We are inviting applications for the position of postdoctoral researcher within the project ‘Strategic Climate Litigation’s Direct and Indirect Consequences for Democracies’. This project is funded by an ERC Consolidator Grant and runs 5 years. Within the project we develop the missing theoretical framework that captures the direct and indirect consequences of strategic climate litigation for the democratic process. It investigates, based on the same multi-method approach to strategic climate litigation in 4 national (Germany, France, Netherlands & UK) and 2 European jurisdictions (EU & European Court of Human Rights), how strategic climate litigation interacts with the democratic process and how its (neglected) democratic potential could be realized.
The postdoctoral researcher, together with the principal investigator, develop the focus of the research project and identify relevant issues to be further pursued. They conduct independent research on these issues in agreement and exchange with the whole team. They also co-supervise one or several of the four PhD projects focusing on for aspects of this interaction: ‘representation & participation’, ‘international and European norms’, ‘climate science’, and ‘narrative creation’, respectively.
Applicants are asked to submit a proposal with their own interpretation of how the research should unfold, including research objectives, suggested methodology, and an initial situation in the literature. The whole research team consists of the principle investigator, two postdoctoral researchers, four PhD researchers, and two student assistants. The four PhD projects are based on coding of case law and contextual texts, stakeholder interviews, participant observations (3 months at a litigant organisation), and doctrinal analysis. The scoping of the postdoctoral research project and the fine-tuning of the research questions are the first challenge of the successful applicant and the whole research team. The expected output consists both of individual and co-authored publications.
Do you enjoy: - Doing legal and social science research and writing on strategic climate litigation in Europe and its interconnections with democracy
- Being part of a vibrant research community and work in a team
- Participating in academic exchanges about legal developments regarding contemporary environmental, social, and economic concerns
- Challenging, reflecting on and speculating about the role of strategic climate litigation for democracy
- Giving guidance to others
What does this job entail? As a postdoctoral researcher, you are expected to conduct innovative research leading to the completion of several individual and co-authored publication. As part of the team of researchers for the overarching project, you will design and carry out an individual research plan. You will engage autonomously in the collection of data (
eg document analysis, interviews) and present intermediate research results in internal discussions and potentially at workshops and conferences. Your teaching responsibilities could include teaching tutorials and supervising Master’s or Bachelor’s theses in European law.
The research component of your employment is 0,8 fte. The teaching component is 0,2 fte, which will be defined in mutual agreement and in line with the teaching needs of the section European law.