PhD position in arctic ecology

Arctic Centre, University of Lapland is seeking to fill a PhD student post for the period 01.04.2004 to 31.12.2007. The student will work full-time as part of a small research team in close cooperation with a geographer and one or more social anthropologists in the Finnish Academy project ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACTS OF INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT IN NORTHERN RUSSIA (ENSINOR).

The research will undertake a multidisciplinary analysis of the social and environmental consequences of energy development in northern Russia. Specifically, this project will make a comparative study of effects of petroleum development in two key federal districts in northwest Russia - Nenets Autonomous Okrug (NAO) and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug (YNAO) - with links to the global level on the basis of scientific and indigenous or local knowledge. NAO and YNAO contain some of Russia’s most productive proven energy sources for the present and the foreseeable future. The extensive gas and oil fields overlap with the homelands of indigenous peoples whose traditional livelihoods – reindeer herding, augmented by fishing, hunting and gathering – are at risk from changes in land use associated with petroleum exploration and exploitation.

Salary will be at the Finnish level A20. The project will be based at Arctic Centre in Rovaniemi, Finland, although the student will be expected to register for doctoral studies in the Biology Department, Faculty of Science at the University of Oulu, Finland.

Background should be in some aspect of arctic biology/ecology/geography but most suitable will be experience with arctic plant ecology and, in particular, vegetation science and/or rangeland ecology. Please note: the special nature of this work requires that the student have VERY GOOD OR EXCELLENT RUSSIAN LANGUAGE SKILLS, in addition to spoken and written English. The position will also require excellent social skills and the ability to work alone or in small groups in remote areas for long periods under challenging logistical and physical conditions.

Applicants should arrange for a cover letter, CV and one or two letters of reference to be sent to the project coordinator (address below) by 31 January 2004.

Contact:
Bruce Forbes, Research Professor
Arctic Centre, University of Lapland
Box 122
FIN-96101 Rovaniemi, Finland
Phone: +358-16-341-2710
Fax: +358-16-341-2777
Mobile: +358-40-8479202
E-mail: bforbes@urova.fi