Call for Expression of Interest for
2 Post-doc researcher positions in Economics
@University of Firenze (DISEI)
@Roma Tre University
Keywords: multi-scale integrated assessment models, environmentally extended input-output, water resources and climate change, ecosystem services, system dynamics, policy scenario analysis, numerical simulations, international trade, bioeconomy.
Within the research project “MUlti-scale modelization toward Socio-ecological Transition for Water Management (MUST4Water),” supported by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (PRIN – PNRR), the Department of Economics and Management at the University of Florence, the Department of Economics at Roma Tre, and the School of Agricultural, Forest, Food, and Environmental Sciences at the University of Basilicata, is actively seeking to appoint 2 skilled postdoctoral researchers in the field of Economics. The positions, anticipated to span 12 months initially (with potential for extension), are projected to commence around December 2023. The remuneration for these roles is an annual gross salary starting from 30,000 Euros, roughly corresponding to a net monthly remittance of 1,800 Euros.
Applicants are required to hold a PhD in Economics or disciplines related to the research topics, and those who are in the final stages of completing their PhD will also be considered. Prospective candidates are invited to express their interest by completing the below indicated Form, which will ensure they receive prompt notification once the official call for applications is released.
APPLY HERE: https://forms.gle/dvx9jeoTrshqDrps5
Project “MUST4Water”
The project seeks to identify and address the following questions: How do the Italian regional socio-economic structure and its relative water use react and adapt to the international context and climate change? What are the social welfare effects due to local and intra-annual water scarcity? What are the sustainable and efficient boundaries for current and future water use, and how can technological innovation improve sustainability and resilience? What are the tradeoffs among policy objectives, and how can multiple policy instruments be used to achieve multiple socio-ecological objectives?
The project comprises three distinct research units, each overseen by Dr. Tiziano Distefano (Principal Investigator, University of Florence), Prof. Luca Salvatici (University Roma Tre), and Prof. Mauro Viccaro (University of Basilicata). The research team includes other scholars, namely Benedetto Rocchi, Mario Biggeri, Donato Romano, Giorgia Giovannetti, Enrico Marvasi, Adele Coppola, Silvia Nenci, and Cristina Vaquero among others.
- The position at the University of FLORENCE
The overall goal of this project is to develop a new multi-scale modelization approach with a focus on the impact of technological progress on water efficiency. The final aim is to provide quantitative evidence to support policy decisions and stakeholders’ awareness. It will compare alternative climate-technology-policy scenarios through multiple socioeconomic and environmental indicators. Specifically, a detailed description of linkages between hydrological and socioeconomic systems provides tools for modelling natural (e.g. impact of climate change on natural supply level and variability) and policy (concessions systems, quality of water regulation) scenarios.
Postdoctoral researcher is expected to collaborate to contextualize and extend the EUROGREEN model (D’alessandro et al. 2020) to account for geographical and inter-regional spatial heterogeneity in Italy, as outlined in the work by Distefano et al. (2022). Originally designed to analyze the long-term effects of various policy scenarios on polluting emissions, income inequality, and public deficits, the Eurogreen model underscores that emission reductions come with significant trade-offs in terms of social costs (e.g., increased unemployment and income inequality) or strain on public budgets.
The researcher will concentrate on theoretical and empirical aspects. Consequently, candidates with a background in Ecological Economics, Data collection and Programming skills (e.g., Matlab, Python, Vensim), and Integrated Assessment Models implementation are encouraged to apply.
Far any further questions, please contact the responsible for this position, Dr. Distefano Tiziano (tiziano.distefano@unifi.it).
References
D’Alessandro, S., Cieplinski, A., Distefano, T., & Dittmer, K. (2020). Feasible alternatives to green growth. Nat. Sustain., 3(4), 329-335
Distefano, T., Isaza, A. S., Muñoz, E., & Builes, T. (2022). Sub-national water–food–labor nexus in Colombia. Journal of Cleaner Production, 335, 130138.
- The position at Roma Tre University
The objective of the project is to use input-output tables to conduct an ex-ante simulation of the consequences of adaptation policies targeting future environmental changes (climate) and natural endowments, such as water scarcity, especially in the agri-food sector. Agricultural exports from water-stressed regions can contribute to local water shortages at production sites. At the same time, importing countries might be contributing to saving more water if local production requires less efficient techniques. Hence, multi-scale modeling scenarios need to consider the global and regional constraints associated with direct and indirect (i.e., through international trade) natural resource availability in the context of interconnected global markets and economies. Methodologically, this approach should rely on geo-referenced spatial data at the national, subnational, or gridded level and contribute to improving international trade-related policy indicators at the global scale, country level, and sectoral level.
The researcher will work on national and global indicators of global value chains, intermediate trade, exposure to international shocks through cross-border linkages, and international water availability to provide a valuable, informative base. This information will be integrated into general or partial equilibrium models at the global level, i.e., taking into account the international markets. Particular attention will be paid to investigating the coordination between supply and sustainability at the territorial level of productions linked to specific territories and unsuitable for being re-localized. In Italy, this issue is particularly relevant due to the high number of agri-food productions certified as geographical indications that, in the future, will face water scarcity and climate change without changing their localization.
Candidates are expected to have good data analysis skills and familiarity with specialized software such as Stata, R, Matlab, or Python. Previous knowledge and experience with CGE models, such as GTAP and/or SIMPLE or SIMPLE-G (https://mygeohub.org/) frameworks is positively valued.
Far any further questions, please contact the responsible of this position, Prof. Salvatici Luca (luca.salvatici@uniroma3.it).