M/F – Transformative sciences and practices for Habitable and Just Planet: a South to North perspective

Job Description

Missions

The PEPR TRANSFORM programme, led by the CNRS and IRD and funded by France 2030, aims to contribute, through a transformational research approach, to addressing the challenges posed by current trajectories that are degrading the living conditions and well-being of humans and other living beings on Earth.

The programme pursues three complementary ambitions: (i) to deepen our understanding of the biophysical and social conditions of habitability; (ii) to strengthen the co-production of knowledge between researchers and local and regional stakeholders, with a view to fostering transformations towards greater sustainability and habitability; and (iii) to better understand interactions across scales, from the local to the global and from the global to the local, in order to encourage socio-ecological experimentation and draw on the diversity of these experiences to conceptualise transformation from a systemic perspective.

PEPR TRANSFORM is built around two main pillars: on the one hand, the establishment and development of Terrestrial Laboratories (TLs) in both the Global North and the Global South, conceived as spaces for experimentation, knowledge production, and transformation; and on the other, the creation of an “Institute for a Habitable and Just Earth”, intended to connect these Terrestrial Laboratories and explore interactions across scales.

Based in South Africa, the position is affiliated with Targeted Project 1 of the PEPR, “Establishment and Implementation of the Institute for a Habitable and Just Earth”, and will work in close collaboration with Targeted Project 5, which focuses on the South–North co-design of Terrestrial Laboratories. The position aims to strengthen the integration of experiences and contributions from the Global South into the conceptualisation of sustainability and habitability developed within the Institute, as well as into the analysis and experimentation of transformative practices.

Working within a multidisciplinary and international team, the successful candidate's primary responsibility will be to document, compare, and conceptualise transformative approaches, experiences, and practices developed or emerging in the Global South, with the aim of facilitating dialogue, knowledge exchange, and the transfer of these practices between the various Terrestrial Laboratories of the PEPR and within the Institute.

In collaboration with other recruited team members, the successful candidate will also lead a cross-cutting initiative focused on theoretical education and practical training within the Institute for a Habitable and Just Earth.

This collaborative platform will aim to create spaces for dialogue between the different theoretical frameworks and scientific communities engaged in transformative sciences; strengthen connections with non-academic stakeholders (artists, managers, elected representatives, associations, and local communities); and develop and disseminate diverse action-research practices.

In particular, the successful candidate will contribute to facilitating:

1\. Critical reflection on the relationships between habitability and justice (social and ecological), bringing together perspectives from different regions of the world and from the various categories of stakeholders involved in the Terrestrial Laboratories.

2\. Capacity building in transformation science and transformative practices, drawing on recent research (e.g., the IPBES Transformative Change Assessment, futures studies, etc.), with particular emphasis on highlighting experiences, knowledge systems, and perspectives from the Global South and fostering dialogue between these and those of the Global North.

Through their location in South Africa, the successful candidate will contribute to enhancing the international visibility and reach of PEPR TRANSFORM and the Institute for a Habitable and Just Earth, particularly across the Global South.

They will participate in relevant international scientific networks and events (such as the Transformation Community, SocSES, and Future Earth) and may contribute to the design and organisation of events in Southern Africa that promote scientific exchange and networking among stakeholders engaged in socio-ecological transformations.

Activity

- Participate in the design and facilitation of spaces for dialogue to explore the concepts of Earth's habitability and justice, bringing together the diverse stakeholders involved in PEPR TRANSFORM through the Terrestrial Laboratories in the Global South and Global North.
- Contribute to the mapping and documentation of transformative approaches implemented within the Terrestrial Laboratories, particularly in the Global South, and design and facilitate spaces for South–North dialogue that enable the examination and comparison of different practices.
- Co-develop conceptual frameworks and analytical tools to define, document, and compare different transformative practices, as well as to identify key points of intervention and the levers of transformation being mobilised.
- Contribute to the design and implementation of methodological and critical training programmes on transformation science and transformative practices, with the aim of equipping PEPR partners with a shared theoretical foundation and a common toolkit of facilitation methods.
- Facilitate South–North exchanges and contribute to the collaborative exploration of new approaches to research-creation and transformative experimentation in local and regional contexts.
- Contribute to the scientific and practical dissemination and impact of PEPR TRANSFORM, particularly through the publication of scientific articles, as well as the production of synthesis reports, methodological resources, and materials intended for the scientific community, local and regional stakeholders, and public policymakers.

Your Profil

Skills

- PhD in environmental sciences, life sciences, or sustainability science, with an interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary profile.

- Proficiency in facilitation tools for transdisciplinary approaches, as well as theoretical frameworks associated with the study of social-ecological systems, in multicultural settings, particularly in the Global South.

- Demonstrated experience in interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary collaborative work, particularly in initiatives bringing together social and ecological sciences, academic researchers, and non-academic stakeholders.

- Experience in theoretical and empirical research on the transformation of social-ecological systems.

- Established connections and experience in facilitating international networks focused on transformation (e.g., Transformation Community, SocSES, Future Earth).

- Strong analytical, synthesis, and scientific writing skills, with mandatory proficiency in both spoken and written French and English.

- Ability to supervise students at Master's level or above.

Your Work Environment

The successful candidate will join the PEPR TRANSFORM Priority Research Programme and Equipment initiative, funded under the fourth Investments for the Future Programme (PIA4) of France 2030.
They will be hosted at IRL REHABS, located in George, South Africa. Being based in Southern Africa is a central aspect of the position and will help strengthen scientific exchanges and collaborations with the Terrestrial Laboratories and PEPR partners in the Global South.
The successful candidate will be expected to travel within Southern Africa, particularly to Zimbabwe (Hwange Long-Term Socio-Ecological Research Site – Zone Atelier Hwange) and potentially to Madagascar (LMI Paysages), as well as to spend regular periods in Paris at the future Institute for a Habitable and Just Earth, which will be hosted at the Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris (CIUP).
This presence at CIUP, totalling approximately three months over the duration of the contract, will also contribute to the implementation and promotion of the Institute through various training activities, research-creation initiatives, workshops, and experimental projects conducted within CIUP. These activities will draw on the diversity of stakeholders based in its numerous residential houses (maisons) and will be carried out in collaboration with other PEPR members.
Travel expenses and costs associated with these assignments will be covered by the programme, in accordance with the applicable regulations

Constraints and risks

No major risks

Compensation and benefits

Compensation

From 3041€ to 4216€ gross accoring to experience + IRE (Abroad residence indemnity)

Annual leave and RTT

44 jours

Remote Working practice and compensation

Pratique et indemnisation du TT

Transport

Prise en charge à 75% du coût et forfait mobilité durable jusqu’à 300€

About the offer

About the CNRS

The CNRS is a major player in fundamental research on a global scale. The CNRS is the only French organization active in all scientific fields. Its unique position as a multi-specialist allows it to bring together different disciplines to address the most important challenges of the contemporary world, in connection with the actors of change.

CNRS

The research professions