Open Graduate Research Assistant Position at AC4

Position Description

The Advanced Consortium on Cooperation, Conflict and Complexity (AC⁴) at Columbia University’s Earth Institute is seeking a graduate research assistant (GRA) to support a new multi-disciplinary initiative aimed at exploring the fundamental principals of sustainable human development (SHD). Working in partnership with The Aguirre Center at the University of the Basque Country and George Mason University’s School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, the SHD initiative will engage key faculty at the Earth Institute to understand the preconditions, basic parameters, and necessary conditions for achieving development trajectories that simultaneously safeguard environmental functioning, ensure sustainable and equitable economic development, and promote individual and societal wellbeing. The initiative will employ quantitative and qualitative methodologies to examine a variety of relevant case studies from both disciplinary and sectoral perspectives to understand the aspects of SHD that are context dependent as well as to illuminate the essential parameters that transcend, or perhaps underlie, such boundaries.

Duties

The GRA’s time will be allocated according to 70% substantive contribution, 30% administrative duties. Substantive contributions may include: literature review, case study analysis, model design, data collection, and data analysis. Additionally, the GRA will be expected to contribute to knowledge dissemination by assisting in editing papers for peer-review. Administrative duties include donor reporting, budget management, logistic coordination, and liaising with EI faculty and project partners to coordinate multi-disciplinary projects that will form this initiative.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor degree and academic or applied experience in any of the following:

 Sustainable development

 Economic policy

 Natural resource science and management

 Human rights, social justice, and/or peace and conflict resolution

 Computational science

• Experience conducting interviews to collect primary data

• Excellent quantitative data management skills

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills

• Task-oriented, with ability to work independently as well as on a team

• Must be enrolled at least ½ time in a Master or PhD program at Columbia

Compensation

Commensurate with experience, and subject to Columbia University guidelines

Appointment dates and time commitment

20 hours/week; Starting July 2013. Initial appointment Fall 2013 semester; renewable contingent on satisfactory academic and job performance.

Application

Qualified candidates should submit a letter of interest and a CV in English via email to: jf2788@columbia.edu. Please include the phrase SHD GRA 2013 the subject line.