Assistant Professor or Senior Researcher in Food Systems and Food Studies

at  Roskilde universitet

Department of People and Technology, Roskilde University, invites applications for a position as Assistant Professor or Senior Researcher of Food systems or Food studies from November 1, 2024 or as soon as possible thereafter. This position offers 3 years’ employment with possibilities for extension.
The Department of People and Technology at Roskilde University develops inter- and multidisciplinary approaches to research and spans social sciences and the humanities, natural science and technology, with a predominant emphasis on the social sciences.
TRANSITIONS research group aims at generating transdisciplinary knowledge about sustainable transitions with a focus on the interactions between societal and technological development. The group’s ambition is to increase understanding of how environmental regulation, planning and governance can facilitate sustainability transitions in key societal sectors and domains. The research concerns sustainable energy systems, agrifood and biosystems, and circular economy.

QUALIFICATIONS

Applicants must hold a PhD degree or equivalent within the following areas. Qualifications within several of the following scientific areas are required:

• Food systems science or systems perspectives on food studies
• STS, Postmodern/posthuman, and/or feminist approaches
• Sustainable transition studies
• Socio-technical perspectives

Documented scientific qualifications such as an assistant professor/senior researcher equivalent in relation to the above mentioned subject area(s).

• Publication within the field of Food Systems or Food Studies
• Experience with interdisciplinary collaboration, preferably in larger projects
• Experience with education in relation to projects, multidisciplinary work etc.

The ideal candidate shall be enterprising and possess good communication skills and to be a visible, involved participant in the department’s daily activities, in addition to being willing to engage in disciplinary and interdisciplinary collaboration across the department.

Your work will primarily include research (including publication/academic dissemination work) and research-based teaching with associated examination obligations). In addition to research and research-based teaching, the position also requires sharing knowledge with the rest of society – including participation in public debate.
You will primarily be involved in the two Horizon Europe projects FEAST (https://feast2030.eu/) and FoSSNet (https://fossnet.eu/).

Your tasks in FEAST will be concentrated on

• analyzing policy dialogue processes to inform food system governance (WP7) addressing climate change mitigation targets, through developing pathways for just transition to healthy diets produced by sustainable food systems. This will involve analysis of pre-established criteria for analysing experiences with engaging and activating stakeholders. The task will be to i) conduct participatory and inclusive analysis of policy barriers and facilitators to innovation and change with other WPs and ii) to prepare Policy Road Map, Synthesis Reports and Policy Briefs, involving different food system actors, to achieve a fairer/more equal transition to healthy and sustainable dietary practices.
• Besides producing deliverables to the EU commission from the FEAST project two scientific publications are planned as a part of the work. You will be expected to have a key role in the design and writing process in cooperation with the RUC team and potential co-authors from your WP.

Your tasks in FoSSNet will primarily concentrate on the following:

• Partake in leading a task (T3.1) that explores exclusion mechanisms (along the lines of e.g. gender, career stages, geography, ethnicity and between different systems of knowledge) in the academic field of food systems science. Including a literature review and empirical studies. Part of the task is to develop the research design in collaboration with colleagues at RUC and international partners.
• Partake in tasks related to education in food systems science, including curriculum.
• Organization of meetings, workshops, conferences within the project and for outreach.

The tasks in both projects are carried out in close collaboration with colleagues at RUC and international partners in the project, with decisions being made collaboratively and with division of work. Thus, it is a prerequisite that you thrive in collaborative work, while also being able to ‘get things done’ on your own and drive a process as the main responsible.

The ideal candidate is expected to

• Be experienced in interdisciplinary collaboration and preferably within international teams
• Be experienced in design and facilitation of collaborative processes
• Be experienced in qualitative methodology
• Be experienced in project management
• Be proactive and help create overview of complex processes
• Oriented towards contributing to a good collegial work environment
• Experience with food systems education is an advantage, but not a requirement