Postdoctoral Fellowship Opportunity:
Adaptation Pathways Researcher

Saint Mary's University - TransCoastal Adaptations Centre for Nature-based Solutions

Time frame: January 6, 2025 - December 31, 2025
Start date: January 6, 2025 Salary: $58,240 (plus benefits) Status: Full-time (35 hours/week)
Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia

Saint Mary’s University is inviting application to a one-year postdoctoral fellowship focused on developing Adaptation Pathways for coastal climate adaptation. Anticipated start date is January 6, 2025, with a duration of 1 year (January 6, 2025 - December 31, 2025, with opportunity for annual contract renewal in 2026 and 2027. Maximum position duration of 3 years).

The position is based at Saint Mary’s University (SMU) in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada with TransCoastal Adaptations: Centre for Nature-Based Solutions, led by Dr. Danika van Proosdij. This is a collaborative project with CLIMAtlantic. The selected candidate will be mentored by Dr. Danika van Proosdij (SMU), work with CLIMAtlantic staff and additional project partners’ support.

Project Description:

As the threats of climate change increase in magnitude, scope and complexity, defining and selecting adaptation options is not only becoming more important, but also more challenging. How do we know which option or options are the right fit? Future visioning and collaborative solution-building, using an adaptation pathways approach with stakeholders and rightsholders, will be used to map out the different options, threats, pressures and other considerations that could play a role in choosing one adaptation strategy over another.

Making Adaptation Count: Broadening Efforts, Making Connections, and Combining Resources is a collaboration between Dr. Danika van Proosdij at SMU, and CLIMAtlantic, using TCA’s flagship project, Making Room for Wetlands, as a case study for adaptation pathways in Nova Scotia. Over the course of this project, the team will develop an adaptation pathways visualisation with different adaptation options that grow in complexity over time, mapped over a timeline to 2100, reducing avoidable maladaptation.

The objectives are:

1. Co-development of at least one adaptations pathways roadmap tailored to communities that are part of the Making Room for Wetlands project.
2. Enhanced abilities of project team and partners for long-term thinking, proactive planning, and complex climate action.
3. Reflection of different voices and perspectives in adaptation, address inequities, and support characteristics of coastal community resilience.
4. Leave a legacy of an adaptation process that works for a multistakeholder, nature-based climate adaptation project.

Making Room for Wetlands is a climate change adaptation and tidal wetland restoration project focused on increasing resiliency in dykeland communities of the Bay of Fundy. This project will provide climate change mitigation and adaptation benefits through the application of nature-based solutions, including managed dyke realignment, tidal wetland restoration, and/or improved drainage options. It will also improve the resilience of the surrounding communities, infrastructure, and agricultural lands to climate change by allowing for the natural migration of wetlands in response to sea-level rise, reducing flood and erosion risks.

Project partners in addition to SMU and CLIMAtlantic include CB Wetlands & Environmental Specialists Inc. (CBWES), the Confederation of Mainland Mi’kmaw (CMM), Carleton University, and the Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture (NSDA).

Postdoctoral Position:

The postdoctoral fellow will be responsible for leading the co-creation of adaptation pathways roadmap and visualization which lay out and attempt to align the needs of stakeholders in the Making Room for Wetlands project in the Bay of Fundy dykelands. They will coordinate collection of technical and engagement data to quantify the pressures on adaptation in these areas over the timeline (present - year 2100). This includes coordinating research activities, analyses and supporting public engagement and community outreach. The PDF will be encouraged and supported to prepare manuscript for publication in a peer reviewed journal.

Responsibilities:

• Develop an Adaptation Pathways model that can be applied to the project area and other dykeland areas in the region.
• Integrate adaptation pathways into the Making Room for Wetlands project, while enhancing and leading the team and project partners in their understanding of the concepts of adaptation pathways.
• Create a future vision for adaptation in a region and clearly identify the steps required to achieve it.
• Provide expertise to the other case study projects of the wider Adaptation Pathways project, led by CLIMAtlantic.
• Analysis, writing and synthesis of case studies and presentation of final model at regional or national conferences.
• Lead workshops with the target communities to gather data for the adaptation pathway and contribute to the coordination of community meetings for other public engagement and outreach of the Making Room For Wetlands project.

TransCoastal Adaptations and Saint Mary’s University:

TransCoastal Adaptations is a Centre of Expertise for nature-based adaptation approaches to climate change, based out of Saint Mary’s University (SMU) in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Our mission is to help build climate resilient coastal communities and ecosystems by protecting, enhancing, and restoring natural processes through innovative research and collaboration, implementing nature-based adaptation and natural infrastructure solutions. We are a multi-disciplinary team and collaborate with various partners from academics, government, NGOs and others. There will be opportunities to work with a large team and use innovative technologies to understand how nature-based solutions can help reduce risk from climate change impacts. Our projects range from managed dyke realignment and tidal wetland restoration to beneficial reuse of dredge material and living shorelines. For more information, visit https://www.transcoastaladaptations.com.

Saint Mary’s University was founded in 1802 and is located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the economic and cultural centre of Canada’s East coast. Halifax was recently ranked the best place to live in Canada (MacLean’s Magazine, 2021). The University has a long tradition of academic excellence in teaching and research. With a campus of more than 7,000 students from over 115 countries, Saint Mary’s University is recognized as having one of the most internationalized student populations in Canada. The Faculty of Science at Saint Mary’s is known for its state-of-the-art research facilities and award-winning faculty, who are leaders in their research fields.

CLIMAtlantic: CLIMAtlantic facilitates access to information and tools that enable Atlantic Canadians to support adaptation decision-making through collaboration, networking, partnerships, and communication. CLIMAtlantic is part of a national network of climate services organizations and works with the four provincial governments and the federal government, as well as regional stakeholders and rightsholders.

The candidate:

The successful candidate will have experience in the following:

• PhD in a discipline related to the postdoctoral research (Climate Change Adaptation, Geography, Sociology, Environmental Studies, or cognate discipline);
• Data for climate projections, flood modelling (where applicable), cost-related data for different adaptation options, demographics, and other data from engagement sessions or surveys;
• Knowledge and interest in nature-based climate change adaptation strategies;
• Ability to troubleshoot unexpected problems and co-develop innovative solutions;
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing;
• Demonstrated ability to work as part of a team and contribute to team cohesion;
• Demonstrated ability to sense-make using different perspectives and knowledge areas;
• Strong data management and organizational skills;
• Strong facilitation skills and varied experiences in stakeholder and public engagement;
• Established publication record.

The ideal candidate would also have knowledge of the range of Nova Scotia coastal landscapes and projected climate change impacts upon them, as well as experience with:

• Social science research methods such as interviews, workshops and/or focus groups, including experience with relevant ethics approvals;
• Public engagement and outreach;
• Project management; and,
• Working with diverse (sometimes divergent) groups of stakeholders and large projects.

Preliminary inquiries are welcome. Inquiries and applications should be directed to Madison Marshall (email: madison.marshall@smu.ca) and Stephanie Arnold (email: stephanie.arnold@climatlantic.ca).

Please submit your application package to Madison Marshall (email: madison.marshall@smu.ca) and cc Dr. Danika van Proosdij (email: dvanproo@smu.ca) by the deadline of November 26, 2024 at 5:00 PM
AST. Application package should include a cover letter, curriculum vitae, a writing example, and contact information for three references.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply. Applicants must be eligible to work in Canada. Saint Mary’s University is committed to the principles of Employment Equity. We encourage applications from qualified women, visible minorities, Aboriginal people, and people with disabilities. International applications are welcome.

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