The Institute of Philosophy in Bern invites applications for a 4-year fully funded postdoc position in feminist philosophy of climate science, starting 1 September 2024 (or as soon as possible thereafter). The position is funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation through Prof. Julie Jebeile’s SNF PRIMA Grant project “Climate Change Adaptation through the Feminist Kaleidoscope — Toward a Feminist Philosophy of Climate Science”. The salary is competitive. Travel and further research funding is available.
Requirements
Candidates hold a PhD in philosophy; the PhD must be in hand from the start of the position. They have a background in feminist epistemology. Ideally, they also have skills in one or more of these domains: philosophy of climate science, epistemology of Indigenous and local knowledge, climate ethics, environmental philosophy, climate science. Excellent skills in English are required.
They will conduct their work in relation to the project independently but also in collaboration with the other team members and collaborators of the project. They are eager for philosophical and interdisciplinary collaborations (feminist epistemologists, climate scientists and providers of climate services) and for collective activities (papers, organisation of workshops, teaching). They are ready to implement transdisciplinary methods in their philosophical research. The selected candidate will also be affiliated to the Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research which constitutes a great opportunity for fruitful interdisciplinary collaborations. Applications from underrepresented groups in academic philosophy are of course strongly encouraged.
How to apply
Applications should be submitted to julie.jebeile@unibe.ch and contain (1) a motivation letter detailing the research interests and experience, (2) a CV, (3) a one-page research statement (excluding references) describing the research to be pursued within the project, (4) a writing sample such as a paper or a book chapter. Two reference letters are expected and should be directly sent by the referees. Review of the applications will start on 15 April 2024 and will continue until the position is filled. Interviews will take place online.
Summary of the project
Today, a major challenge for climate science and climate services is to provide adaptation information at fine geographical scales that addresses the diversity of concerns, needs and values of people. However, there is a so-called usability gap between the projections that climate models yield, and what people need to know to get prepared for the changing climate. This raises intertwined epistemic and ethical issues, insofar as climate change threatens to increase social inequalities and injustices. The project aims to employ the recommendations from feminist epistemologies in order to investigate how adaptation information can meet the needs of stakeholders in a reliable but also a fair way. First, we will study how the values of stakeholders can be taken into account in climate services, while maintaining scientific objectivity. Second, we will study how the plural development of alternative modelling strategies can document the environmental, ecosystemic and socioeconomic aspects of climate change. Third, we will explore how Indigenous and local knowledge provide usable adaptation information for local communities. Fourth, we will study the attempts to overcome epistemic injustice which, in the context of climate science, might well be a form of climate injustice.
For further details regarding the project and the position, please contact Prof. Julie Jebeile (julie.jebeile@unibe.ch).