Researcher within International Environment and Development Studies
Deadline: 07.04.2026
Publisert
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About the position
The Department of International Environment and Development Studies (Noragric), Faculty of Landscape and Society (LANDSAM) at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) has a vacant 3-year Researcher–position in Sustainable management of Tropical Forests.
In developing countries, reconciling nature protection and development goals (food security, poverty alleviation) make tropical forest conservation extremely challenging. Since the late 1990s, there has been an increasing interest in non-timber forest products (NTFPs) such as wild foods, medicinal plants, firewood or construction materials and their commercialisation, as it is argued that NTFPs can help promote forest conservation and alleviate poverty. Recent work from the Amazon has highlighted such potential benefits. In African forests, though, the possibility for commercialisation of NTFPs to support forest conservation is limited due to poor understanding of - and a lack of data on - which species can be sustainably harvested, and under which conditions.
Maintaining tropical forests is not just key for local peoples’ livelihoods, it is also crucial for stabilizing global warming to below the 2°C target of the Paris Climate Agreement. At the local level, carbon finance may be used as an incentive for forest conservation.
To date, though, most carbon projects have implemented a precursory approach and prohibit the harvesting of NTFPs, causing ‘carbonized exclusion’ of local peoples. But is there always a trade-off between carbon storage and plant/wild meat harvesting?
To answer these knowledge gaps, the project AFRI-FOR (https://afrifor.info/)will use a comparative and interdisciplinary approach, integrating the fields of ethnobotany (work package WP1), ecology (WP1, WP2), anthropology and political ecology (WP3), and conservation science and sustainability science (WP1, WP4). It will gather data and knowledge from 20 socioecological forest contexts in four African countries (Sierra Leone, Liberia, Congo and DR Congo), which will allow insights to transcend single sites and provide a much-needed general understanding.
As part of the AFRI-FOR project, this Researcher position will contribute to i) WP1: Investigating the social and economic enablers of plant/wild meat sustainable harvesting, ii) WP2: Quantifying synergies between plant/wild meat harvesting and carbon storage and iii) WP4: Co-developing management plans for increased sustainability of NTFP harvesting and use.
Main tasks
Collect and combine vegetation plot data, questionnaire data and environmental data for selected locations to develop datasets that can help to identify the key enablers of sustainable harvesting for important non-timber forest product (NTFP)-providing species across study sites
Employ these datasets to determine potential impacts of NTFP-harvesting on forest carbon stocks in selected locations
Estimate timber, NTFP, carbon and alternative land use (e.g. cocoa agroforestry) value at selected study sites (e.g. community forests) by combining different types of data
Identify plausible management alternatives and their consequences using a participatory scenario planning (PSP) approach
Lead and contribute to scientific publications together with colleagues
The appointed candidate is expected to contribute to other activities related to the AFRI-FOR project, including but not limited to: assistance with applying for research permits, collaborating with MSc students from the target countries, organizing data that has been gathered in the field into large databases, writing academic and non-academic reports, writing e.g. blogs for the project website and dissemination activities within target countries (such as meetings with conservation NGOs).
Competence:
Required qualifications for the position include:
PhD degree in International environmental studies, Ecology, Agronomy, Environmental Sciences, Development Studies, Conservation and Ethnobiology, or other relevant fields.
Documented proficiency in English (written and oral)
Experience with fieldwork in tropical Africa
Experience in conducting interviews, focus group discussions and/or participatory scenario planning
Experience in handling large datasets
Knowledge of French
The following experiences and skills will be emphasized:
Hands-on experience in measuring forest plots using e.g. rainfor protocols
Advanced knowledge of statistical methods using R
Spatial analysis using QGIS or ARCGIS
Experience in forest conservation ‘on the ground’ (e.g. practitioner in an NGO)
Willingness to travel to Africa every year
Good communication skills (e.g. previous presentation at an international conference)
Interest/experience in science outreach
Experience in teaching and mentoring students
Desirable personal skills:
Excellent time management and organizational skills
Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively within the research group
Motivated to manage and complete a research project
Enjoys interdisciplinary and collaborative work
Remuneration and further information
The position is placed in position 1109 Researcher (NOK 604900 - 700000) depending on qualifications. The position follows ordinary meriting regulations.
Interested in learning more about the position? Contact Associate Professor Aida Cuni-Sanchez e-mail: aida.cuni-sanchez@nmbu.no.
Send application electronically via the link "Apply for this job" at the top of this page. This will route you to the University's Web Recruitment System, where you will need to register an account (if you have not already) and log in before completing the online application form.
Application Deadline: 07.04.2026
Your CV must be entered in Jobbnorge's CV form and not just included as an attachment. This is in order to be able to comply with the regulations to the Public Administration Act §15.
Applicants invited for an interview will be asked to present original or verified copies of diplomas and certificates.
Documents that cannot be sent electronically are sent in triplicate by ordinary mail marked still.nr. 26/03328 to NMBU, Faculty of Landscape and Society, P.O. Box 5003, NO-1432 Ås, within 07.04.2026.
The following must be included in the application:
Cover letter
Complete CV
Copies of diplomas and other relevant certificates
Up to five publications selected by the applicant as most relevant must be attached to the application. If it is difficult to identify the contribution of the applicant in multiple-author publications, a short explanation about the applicant’s part of the work is suggested.
Please note that the report from the expert committee will be sent to all applicants.
About the Faculty of Landscape and Society
The Faculty of Landscape and Society is home to some of Norway's foremost academic environments within international environment and development studies, public health science, landscape architecture, landscape engineering, urban and regional planning, property development and property law. The Faculty has 1300 students and 180 employees divided into five departments and a Faculty administration. It offers popular, forward-focused Bachelor, Master’s and PhD programmes. The Faculty is interdisciplinary and works with sustainable social development, both nationally and internationally.
