OPEN COMPETITIONS CR-2024-AGROECOSYSTEM-9
Junior Research Scientist on bioeconomical system multi-criteria assessment at the territorial scale
68000 COLMAR
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INRAE presentation
The French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment (INRAE) is a public research establishment under the dual authority of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Research.
INRAE is recruiting researchers by open competition and offering permanent position.
It is a major player in research and innovation created on 1st of January 2020. INRAE is a research institute resulting from the merger of INRA and IRSTEA. It is a community of 12,000 people with more than 200 research units and 42 experimental units located throughout France.
The institute is among the world leaders in agricultural and food sciences, in plant and animal sciences, and is 11th in the world in ecology and environment. INRAE’s main goal is to be a key player in the transitions necessary to address major global challenges. In the face of the increase in population, climate change, scarcity of resources and decline in biodiversity, the institute develops solutions for multiperformance agriculture, high quality food and sustainable management of resources and ecosystems.
Work environment, missions and activities
The Agronomy and Environment Laboratory (LAE) is a joint research unit combining INRAE and the University of Lorraine. Its main objective is to understand how plants, crops, production systems, and rural landscapes work to improve their management from both agronomical and environmental perspectives. The research unit is multidisciplinary with skills in plant ecophysiology, metabolic engineering, ecology, agroecology, modelling, and system and territorial agronomy.
Your research will contribute to the 3rd research theme of the LAE called “Interactions between agroecology and bioeconomy”. The scientists involved in this theme are recognized for their work on multi-criteria assessment, territorial bioeconomy, integrated assessment and modelling of socio-ecological systems, assessment of ecosystem services, and resilience of agricultural systems.
You will produce knowledge on the sustainability and resilience of systems combining both circular bioeconomy and agroecology principles on a territorial scale, and on the associated antagonisms and synergies. The challenge will be to assess if these territorial organizations are able to reach local and global objectives regarding food and non-food production, as well as the conservation of natural resources and biodiversity, in particularl tackling the issue of competition between different biomass uses.
You will develop and assess prospective scenarios of bioeconomy and agroecological system organization on a territorial scale, in particular through the use of the MAELIA integrated assessment and modelling platform (Modelling of socio-Agro-Ecological systems for Landscape Integrated Assessment, http://maelia-platform.inra.fr/).
MAELIA aims to model agricultural system dynamics, as well as biomass transformation and recycling in the territories in a spatially and temporally explicit manner. You will use the outputs of the platform to assess the sustainability and resilience of a range of territorial organizations. You will also develop analytical frameworks and integrated assessment methods (such as sets of indicators) to specifically address the issue of interactions between bioeconomy and agroecology. The knowledge produced will be discussed in a multi-actor context to help design circular bioeconomy and agroecological systems at territorial level. You will carry out your work on a range of contrasting territories in terms of agricultural systems, pedoclimatic contexts, and biomass production and transformation sectors.
Travel will be necessary to study sites mostly in the Grand-Est Region and in France.
The B driving license is recommended.
Training and skills
Candidates must have a PhD or equivalent, preferably in agricultural or environmental sciences.
Experience in system modelling and assessment, particularly agricultural systems, and systemic approaches would be appreciated.
Candidates should have a good command of English (both written and spoken), and long-term international experience would also be desirable. Successful candidates who have not yet acquired this experience abroad will be required to do so after their probationary period (1st year).
INRAE's life quality
By joining our teams, you benefit from:
- 30 days of annual leave + 15 days "Reduction of Working Time" (for a full time);
- parenting support: CESU childcare, leisure services;
- skills development systems: training, career advise;
- social support: advice and listening, social assistance and loans;
- holiday and leisure services: holiday vouchers, accommodation at preferential rates;
- sports and cultural activities;
- collective catering.
For international scientists: please visit your guide to facilitate your arrival and stay at INRAE.
All persons employed by or hosted at INRAE, a public research establishment, are subject to its internal regulations, particularly with regard to the obligation of neutrality and respect for the principle of secularism. In carrying out their functions, whether or not they are in contact with the public, they must not express their religious, philosophical or political convictions through their behaviour or by what they wear.