Postdoctoral Researcher in Political Science with a focus on Environmental and Natural Resource Policy

**Description** The Department of Political Science announces a position as a postdoctoral researcher in political science with a focus on environmental and natural resource policy. The position is full-time for 2 years, based at Umeå University. Start date is March 3, 2026, or by agreement. **The Position** The position is full-time for 2 years. It includes research comprising at least 80% of full-time. Teaching at the undergraduate and advanced levels may be included up to a maximum of 20% of full-time. You will be placed at the Department of Political Science and are expected to contribute to the research environment at the department and within the research profile area that the research is focused on. Environmental and natural resource policy is central to a sustainable society. The research addresses governance and management of these issues at various levels of society, as well as the relationship between urban and rural areas. Research within the Department of Political Science is conducted in close collaboration with various societal actors and is communicated through both teaching at undergraduate and advanced levels, as well as through outreach activities and participation in various governing bodies related to research and society. Evaluations of environmental policy initiatives and systematic knowledge compilations ensure that the group's research has direct societal benefits. For more information about the research at the department, see [Umeå University Political Science Research](https://www.umu.se/statsvetenskapliga-institutionen/forskning/) and our teaching assignments at [Umeå University Political Science Education](https://www.umu.se/statsvetenskapliga-institutionen/utbildning/). The postdoctoral position follows the Agreement on Fixed-Term Employment for Postdoctoral Researchers, effective from February 1, 2022. **Focus of the Position** The position will be carried out within the framework of the interdisciplinary research project “WindyForests – Forests at the Center of the Global Green Transition,” funded by Formas. In close collaboration with stakeholders, interest groups, and an interdisciplinary research team, you will co-create effective and legitimate collaboration processes within the framework of three Living Labs geographically distributed across Sweden. The goal of the Living Labs is to develop sustainable future pathways for wind power establishments in forest landscapes that mitigate conflicts and promote synergies between different types of land use. You will also work to understand and critically analyze the conditions and policies that enable and hinder the establishment of wind power in forest landscapes. The new knowledge will concretize future pathways for sustainable management of forest landscapes and identify key drivers and barriers at various policy levels that affect the connection between forests and energy. Contributions will be made to both scientific discussions about collaborative and co-creation processes, barriers and opportunities for establishing wind power in forest landscapes, as well as to more practice-oriented and general societal discussions. The main tasks will include organizing and conducting co-creation processes within the framework of the Living Labs (primarily through workshops with stakeholders and interest groups), conducting interviews, and document analysis based on the STEEP framework to analyze the sociocultural, technological, environmental, economic, and political drivers and barriers for wind power establishments. You will lead the work on at least two scientific articles where you are expected to be the main author. For more information about the research project, see [WindyForests Project](https://www.slu.se/forskning/forskningskatalog/projekt/w/windyforests/). **Eligibility** Eligible for employment as a postdoctoral researcher is someone who has obtained a doctoral degree or a foreign degree deemed equivalent to a doctoral degree. The degree must have been awarded no later than the time the employment decision is made. Since the postdoctoral position constitutes a merit-based employment for junior researchers, we primarily target those who have a doctoral degree that is no older than three years from the last application date. If there are special reasons, those who obtained their doctoral degree earlier may also be considered. Special reasons include leave due to illness, parental leave, clinical service, trust assignments within trade unions, or other similar circumstances, as well as relevant service/assignments in the subject area. For this position, applicants must hold a doctoral degree in political science or equivalent scientific competence deemed relevant to the research to be conducted. This may include a doctoral degree in sustainability science, geography, urban planning, or environmental science combined with experience in policy analysis, governance, or co-creation processes related to the environment, energy, or natural resources. Those with foreign degrees deemed equivalent to the above subjects may also be considered eligible. Good skills in English, both spoken and written, are required for the position, as well as the ability to conduct interviews and workshops and analyze empirical material (text and audio) in Swedish. You are also expected to have good collaboration skills and the ability to work both independently and in a group. **Assessment Criteria and Weighting** In the assessment, particular weight will be given to scientific excellence and the applicant's planned research activities as described in