Postdoctoral fellowship: Sport, gender, and feminist climate justice research

The Postdoctoral Fellow will be based at York University in Canada.

Project: Feminist climate justice, gender-based violence prevention, and sport for development:
Toward gender-just solutions to the climate crisis

Location: York University, Toronto, ON, Canada

Hours: Full-time (35 hours per week)

Start Date: September 1, 2025

Duration: 12 months (with possibility of renewal)

Compensation: $60,000/year + Health Spending Account. Teaching is not part of this position. Preference will be given to Canadian citizens.

We invite applications for a Postdoctoral Fellow to support an innovative SSHRC-funded Partnership Development Grant focused on addressing intersecting climate and gender injustices through sport for development and peace (SDP) programs across three international sites (Canada, Uganda, Nicaragua). The postdoc will work closely with community-based partners, UN agencies, and team members from around the world to lead multi-interdisciplinary, decolonial feminist research on sport, feminist climate justice, and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) prevention.

The Postdoctoral Fellow will be based at York University but will work closely with Drs. Lyndsay Hayhurst and Brian Wilson (SSHRC PDG Co-Director). Other academic team members on this PDG include:

• Dr. Lisa Sundstrom (University of British Columbia)

• Dr. Mitchell McSweeney (University of Minnesota)

• Dr. Holly Thorpe (University of Waikato)

• Dr. Christina Kwauk (Unbounded Associates)

A) Research Design and Field Coordination

• Support the development and implementation of decolonial feminist digital participatory action research (DPAR) methods.

• Co-lead participatory research with community partners in Canada, Uganda, and Nicaragua.

• Conduct qualitative research, including interviews, document/policy analysis, and visual methods (photovoice, mapping, digital storytelling).

• Data Analysis and Cross-Site Integration

• Synthesize findings across sites to identify patterns in feminist climate justice advocacy through sport.

• Contribute to socio-spatial analysis in collaboration with GIS specialists.

B) Knowledge Mobilization (KMb) and Writing

• Co-author open-access peer-reviewed journal articles, policy briefs, and multimedia toolkits.

• Present findings at international conferences, community forums, and webinars.

• Support the launch of the Transnational Sport and Climate Justice Network.

*
* NOTE:

the successful candidate must be available in-person to actively contribute to, and participate in, our research team’s Symposium “Cycling Towards Change:
Advancing Mobility Justice, Gender Equity, Climate Justice, and Sustainable Development Through Bicycles” being held at York University in Toronto, Canada from October 14th-17th, 2025.**

Required

• PhD (completed by start date, ideally September 1st 2025 – earlier is possible) in a

relevant field (e.g., Kinesiology, Gender Studies, Environmental Studies, Global

• Demonstrated expertise in feminist, decolonial, climate justice, or sport for development research.

• Experience with participatory, community-based, or qualitative research methodologies.

• Strong publication record and excellent academic writing skills.

• Commitment to ethical, anti-oppressive, and collaborative research practices.

• Familiarity with NVivo and qualitative data analysis.

• Demonstrated commitment to working with diverse community populations.

• Demonstrated potential for success in scholarship.

• Excellent communication and organizational skills, along with the ability to work independently, are essential.

Additional assets

• Experience working with NGOs or community organizations.

• Familiarity with digital/visual/arts-based participatory research;
ArcGIS and participatory mapping approaches.

• Fluency in Spanish and/or experience working in the Global South.

This is an excellent opportunity for candidates who have recently finished their PhD and are looking to join an innovative research culture in which they can hone their skills working alongside an interdisciplinary team of academics.