Resource Nexus for Sustainability Transformations - NEXtra Doctoral Scholarship Programme (Nature Topics)

About United Nations University (UNU)

UNU is an international community of scholars engaged in policy-oriented research, capacity development and dissemination of knowledge in furthering the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. The mission of UNU is to contribute, through research and capacity building, to efforts to resolve the pressing global problems that are the concern of the United Nations and its Member States.

For the past four decades, UNU has been a go-to think tank for impartial research on human survival, conflict prevention, sustainable development, and welfare. With more than 400 researchers in 12 countries, UNU's work spans the 17 Sustainable Development Goals' full breadth, generating policy-relevant knowledge to effect positive global change. UNU maintains more than 200 collaborations with UN agencies and leading universities and research institutions across the globe.

About United Nations University Institute for Integrated Management of Material Fluxes and of Resources (UNU-FLORES)

UNU-FLORES develops strategies to resolve pressing issues in the sustainable use and integrated management of environmental resources such as water, soil, waste, energy, and other geo-resources that are of concern to the United Nations and its Member States – particularly in developing and emerging economies. Based in Dresden, Germany, the Institute engages in research, capacity development, postgraduate teaching, advanced training, and knowledge dissemination to advance the Resource Nexus. 

Opportunities for Doctoral Research

Under the EPOS (Development-Oriented Postgraduate Courses) funding programme, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) will support doctoral candidates (scholarships for 42 months, plus entitlement for a two-month German language course) in the NEXtra programme. The successful candidates will have the opportunity to conduct research work to advance the Resource Nexus and support the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals. Selected students will be jointly supervised by experts from Technische Universitaet Dresden, UNU-FLORES and the Leibniz Institute for Ecological Urban and Regional Development (IOER) and enrolled in one of the Joint Doctoral Programmes of TU Dresden with UNU-FLORES, and/or the Dresden Leibniz Graduate school of IOER. Additionally, students will collaborate with and support the work of the United Nations. Applicants should design their research so that it contributes to actionable sustainability transformations and SDG achievement. In addition to the academic recruitment criteria, applications will be assessed on responsiveness to regional/sub-regional contexts and evidence-based needs.

The NEXtra Doctoral Research offers the opportunity to study under one of the following topics. You may apply to a maximum of 2 subject-related topics. Separate proposals will need to be submitted in the same application.

Topic 1. Transition to new post-mining land-use patterns by striking a balance between ecological restoration and socioeconomic development
Topic 2. Understanding the nexus between urban sprawl, landscape fragmentation, and habitat network connectivity
Topic 3. Integrating Nexus Approaches for Sustainable Water Quality Management in South Africa: A Framework for Decision-Making and Policy Development
Topic 4. Transdisciplinary integration of knowledge for sustainability transformations in regional water management

Topic 5. Biodiversity Offsets, Ecosystem Restoration and Net Gain in Urban Development Context: A Resource Nexus Perspective

Responsibilities

1. Perform research work related to one of the topics listed above

• Develop and implement a suitable and robust research methodology to advance the scientific knowledge within the specific topic;
• Contribute to the advancement of the Resource Nexus approach and strategies for sustainability transformations in the context of the specific topic.

2. Collaborate within NEXtra and with the UN system

• Actively participate in workshops and other events organized within NEXtra;
• Actively engage in information exchange, discussions and strategic collaboration with UN entities related to your topic and region via the Resident Coordinator System as the entry- point;
• Collaborate with other students in NEXtra to exchange knowledge and identify and achieve synergies.

3. Contribute to knowledge dissemination

• Develop strategies for advocacy and the transfer of knowledge to other regions that face similar challenges;
• Research, write and publish papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals;
• Present research findings at scientific implementation-related conferences and similar events;
• Communicate research findings beyond academia, e.g., by outreach to local communities or by publishing at least one transfer-oriented product, such as a policy brief.

4. Support capacity development and educational development

• Contribute to the education/supervision of Master students at the NEXtra partner institutions and/or in the target region/country of the research;
• Contribute to capacity development activities, such as organizing workshops.

5. Perform other duties as assigned by the supervision team.

Key Performance Indicators

• Timely and quality development and implementation of the project plan;
• Timely submission and successful completion of the final Doctoral Thesis;
• Presentation of papers/ posters/briefing notes at conferences, seminars, workshops or similar events;
• Contribute to the positive reputation of the NEXtra consortium as reliable and trustworthy partners among the research community, governments, donors, and civil society;

Competencies

Values:

• Inclusion - Take action to create an environment of dignity and respect for all, regardless of age, culture, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, geography, grade, language, nationality, racial identity, religion, sex, sex characteristics, sexual orientation, social origin or any other aspect of identity.
• Integrity - Act ethically, demonstrating the standards of conduct of the United Nations and taking prompt action in case of witnessing unprofessional or unethical behaviour or any other breach of UN standards.
• Humility - Demonstrate self-awareness and willingness to learn from others.
• Humanity - Act according to the purposes of the United Nations: peace, dignity and equality on a healthy planet.

Behaviours:

• Connect and Collaborate - Build positive relationships with others to advance the work of the United Nations and work coherently as One UN
• Analyse and Plan - Seek out and use data from a wide range of sources to understand problems, inform decision-making, propose evidence-based solutions and plan action
• Deliver Results with Positive Impact - Hold oneself and others accountable for delivering results and making a positive difference to the people and causes that the United Nations serves
• Learn and Develop - Pursue own learning and development and contribute to the learning and development of others
• Adapt and Innovate - Demonstrate flexibility, agility and the ability to think and act in novel ways