Senior Research Fellow in Spatial Policy and Natural Resources Governance at UNIVERSITY OF BOTSWANA

OKAVANGO RESEARCH INSTITUTE (MAUN)

VACANCY NO: ORI 07/2024

The Okavango Research Institute (ORI) of the University of Botswana is inviting applications for a position of Senior Research Fellow in Spatial Policy and Natural Resources Governance. The Institute is based in Maun in the north-western part of Botswana and specializes in natural resources management, sustainable natural resource use and conservation in the world-famous Okavango Delta and the Kgalagadi (Kalahari) region.

Duties: (i) Evolving interests in the resources of the Okavango Delta are leading to new patterns of human settlement and resources use. These activities have varied impacts on ecosystems and traditional patterns of resources management. The successful candidate will conduct research, undertake teaching, and provide service in governance and social engagement on spatial implications of some/all of the following issues: resources governance, governance policy and legal framework on land use; population flows; migration; human settlement patterns; service delivery; problems of human settlement; spatial implications of household livelihood strategies/options, dynamics of rural-urban settlement interactions. The successful candidate will also be expected to contribute effectively to the cross-cutting themes as defined in the ORI Strategic Plan; raise research funds from funding agencies within and outside the country; (ii) supervise graduate students and participate in taught programmes offered at the Institute; (iii) work with other researchers in physical, life , and social sciences, to improve the region’s capacity to understand and adapt to change; (iv) write papers in international peer reviewed journals; (v) regularly attend national and international conferences; (vi) participate in ORI’s efforts to develop and facilitate services in Spatial Policy and Natural Resources Governance; and vii) develop outreach materials to facilitate the dissemination of Spatial Policy and Natural Resources Governance information to policy makers and civic society.

Requirements: Applicants should possess the following: (i) a PhD in Urban and Regional Planning, Environmental Science, Natural Resources Management, Land Use Planning, Geography or  related fields with strong knowledge and use of GIS as a land use planning and analysis tool; (ii) minimum of 10 pieces of research products (e.g., journal articles, book chapters, peer reviewed conference proceedings, etc.) published by recognised publishers; (iii) Seven (7) of the 10 publications above must be articles in refereed/accredited journals indexed in internationally recognized indexing databases; (iv) the remaining 3 publications could be journal articles, book chapters, peer reviewed conference proceedings etc.; (v) the candidate must be first author in at least half of the required journal publications, depending on the disciplinary expectations; (vi) sustained research output: a minimum of 5 peer reviewed publications (journal articles, book chapters, peer reviewed conference proceedings, etc.) every two years shall constitute sustained research output; (vii) a record of publications (journal articles, book chapters, peer reviewed conference proceedings, etc.) in the field of Spatial Policy and Natural Resources Governance;(viii) scholarly presentations at national and/or international conferences; (ix) publications are spread across national and/or international journals; (x) some research impact, including but not limited to citations, the h-index, patents, policy applications, peer reviews, publications that are prescribed texts in other institutions, etc (at least one of these is required); (xi) recognized as being of at least national research standing (e.g. reviewer for refereed/ accredited national and regional publishers; editorial board member of at least a national publisher in a relevant field; and invitation as keynote speaker at national and/or international conferences (at least one of these is required). The following will be considered as added advantages: (a) On-going internally and/or externally supported research (e.g., funded/commissioned); (b) research awards and other forms of research recognition, where appropriate; (e) examiner/ moderator/ assessor for undergraduate and/or postgraduate projects nationally.

NB: The curriculum vitae should contain a detailed list of published works, clearly specifying name/s of author and co-authors if any, dates of publications, titles of publications, names of publishers, volume numbers and DOIs (for journal publications) or ISBN numbers (for books, book chapters and conference proceedings), and page numbers. The works should be categorized into books, book chapters, refereed journals, non-refereed works, consultancies, and practical media projects, etc.

Remuneration: The University of Botswana offers competitive salaries and benefits commensurate with experience and qualifications. For more information on the university, please visit our website; www.ub.bw

How to Apply: Letters of applications are to address the qualifications outlined in the advertisement and provide any other information to assist the university to determine the applicant’s suitability for the position.  The applicant should quote the vacancy number of the post applied for; provide current CVs (including telephone, telex and telefax number and e-mail where possible), certified true copies of educational certificates, transcripts and three references, including names and addresses of referees. Applicants should inform their referees to (i) quote the Vacancy Number(s) and Position(s) applied for and (ii) submit their references directly to the below address. Applicants should send their application to: Human Resources Officer, Okavango Research Institute, Private Bag 285 Maun, Botswana. Tel.: +2676817228; Fax.: +2676861835: E-mail: ori_recruitment@ub.ac.bw/basiangy@ub.ac.bw. Hand delivered applications should be submitted to the HR Office, Admin Porta cabin. 

Please note that applications with incomplete information shall not be processed.

NB: Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted

Closing Dates:  8 October 2024