Vacant job

Researcher in Small-Scale Fisheries in East Africa

Do you want to work with urban fisheries and other small-scale fisheries in East Africa, supported by competent and friendly colleagues in an international environment? Do you want an employer that invests in sustainable employee engagement and offers secure, advantageous working conditions? We welcome applications for a position as a Researcher in Small-Scale Fisheries in East Africa at Uppsala University.

The Department of Earth Sciences is Sweden's most comprehensive academic environment for research and education in earth sciences. Here, broad expertise contributes to solutions for important societal issues.

The Earth is a dynamic planet that is constantly changing. To understand how our planet works, our researchers seek answers in the field, through laboratory experiments, and advanced models. Our research and education cover a wide range of areas; rocks and minerals, weather and climate, the evolution of life, natural disasters, wind power and energy, environmental and water technology, and sustainable development.

Our research combines natural sciences and engineering with social sciences and is often interdisciplinary. Over 300 people from more than 30 countries work at the department, both in Uppsala and on Campus Gotland.

Our six research divisions:

• Geophysics
• Atmospheric, water, and landscape science
• Mineralogy, petrology, and tectonics
• Natural Resources and Sustainable Development
• Paleobiology
• Wind Energy

For more information, see: www.uu.se/geovetenskaper (https://www.uu.se/geovetenskaper)

The research position is located at Campus Gotland in Visby within the research program Natural Resources and Sustainable Development (NRHU). Campus Gotland is an international campus located in the UNESCO World Heritage city of Visby on the island of Gotland, in the middle of the Baltic Sea.

The researcher position is part of the project UrbanFishEries (2024–2027). The project aims to investigate the socio-ecological challenges and opportunities for maintaining small-scale coastal fisheries (SSF), food security, and livelihood security along urbanizing coasts in East Africa in a time of climate change. There is a significant lack of knowledge about the interplay between urbanization, small-scale fisheries, and climate change, particularly from the Global South. The project focuses on case studies in Zanzibar Town (Tanzania) and Mombasa (Kenya) and compares urban and rural contexts to analyze climate-related and social drivers of small-scale fisheries, food security, and the future of these fisheries in an urbanizing and climate-affected world. The project is conducted in close collaboration with Kenyan and Tanzanian colleagues. The position is funded by project grants from the Swedish Research Council until 2027-12-31. Your duties may include applying for future research funding.

Responsibilities

The researcher will design, plan, and conduct data collection, including participatory research, interviews, ecological field surveys, and chemical tissue analyses (of blue food). The researcher will analyze data, particularly environmental and fisheries modeling, and produce high-quality scientific articles suitable for publication in scientific journals, for presentation at scientific conferences, and other relevant events. The work will be planned to contribute to the broader goals of the UrbanFishEries project and provide insights for policymakers and fisheries managers.

Qualifications

A PhD in environmental science, environmental economics, fisheries economics, marine environments, natural resource management, fisheries, or socio-ecological systems, or a foreign degree equivalent to one of the aforementioned PhDs. Very good communication skills in English, both oral and written. The ability to travel to Kenya and Tanzania as well as to work in the field together with local partners is also a requirement.

Desirable/Additional Qualifications

Knowledge of or experience with issues related to fisheries, blue food, urbanization, climate change, marine environments, environmental monitoring, and coastal zone management is desirable. Very good skills in environmental and fisheries modeling are particularly desirable. Practical experience of field work in tropical regions, interview methodology, and leading workshops is advantageous. Experience working with interdisciplinary approaches and the use of conceptual and analytical frameworks is also valuable. Knowledge of statistics and analytical skills, as well as documented creativity and ability to collaborate both within and outside academia, are desirable.

About the Position

The position is permanent. The extent is 20%. Start date: September 1, 2026, or as agreed. Location: Visby.

Information about the position can be obtained from: Dr. Lina Mtwana Nordlund, [email protected]

We welcome your application by June 29, 2026, Ref: UFV-PA 2026/2079.

About Campus Gotland: Uppsala University Campus Gotland offers the best of two worlds: the full-scale university's broad range and weight in education and research, and a unique small-scale campus in an interdisciplinary research environment. Campus Gotland constitutes a hub for the university's research and education in sustainability. See what it is like to live and work on Gotland.

Uppsala University is a broad research university with a strong international standing. The ultimate goal is to conduct education and research of the highest quality and relevance to make a difference in society. Our most important asset is all 7,500 employees and 53,000 students who, with curiosity and engagement, make Uppsala University one of the country's most exciting workplaces.

Read more about our benefits and what it is like to work at Uppsala University: https://uu.se/om-uu/jobba-hos-oss/ (https://uu.se/om-uu/jobba-hos-oss/)

The position may be subject to a security clearance. In the case of a security clearance, a prerequisite for employment is that the applicant is approved.

We decline offers of recruitment and advertising assistance.

Applications are received in Uppsala University's recruitment system.

Union Representatives: Saco-S - [email protected], Seko - [email protected], ST (OFR/S) - [email protected]

Open to All
We focus on your competence, not your other prerequisites. We are open to adapting the role or workplace to your needs.