By HARRIET LE BRIS, STEPS Centre member

The ESRC STEPS Centre is pleased to be able to offer one-month postdoctoral fellowships, based here in Sussex.

The ESRC STEPS Centre (Social, Technological and Environmental Pathways to Sustainability) is a global research and policy engagement hub based in Sussex, drawing together researchers at the Institute of Development studies (IDS) and SPRU (Science and Technology Policy Research) with partners in Asia, Africa and Latin America. The STEPS Centre’s overall goal is to help link technology and environmental sustainability with poverty reduction and social justice, in ways that work amidst the complexity, diversity and dynamism of today’s world. The Centre works across three themes (dynamics, governance, designs) and three domains (food and agriculture, health and disease, water and sanitation), and through a variety of field-based projects.

We are pleased to offer the opportunity for postdoctoral researchers to engage with the STEPS Centre during a one month period based in Sussex. To apply, from any part of the world, you should have completed your doctorate within the last three years. You should have an original, exciting research interest, idea or plan which engages with some aspect of the Centre’s work. As a postdoctoral fellow, you will work closely with a mentor from the Centre to develop your interests and produce a paper to be published in the STEPS Working Paper series. STEPS will cover any necessary international travel costs, and you will receive a stipend of £1500 to cover local accommodation and subsistence in Sussex.

To apply, please send a one-page note outlining the topic you would focus on, a one-page CV and a letter of reference (e.g. from a PhD supervisor). Please also include an indication of the preferred dates of your fellowship between October 1st 2009 and 31st March 2010. Applications should reach the STEPS Centre Co-ordinator, Harriet Le Bris ([email protected]) by the closing date of 30 June 2009.