Researcher in small-scale fisheries in East Africa, 20%

Are you interested in working with urban fisheries and other types of small-scale fisheries in East Africa, with the support of competent and friendly colleagues in an international environment? Are you looking for an employer that invests in sustainable employeeship and offers safe, favourable working conditions? We welcome you to apply for a research position in small-scale fisheries in East Africa at Uppsala University.

The Department of Earth Sciences at Uppsala University is Sweden´s largest and most versatile department of its kind with approximately 280 employees. Our activities are interdisciplinary and combine natural science and technology with social science. We have research programs in air, water and landscape science; geophysics; natural resources and sustainable development; petrology, mineralogy and tectonics; paleobiology, and wind energy. By investigating the history of Earth, we understand how our planet has developed over time and how sustainable development benefits from this knowledge. For more information: The Department of Earth Sciences

The Department of Earth Sciences operates in two locations: in Uppsala and in Visby. The researcher position is at Campus Gotland in Visby within the research program Natural Resources and Sustainable Development NRHU. Campus Gotland is an international campus in the UNESCO World Heritage city of Visby on the island of Gotland in the middle of the Baltic Sea.

The research position is part of the UrbanFishEries project (2024-2026). The project aims to assess the social-ecological challenges and opportunities for sustaining coastal small-scale fisheries (SSF), food security, and food safety along urbanizing coasts in East Africa under climate change. There is a striking paucity of knowledge on the interplay between urbanization, SSF and climate change, particularly from the Global South. The project focuses on case studies in Zanzibar Town (Tanzania) and Mombasa (Kenya), comparing urban and rural contexts to analyse climatic and social drivers of SSF livelihoods, aquatic food availability and safety, and the future of these fisheries in an urbanizing and climate- impacted world. The project is in close collaboration with Kenyan and Tanzanian colleagues.

Duties
The researcher will design, plan, and conduct data collection, including participatory research, interviews, and surveys. The researcher will analyze data, including environmental and economic modelling, and produce high-quality scientific articles suitable for publication in journals, for presentation at scientific conferences and other relevant events. The work should be planned to contribute to the broader goals of the UrbanFishEries project and provide insights for policymakers and fisheries managers. The researcher is expected to be in Visby

Requirements
PhD degree in environmental science, environmental economics, fisheries economics, aquatic environments, natural resource management, fisheries, or social-ecological systems, or a foreign degree equivalent to a PhD degree described above. Very good communication skills in English, both spoken and written, are required. The ability to travel to Kenya and Tanzania and work in the field with local partners is required.

Additional qualifications
Knowledge of or experience with issues related to fisheries, blue foods, urbanisation, climate change, fisheries economics, aquatic environments, environmental monitoring, and coastal zone management is meritorious. Extensive knowledge of environmental and economic modelling will be particularly meritorious. Experience in working with interdisciplinary approaches and the use of conceptual and analytical frameworks is also beneficial. Knowledge in statistics and analytical skills, as well as proven creativity and the ability to collaborate both within and outside academia, are meritorious. Familiarity with working in East Africa is advantageous.

About the employment
The employment is a temporary position, 12 months. Scope of employment 20 %. Starting date 1 September 2025 or as agreed. Placement: Visby

For further information about the position, please contact: Dr. Lina Mtwana Nordlund, Lina. Mtwana.Nordlund@geo.uu.se.

Please submit your application by 11 July 2025, UFV-PA 2025/2194.

About Campus Gotland: Uppsala University Campus Gotland offers the best of two worlds: the full-scale university’s broad offering and weight and a unique, small-scale campus in an interdisciplinary research environment. Campus Gotland is a hub for the University’s research and education in sustainability. Find out what it’s like to live on Gotland.

Are you considering moving to Sweden to work at Uppsala University? Find out more about what it´s like to work and live in Sweden.