Position Description

The College of the Environment fosters existing and new collaborations between outstanding faculty, staff and students who are engaged in the study of: the solar system and Earth's dynamic land, water and atmosphere; the development and application of environmental engineering and technological advances; the impact of policy and human actions on the environment, and the management of natural resources.

The School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences (SAFS) is dedicated to sustaining healthy marine and freshwater environments. Our school comprises one of the largest and most diverse academic aquatic and fisheries sciences program in the United States. Our faculty conduct innovative research from the organism to the ecosystem scale, and are recognized leaders in aquatic biology, sustainable fisheries management, and aquatic resource conservation.

The School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences values the strengths and professional experience that students, faculty, and staff bring to our community. We are committed to providing excellent education to all of our students, regardless of their race, gender, class, nationality, physical ability, religion, age, or sexual orientation. We are proud of the different roles that our students, staff, and faculty play in the community of the School and in the College of the Environment. We recognize that science is richer and the SAFS community is more vibrant when a diverse group of people participate the SAFS community.

The postdoctoral researcher will play a central role in the interdisciplinary project, "Enhancing adaptive capacity assessment in fisheries decision making: Identifying barriers and ways to overcome them." A key concept in conservation and resource management of systems subject to the rapid pace of climate change is "adaptive capacity", i.e., to take actions that preserve the ability of the natural and human system to adapt to change. Despite the wide acceptance of this concept in academic communities, its adoption among fishery policy makers may be limited because of conceptual, institutional and other barriers. The goals of this project are to assess the degree to which principles of adaptive capacity are currently understood and applied in fisheries decision-making, evaluate decision-makers' attitudes and beliefs about adaptive capacity and its usefulness for decision making, identify scientific, institutional, and socio-political barriers towards wider adoption of this concept in fishery management, and identify alternative pathways by which adaptive capacity can better inform decision-making. This is a full-time, position located at the University of Washington in Seattle, although the location at which work is to be conducted is flexible, and remote work is possible. The post-doc will be supervised by Dr. Tim Essington (University of Washington) and will primarily collaborate with Dr. Arielle Levine (San Diego State University). This is a 12-month initial appointment, with the possibility of renewal for a second year, with an anticipated start date of June 1 2021.

Postdoctoral scholars are represented by UAW 4121 and are subject to the collective bargaining agreement, unless agreed exclusion criteria apply. For more information, please visit the University of Washington Labor Relations website.

Responsibilities Include:

• Developing the accessible training materials describing adaptive capacity and implications for fisheries management
• Reviewing recent regulatory and policy decisions in fisheries management (over the past two years) and pending management priorities for incorporation into interview and survey questions
• Reviewing secondary data (species, landings, socioeconomic indicators) to develop profiles for the context of decision-making in different U.S. fishery management regions
• Conducting interviews with fisheries decision makers in each fisheries management region to understand perceptions of adaptive capacity and the ways this concept is applied in fisheries decision making; analyze interviews for themes identifying factors that enable or inhibit adaptive capacity
• Developing and administering a web-based survey to fishery management council members, council executive staff, scientists, and administrators engaged in fishery management processes to assess specific barriers and enabling conditions for incorporating adaptive capacity into decision-making
• Analyzing survey data (summary statistics, logistic/ordinal regression) and exploring regional or thematic trends in results
• Preparing data products, visualizations, collaborating on, and leading writing efforts for peer-reviewed publications and presentations at scientific conferences.
• Engaging with project sponsor outreach staff

Qualifications

Required:

• PhD or foreign equivalent in geography, anthropology, environmental management, fisheries science, or a related field.
• Experience with key informant interview methods, survey design, application, and analysis
• Superior written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to work and write in a collaborative setting.

Desirable:

• Demonstrated interest in interdisciplinary and/or climate-related research.
• Knowledge of fishery management processes in the U.S.
• Experience analyzing secondary data sources

Instructions

To apply please submit your application through Interfolio with the following: (1) A letter of interest detailing your skills and experience. (2) A curriculum-vitae including publications. (3) Three letters of recommendation. Priority will be given to applications received by April 1st, 2021

For questions about this position, including potential disability accommodations, please contact Tim Essington, at essing@uw.edu or 206-616-3698.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

University of Washington is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All
qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed,
religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, genetic information,
gender identity or expression, age, disability, or protected veteran status.