Our planet faces an unprecedented mass extinction of species. To counter this alarming trend, there is an urgent need for 'transformative change' of regional planning practice, where nature conservation is not seldom outvoted by competing interests. The BIODISC project seeks to contribute to this transformative change by conducting research on the role of discourses in biodiversity governance within the setting of EU biodiversity policy. Using participatory action research and group modelling methods, it will develop a dialogue tool that can support deliberations between actors involved in local planning networks. This way, BIODISC seeks to further the development of discourses conducive to biodiversity conservation.

You will be offered a contract for two years. As a postdoctoral researcher you will be expected to 1) describe the discourses around biodiversity in three concrete local cases; 2) identify the factors leading to or (as the case may be) preventing conflicts between these different discourses; 3) develop a dialogue tool that supports the development of discourses conducive to biodiversity conservation; 4) collaborate with local actors to apply the dialogue tool; 5) develop a 'handbook on dialogue' that includes theoretical starting points and practical guidelines; 6) contribute to the dissemination and valorisation of the dialogue tool to benefit potential user groups. In addition, you will organise project meetings and communication. Lastly, you will spend 0.2 FTE on teaching topics connected to public policy / EU governance / environmental governance. You will receive ample support from a student assistant. The methods department will provide the methodological expertise and lab facilities for developing the dialogue tool.

• A PhD degree in environmental studies, public administration or a related discipline, preferably with a focus on environmental governance and/or discourse analysis/framing.
• Knowledge of theories on discourse development and/or framing.
• Experience with discourse and/or framing analysis and qualitative comparative research, preferably also with group model building.
• A proven capacity to translate research findings into academic publications, preferably in international peer-reviewed journals.
• Good analytical qualities.
• Strong communicative qualities and interpersonal skills.
• Experience with dissemination of research to societal stakeholders.
• Experience with or openness to multidisciplinary research.
• Strong networking skills, creativity and a proactive attitude.
• Fluency in English and Dutch.

Fixed-term contract: 2 years.

• Employment: 40 hours per week.
• A maximum gross monthly salary of € 5.127 based on a 38-hour working week (salary scale 11).
• The exact salary depends on the candidate's qualifications and amount of relevant professional experience.
• In addition to the salary: an 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% end-of-year bonus.
• Duration of the contract: 2 years.
• The intended start date is 1 November 2020.
• You will be able to make use of our Dual Career Service: our Dual Career Officer will assist with family-related support, such as child care, and help your partner prepare for the local labour market and with finding an occupation.
• Are you interested in our excellent employment conditions?

Radboud University

We want to get the best out of science, others and ourselves. Why? Because this is what the world around us desperately needs. Leading research and education make an indispensable contribution to a healthy, free world with equal opportunities for all. This is what unites the more than 22,000 students and 5,000 employees at Radboud University. And this requires even more talent, collaboration and lifelong learning. You have a part to play!

Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen

The Nijmegen School of Management (NSM) is a multidisciplinary academic centre of research and higher education, focusing on complex institutional and managerial issues within organisations in both the public and private domains. There are seven disciplines within NSM, offering academic teaching programmes at BSc and MSc levels to about 4,800 students: Business Administration, Public Administration, Political Science, Economics and Business Economics, Social and Political Sciences of the Environment, Human Geography, and Spatial Planning. Altogether, NSM employs 280 FTEs, 75% of whom are academics.
NSM's research activities fall under the responsibility of the interdisciplinary Institute for Management Research (IMR). IMR focuses on academic research into the development, design and effectiveness of the public and private structures that regulate, govern or manage human interactions. The debate on the fundamentals of academic research in the domains covered by NSM is organised in the IMR academy. The PhD programme is organised in the IMR Doctoral School. The IMR research programme is built around six multidisciplinary research themes linked to strategic and scientifically and societally relevant issues, including European policy, gender and diversity, international conflicts and policy, entrepreneurship and innovation in business ecosystems, integrated decision making, and governance and innovations in social services. Research groups working on these themes consist of researchers from different disciplines.

The BIODISC project is a multidisciplinary collaboration between NSM, the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Arts. It brings together experts on biodiversity policy, discourse analysis, historical aspects of environmental discourse development, EU environmental policy and group modelling. It will be connected to related RU networks in the realms of sustainability and European integration. The postdoctoral researcher will be positioned in the Department of Public Administration at NSM and supported by senior scholars from the consortium.