The University of Virginia’s (UVA) Environmental Institute (EI) is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate to support its interdisciplinary “Building Affordable Climate-Resilient Futures” Project.

Implementing need-responsive regulations will be central to realizing more quality, resilient, and affordable housing to advance climate and anti-poverty policy. Policy responses that inadequately address how regulation pushes households seeking more affordable housing to the outer edges of metropolitan areas contributes to sprawl, which risks long commutes and its attendant high greenhouse gas emissions.

This mixed methods “Building Affordable Climate-Resilient Futures” research project will examine what kinds of reform are likely to increase climate-resilient affordable housing supply where it is needed and for those that most need it.

The Postdoctoral Research Associate will contribute significantly to producing a series of case studies that allow for modeling the effects (including costs and benefits) of several reform scenarios on the environment and populations of interest (primarily low- and middle-income households). Insights drawn from the work may inform best practice approaches to housing policy at the local and state levels.

The successful Postdoctoral Research Associate will work with Architecture, Engineering, Law, and Urban and Environmental Planning experts to engage the complexity and enormity of the “what reform will work” question in selected local geographies. The Postdoc will explore the context of localized demand and existing supply, supplementing existing analysis as needed to consider climate effects, and then explore the effects of regulation on the full cycle of building—from siting to construction—in specific Virginia localities with robust data and mixed methods.

Eligibility and Selection Process:

General Expectations

Applicants must have received or will receive their doctoral degree by the beginning of their appointment; we prefer candidates who have received their degree within five years prior to the start of the appointment.

There is no citizenship requirement. UVA will help sponsor candidate visas covering the duration of the postdoc.

The successful Postdoctoral Research Associate will be appointed for one year with the possibility of second year funding, contingent on the successful completion of a first-year performance evaluation.

Applicants seeking to be considered for the Postdoctoral Research Associate role for this project will be evaluated on three main criteria: the strength of their research. their ability to collaborate across disciplines; and their commitment to finding equitable solutions for climate adaptation and mitigation.

Project-Specific Competencies

The ideal candidate must demonstrate the following research skills and competencies.

Training and expertise in one of the various policy and disciplinary domains (housing policy, using either quantitative or mixed methods or environmental policy, using mixed methods to examine climate change and its effects).

Must be willing to conduct interviews or have some prior training in qualitative research methods even if they have no prior experience conducting interviews.

Demonstrable skills in relevant statistical analysis (regression analysis) and familiarity with statistical software packages (e.g., Stata) and/or relevant coding language (e.g., Python or R) to analyze data, and visualize data analysis.

Preference will be given to a candidate with experience designing spatial analysis methodologies using raster math, density mapping, interpolation, remote sensing, multi-criteria evaluation, spatial statistics, network analyses, participatory GIS, and geographically weighted regression.

The EI Postdoc Model

Once selected, the Postdoctoral Research Associate will join a cohort of other Climate Fellows Program postdocs at UVA and will receive professional training, technical support, and computational infrastructure tailored to their project, for two (2) years. The postdoc will receive direct mentoring from at least two UVA faculty members in different disciplines to help them build cross-disciplinary fluency in support of their own research. They will join a network of faculty members from 30 departments in 12 schools across UVA focused on producing research and providing training that is both great and good at the intersection of climate change and human well-being. 

Starting salary: $69,000/year

Research Funds: $5,000/year

We partner with the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs, UVA’s Career Center, and staff across the university to provide career development and extracurricular opportunities to student and postdoctoral faculty. 

About the Institute:

The UVA Environmental Institute is the hub of interdisciplinary environmental research at the university. We provide seed funding, research experiences, and training to faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and students from the university’s 12 schools. With a focus on impactful research, the Institute and its collaborators are committed to our mission to support interdisciplinary research and training that is both great and good at the intersection of climate change and human well-being, while ensuring that the full spectrum of human attributes, perspectives, identities, backgrounds, and disciplines is represented and making an explicit effort to diversify voices in finding equitable solutions for climate adaptation and mitigation.

The University of Virginia is rated as one of the top three public universities in the nation and in the top 30 among all universities, public and private. Charlottesville is frequently cited as one of the best cities in which to live and work. The University of Virginia is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer.

To Apply: 

External Applicants: Apply online, and search for ‘R0069375.’ Complete an application online and attach the following: 

CV/Resumé 

Cover Letter, describing your research interest and how it aligns with the project.

Personal Statement (highly encouraged, but not required): use this statement to reflect on your academic and research trajectory.

Contact information for three (3) references (name, email, telephone, and address). 

Internal UVA Applicants: Please apply through your Workday Home page, search “Find UVA Jobs” and search R0069375.  

Application Timeline: 

Application Opens: January 30, 2025

Early application reviews will begin after February 15, 2025 

For questions about the position, please contact Henry Boachi, Program Manager, at henryb@virginia.edu. 

For questions regarding the application process, please contact Jessica Speth, Academic Recruiter, at js9rk@virginia.edu. 

The University of Virginia, including the UVA Health System which represents the UVA Medical Center, Schools of Medicine and Nursing, UVA Physician’s Group and the Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, are fundamentally committed to the diversity of our faculty and staff.  We believe diversity is excellence expressing itself through every person's perspectives and lived experiences.  We are equal opportunity and affirmative action employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, veteran or military status, and family medical or genetic information.