POST DOCTORAL RESEARCHER
In Integrated Modeling for Economic Analysis of US Grazing Lands

Location: Knoxville, Tennessee UNITED STATES
JEL Classification: Q -- Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics
Keywords: environmental, natural resource, integrated modeling, grazing, soil management

Salary Range: $68,000 annual

Position Description

The Baker School of Public Policy and Public Affairs and the Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics (AREC) Department at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) is seeking applications for a post-doctoral position from doctoral candidates or recent Ph.D. recipients interested in integrated modeling and survey-based methods for policy and economic analysis related to US grazing lands.

The successful candidate will work with Dale Manning at the Baker School and AREC at UTK, Frank Lupi at Michigan State University, and colleagues at Colorado State University in the following areas: 1) application and development of survey methods to examine grazing management responses to ecosystem information and conservation incentives; 2) development of optimization models related to grazing management; and 3) linking models of producer decisions with biogeochemical models of soil health, emissions, and productivity on grazing land. The position is funded in part by the Noble Research Institute and the Foundation for Food and Agricultural Research. The project brings together an interdisciplinary team of scientists to study how measurement, management, monitoring, and incentives can improve soil health and the economics of grazing land in the US.

Requirements:

Applicants should hold a Ph.D. in economics, agricultural and resource economics, or a similar field prior to starting. Excellent programming, data management, and written communication skills are essential. Experience with survey methods and/or integrated modeling is a plus.

The Baker School has research focal areas in environmental policy, along with its instructional and public service missions. The Baker School’s Center for Energy, Transportation, and Environmental Policy (CETEP) combines sound science, rigorous economics, and thoughtful policy to address natural resource use and environmental challenges facing the state of Tennessee, the U.S., and the world. CETEP is an interdisciplinary network of joint faculty, faculty fellows and affiliates, research associates, and post-doctoral researchers. Together with AREC, the Baker School’s research network extends to industry, government, the nonprofit sector, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, USDA, EPA, and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). The successful candidate will join a cohort of postdoctoral researchers working on environmental challenges.

To apply, please submit the following items with your application: a letter of interest, a curriculum vitae, a research paper, and three recommendation letters. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Successful candidates are expected to start a 24-month appointment in the Spring of 2025 (exact start date negotiable). Questions regarding the position can be directed to Associate Prof. Dale Manning by email (dtmanning@utk.edu).