Postdoctoral fellowship in circular economy of water – Montpellier, France

15 Nov 2023
Job Information

Organisation/Company

Universite de Montpellier

Department

Human Resources

Research Field

Environmental science » Water science

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Country

France

Application Deadline

15 Dec 2023 – 23:59 (Europe/Paris)

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Full-time

Hours Per Week

38

Offer Starting Date

1 Jan 2024

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

HE

Reference Number

2023-R0456

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

Climate change and population growth around the Mediterranean basin are increasing the need for water for food production and, consequently, the pressure on water resources, both in terms of quantity and quality. High-quality water will therefore be reserved primarily for drinking water. Among the options for achieving sustainable water management, in addition to sobriety, the use of recycled water represents a new source of non-conventional water. This perspective first requires a change in mindset, where wastewater must no longer be considered as waste, but rather as a new resource to be managed according to needs within a specific system of risk and system management. It then calls for new governance and a change in practices, where the service rendered to the receiving environment must also be taken into account. The valorization of these non-conventional waters is mainly carried out by membrane processes, which is IEM’s expertise, while risk analysis and financial econometrics are MRE’s competencies. Social sciences are crucial disciplines to envision the circular economy of water and its recycling.

As part of an interdisciplinary collaboration between the social sciences and the chemical sciences of Montpellier University departments, this research project focuses on the circular economy of water, and more specifically its recycling.

The postdoctoral fellow recruited will be part of social science research laboratory named Montpellier Research in Economics (MRE) laboratory (https://mre.edu.umontpellier.fr/ ), and will be funded by the Chemistry LabUM at the University of Montpellier. He/she will work closely with the IEM Membrane Process Engineering team.

Main mission:

The person recruited will be tasked with creating various scenarios linked to water recycling, enabling the simulation of economic mechanisms that could lead to the integration of water recycling at different geographical scales.

The main objective of this new project is to measure the “lost” value of not recycling water at the end of the treatment plant. Could quantifying the damage to a community of not recycling water creates new market opportunities? What would be gained by recycling water?

Activities:

The person recruited will carry out the following tasks in collaboration with members of the Montpellier Recherche en Economie (MRE) laboratory (https://mre.edu.umontpellier.fr/ ), and in coordination with the IEM, involved in the above-mentioned project:

– Bibliometric analysis of the literature on the circular economy, in particular as applied to water, in order to establish a cartography. 

– Database formatting and cleaning: data processing and matching of data from various sources 

– Theoretical and empirical analyses of the economic mechanisms driving investment in innovative water recycling technologies; valuation and new business models.

– Contribution to the writing of scientific articles (theoretical and empirical)

Requirements

Research Field

Environmental science » Water science

Education Level

PhD or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

We are looking for a post-doctoral student with a strong taste for research and applications in the field of economics, with expertise in water economics.

A good knowledge of the tools of economic analysis, in particular industrial organization, game theory, information and contract economics, and risk economics.

Mastery of data processing tools and econometric techniques. A good level of programming in Python and associated environment/tools will be a plus.

Proficiency in data processing software (R or Stata).

Ability to synthesize and write.

Specific Requirements

Knowledge of the research and innovation landscape in circular economy, water economics and environmental economics will be appreciated.

 

 

Additional Information
Eligibility criteria

Post-doctoral candidate with a PhD in either :

– in economics, with solid experience in the field of innovation and the circular economy 

– in water and environmental engineering, with a strong interest in economic issues

Selection process

Please send your CV and cover letter by email before 12/15/2023.

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

University of Montpellier

Country

France

Geofield

Where to apply

E-mail

[email protected]

Contact

City

Montpellier

Website

http://www.umontpellier.fr/

Street

163 rue Auguste Broussonnet

Postal Code

34000

STATUS: EXPIRED