Boston University (BU) is inviting applications for a postdoctoral researcher or research scientist with a strong computational and statistical skillset and an interest in land conservation policy in the United States. The successful candidate will contribute to the development of U.S.-wide, parcel-level estimates of land value and the cost of long-term conservation (land purchase, easements). Products will support policy analyses and decision-making processes of academic, federal, and non-profit stakeholders interested in identifying effective and equitable land use choices under the federal administration’s current initiative to protect 30% of the U.S. by 2030. Due to the time constraints, the position starts as soon as possible, ideally not after Sept 2022. The initial contract duration will be 12 – 18 months.
Eligibility
- A PhD (or similar experience) in economics, statistics, data science, geography, environmental science, or a similar field with a strong quantitative research profile.
- Prior experience with geospatial data processing and prediction in Python, including geospatial statistics, machine learning, and spatiotemporal cross-validation.
- Publications in peer-reviewed journals
- Interest in understanding land conservation policy in the United States
Requirements
- Methods for causal inference with observational data
- Parallelized computing (Linux, SunGrid).
- Principles of land and easement valuation
Application Details
- A CV
- A short letter of interest that includes a statement of fit with the position and research interests, publications
- Contact information of two reference letter writers
The complete application should be sent to ch******@bu.edu “>Assistant Professor Christoph Nolte ( ch******@bu.edu ). Review of applications will begin April 22, 2022, and continue on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
