POSTDOCTORAL POSITION
(Nov 2010 – Oct 2011)
Looking for a
SOCIAL SCIENTIST WITH SOCIAL SIMULATION BACKGROUND, INTERESTED IN SUPPORTING AND RESEARCHING PARTICIPATORY DEVELOPMENT OF ROLE PLAYING GAMES AND COMPANION MODELS.
The Research Institution
El Colegio de la Frontera Sur is a non-Profit, government funded, Mexican academic institution with 5 campuses on the southern border of Mexico. It integrates long-term research, Masters/PhD teaching, and participatory outreach through a host of nationally and internationally funded multi-disciplinary projects executed by 140 researchers (plus support staff) who work in 10 departments grouped in 3 divisions: Sustainable Production Systems, Biodiversity Conservation and “Society-Culture-Health-Gender.”
http://www.ecosur.mx
http://www.ecosur.mx/images/stories/archivos/difusion/informeanual2009.pdf
With more than 100 undergraduate and graduate students per year and convenient facilities (offices, Agroecology labs, GIS lab, transportation, teaching spaces, etc.), the University excels in productivity indicators within the Mexican National SEP-CONACYT Research System and has wide experience in international collaboration.
The Research Project
Our team -- led by Dr. Luis García-Barrios and based in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas -- has been doing research in La Sepultura ( Sierra Madre de Chiapas) since 2007 through the project “Participatory Development of Silvopastoral Production systems in the Buffer Zone of the Sepultura Reserve”. Work has involved diverse social actors and has focused on selected areas of the 400 km2 Upper Tablón watershed. To date, it includes studies of (1) Land Use Change, (2) Production Systems, (3) Local knowledge, (4) Livelihoods, Social networks and land use change decisions, (5) Rangeland and Riparian Vegetation, (6) Rangeland soil quality, (7) Role-Playing Games and Companion Modelling, (8) Fodder tree experiments, (9) and establishment ( in 2007, 2008 and 2009) of small fodder tree plots by 150 farmers, and (10) RPG and CM software development (for this last theme see http://chiapasgames.net).
The Postdoctoral Position
We are looking for a social scientist to join our team; one with experience on how diverse social actors define their livelihood interests and strategies, create rules and norms, and make private and collective land use decisions and innovations in small-holder rural settings. Experience in social simulation theory, methods and tools in order to support stylized modeling of these processes and participatory development is required. We are seeking a scientist with a strong research and development interest in Role Playing Games and Companion Modeling for sustainable land use innovation.
Other requirements:
Scientific publications and research experience in rural setting
Basic knowledge of Spanish ( negotiable) and scientific writing ability in English
Available at least 10 months, and starting at ECOSUR no later than January 1, 2011.
Willing to do modeling/simulation work at ECOSUR and to collaborate with field work / workshops in Sepultura ( 3.5 hours from San Cristóbal. Vehicle provided)
Curriculum Vitae. Please include:
non-mobile phone,
email and skype address
three letters of recommendation.
Be prepared for a short interview by regular phone or Skype.
Scholarship: 20,000 MXN pesos per month ( NO TAXES discounted) = bit more than fifteen hundred dollars at current exchange rate. Available from November 1, 2010 to Oct 31, 2011
(Important: the candidate must have obtained his/her PhD degree no more than 36 months before receiving this scholarship.)
Please submit your letter of intent and required documentation to:
Dr. Luis Garcia-Barrios (Sepultura/ECOSUR Project coordinator)Senior Researcher. Department of Agroecology ECOSUR.
SUBMISSIONS AND INTERVIEWS WILL BE HELD UNTIL DECEMBER FIRST 2010, AND DECISIONS WILL BE MADE AND COMMUNICATED TO EACH CANDIDATE PRIVATELY NO LATER THAN DECEMBER FIFTH 2010.
UPON REQUEST, WE CAN SEND FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT OUR PUBLICATIONS, TEAM AND COLLABORATORS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST