The Global Climate Forum (GCF) is a non-profit research institute based in Berlin that brings together representatives of different parties concerned with climate change including energy industries, insurances, policy-makers, environmental NGOs, and scientists in order to carry out joint studies that support climate mitigation and adaptation policies. The Research Process Adaptation and Social Learning (ASL) at GCF conducts internationally leading work on the economics and governance of sea-level rise and coastal adaptation from local to global scales. The process is led by PD Dr. Jochen Hinkel, who co-leads work on coastal adaptation in the United Nations World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) and has been Lead Author on coastal adaptation in the last two Assessment Reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). ASL also coordinates the development of the DIVA Modelling Framework, which is a global, integrated model of coastal systems co-developed among a number of European research institutes.
In the context of the two new collaborative research projects Seascape II, funded by the German Science Foundation (DFG), and CoCliCo, funded by the European Commission, ASL is seeking a PhD student to work on the economic analysis of coastal adaptation decisions in the face of rising mean and extreme sea-levels. A special emphasis lies on methods that take into account the economic value of learning over time (e.g., real option analysis). Towards this end, the successful candidate will collaborate with world-class sea-level scholars as well as coastal decision makers.
The position has a duration of 3 years, with the possibility of extension. The PhD would be obtained at the Division of Resource Economics at the Thaer Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences at Humboldt University in Berlin, where Hinkel is an external professor (Privatdozent). A salary will be paid according to German University standards (TV-L13 50%).
The successful candidate is expected to have a Master degree with excellent results in economics or related fields, a good command of a major programming language (e.g. Java, Julia, Python, R), good understanding of statistical, econometric and mathematical methods (e.g., numerical simulation and dynamic optimization) and excellent oral and written commands of the English language. A backgrounds in economic decision analysis would be a strong asset.
We offer the opportunity to work in a high-profile, internationally recognized research institute within a global network of world-leading researchers on social and economic aspects of climate change, as well as national and international organizations concerned with climate change. The successful candidate will join a young, friendly and highly motivated transdisciplinary working environment in central Berlin within the Mercator Center Berlin, which unites a range of research institutes and NGOs addressing climate change.
Applications should include a cover letter, CV and certificates as a single PDF, as well as a PDF of a single-authored publication of the applicant (e.g., master thesis, journal paper).
Applications shall be received no later than 15 February 2021 by e-mail to Daniel Lincke (daniel.lincke@globalclimateforum.org). The job interviews will take place online in the weeks of 22 February and 1 March. For further information please contact Daniel Lincke or Jochen Hinkel.