[Aqualist] AGRI-DRY Marie Curie PhD Fellows positions

[Jasper Knight]

Dear colleagues, apologies for any cross-posting. Please see notice of two fully-funded PhD studentships, as listed below. Please note the requirement indicated in yellow below – this means that if you have lived/worked/studied in South Africa for 12 months or more within the last 3 years you are not eligible to apply. The link to the online application system for these posts is here.<https://irec.wits.ac.za/OA_HTML/OA.jsp?page=/oracle/apps/irc/candidateSelfService/webui/VisVacDispPG&IRC_EXT_SITE_VISITOR_APP=IRC_VIS_VAC_DISPLAY&p_svid=101866&p_spid=5015775&_gl=1*c77oej*_gcl_au*MTQ3NjcxOTQ1OS4xNzE4NzIxMzcx*_ga*MzIzMzA3NTc3LjE2NzcxMzMzNTI.*_ga_JPCF6M80CQ*MTcyMTgzNTk0My4yMDAuMS4xNzIxODM2MTYzLjU5LjAuMTc5NDU1OTQ0NQ> Please also note the tight deadline, 9 August.

Thanks, Alex Schoeman and Jasper Knight

UNIVERSITY OF THE WITWATERSRAND, JOHANNESBURG
FACULTY OF SCIENCE
ASSOCIATE RESEARCHER (2 POSTS)
SCHOOL OF GEOGRAPHY, ARCHAEOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

We invite applications for two fully funded, full-time, 3-year PhD positions in the context of an MSCA-DN (101120560) project titled: Dryland Agriculture and Land Use; Past, Present and Future Resilience (AGRI-DRY). The students will be enrolled in the School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand (Johannesburg, South Africa). The selected candidate will also enroll at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra (Barcelona, Spain).

The successful candidates who will work in a shared office with other members of the group will be based at the School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand (Johannesburg, South Africa) and the below-mentioned projects will be carried under the supervision of Prof. Alex Schoeman (project 1) and Prof. Jasper Knight (project 2). For further information about the PhD topics, please visit https://agri-dry.org/

1)    Pre-Colonial food production in African communities;
2)    Agricultural practices and land degradation

Brief Description
Minimum qualification/requirement
•    A Master’s degree in one of the following fields: Archaeology, Geography, History, Earth Sciences.
•    Excellent oral and written English.

Desirable skills (preferred but not required):
•    Proficiency in GIS (Geographic Information Systems) and remote sensing software

Additional job requirements
The successful candidates must fulfill the pertinent PhD admission requirements at the time of enrollment. In addition, candidates must comply with the following specific MSCA requirements:
•    Applicants must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the recruiting beneficiary (host institution) for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their recruitment date.
•    Applicants must be doctoral candidates, i.e. not already in possession of a doctoral degree at the date of the recruitment.

Key Responsibilities
The successful candidates will be expected to:
•    Participate in geo-ethnoarchaeological fieldwork in remote areas, requiring a high capacity for adaptation.
•    Complete a successful PhD thesis within the project.
•    Attend the training workshops, seminars and conferences organized within the framework of the AGRI-DRY project.
•    Publish in high-impact journals.
•    Present their research in relevant academic conferences

Remuneration:
The selected candidates will be employed under a fixed-term, full-time contract at the University of the Witwatersrand, with a gross monthly value in the Rand equivalent of about €1,880 per month, plus a mobility allowance of €600 per month* The successful candidates will also have access to funding for conference participation.
*Final salary will be determined according to the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions – Doctoral Networks rates. Researchers may receive, depending on personal circumstances, an additional family allowance.

How To Apply
Applications: Submit a statement of interest accompanied by a detailed academic curriculum vitae, copies of academic qualifications and an ID card/Passport/NIE, a transcript of the grades obtained in the Master’s degree and the names and email addresses of two/three academic referees. Applicants of all nationalities are welcome to apply. We specifically encourage women and minority candidates, as well as researchers with family obligations and/or special needs, to apply.

To apply: External applicants are invited to apply by registering their profile on the Wits iRecruitment platform located at https://irec.wits.ac.za and submitting applications.
Internal applicants are invited to apply directly on Oracle by following the path: iWits /Self Service Applications /” Apply for a job”.
Correspondence will be entered into with short-listed candidates only. Short-listed applicants must be available for a personal or video interview.

Closing date:  09 August 2024

The University reserves the right not to make an appointment and continue searching after the closing date.

“The University is committed to employment equity. Preference will be given to appointable applicants from underrepresented designated groups in terms of the relevant employment equity plan and policies of the university.”




This communication is intended for the addressee only. It is confidential. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately and destroy the original message. You may not copy or disseminate this communication without the permission of the University. Only authorised signatories are competent to enter into agreements on behalf of the University and recipients are thus advised that the content of this message may not be legally binding on the University and may contain the personal views and opinions of the author, which are not necessarily the views and opinions of The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. All agreements between the University and outsiders are subject to South African Law unless the University agrees in writing to the contrary.