications sent directly to this email address will not be accepted.

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