Postdoctoral Researcher; HARARA Project): Urban Heat and Inclusive Climate Adaptation

Postdoctoral Researcher (HARARA Project):
Urban Heat Experiences and Inclusive Climate Adaptation

Why does heat affect people differently? Join the Horizon Europe HARARA project to explore the lived realities of urban heat and shape inclusive climate adaptation solutions.

This postdoctoral position is part of the HARARA project, a Horizon Europe Mission initiative funded by the European Commission. HARARA examines both the objective and subjective experiences of heat among migrantised communities in Antwerp and Rotterdam. The project brings together researchers from Erasmus University Rotterdam, the University of Antwerp, and Delft University of Technology, alongside civil society partners Empact vzw and Cultuurwerkplaats Tarwewijk, to develop a holistic understanding of the impacts of urban heat.

By exploring how people experience, interpret, and respond to heat-related challenges, the consortium aims to contribute to the development of inclusive and effective climate adaptation solutions.

As a postdoctoral researcher, you will be primarily responsible for conducting a comparative analysis of heat impacts in Antwerp and Rotterdam. You will analyse and correlate objective measurements of indoor temperature and humidity with survey data on residents’ perceptions and experiences of heat, collected from 75 households in each city. In addition, you will map and assess existing inclusive local climate adaptation practices in both cities and contribute to the development and refinement of policy frameworks and community-based adaptation strategies in collaboration with the project’s civil society partners.

You will be based within the section of Environmental Technology and Design (ETD). ETD contributes to inter- and transdisciplinary, context-driven and problem/solution-focused research and education for the sake of a better environment. It involves a collaborative design and engineering approach, with social-and environmental-based methods and techniques as operative instruments, as well as the development and application of advanced urban data science and geospatial information technologies to support this primary aim.

Research and education blend environmental technology, urban ecology, citizen participation and environmental behaviour at different scales. There is a strong emphasis on the interaction of these fields in terms of theories, methods and techniques, as well as their application via concepts, strategies and spatial interventions, as a significant part of ETD's research portfolio concerns applied science for and often with public and private partners.

We are looking for a highly motivated researcher with:

• A PhD in a relevant discipline, such as urbanism, environmental sciences, public health, sociology, or a related field.
• Experience with quantitative data analysis, including the analysis of survey data and environmental measurements, and proficiency in statistical software such as R, Python, SPSS, or Stata.
• Affinity with issues of climate justice, social inclusion, migration, and/or community-based research.
• Experience conducting comparative or mixed-methods research is an asset.
• An interest in translating research findings into practical and policy-relevant recommendations.
• Excellent writing and communication skills in English. Knowledge of Dutch is an advantage, given the collaboration with local partners and field sites in Antwerp and Rotterdam.
• The ability to work independently while collaborating effectively within an international and multidisciplinary consortium.

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