Fellowship Opportunity in Natural-based solutions for recovery of ecosystems from perturbation

As we celebrate our 200th year of Manchester Met, we are delighted to be launching our ‘Third Century Fellowship Scheme’.

The Fellowship Scheme is aimed at exceptional researchers, in the early stages of their post-doctoral career, who aim to make their mark in the field of independent research. You will have extensive experience and a notable track record of research outputs in your area of research. 

What are we offering as part of the Third Century Fellowship Scheme?

By joining our Fellowship Scheme, you’ll play a leading part in our global research offering and join our community, working collaboratively across multidisciplinary and diverse teams with state-of-the-art facilities and work environment. 

Successful applicants will benefit from:

• An exceptional research environment and facilities to support YOUR ambitions and research interest
• A competitive salary, excellent pension and holiday entitlement, enhanced family leave and more
• A three-year development programme, underpinned by the Leadership Lens on the Vitae Researcher Development Framework, a well-established sector-wide tool for the career and professional development of research leaders. 
• Mentorship throughout the programme and access to coaching sessions
• Diverse teams, colleagues and staff networks 

During the term of the fellowship, you will be publishing internationally excellent and world-leading outputs and will be pursuing external funding opportunities to realise your future research ambitions. You will also have the opportunity, when relevant, to prepare and deliver short courses.

The Scheme begins with an initial appointment to a fixed-term post with the expectation to transition to a permanent Senior Lecturer or as a Reader, after three years, dependant on your performance and potential as assessed through the scheme.

These fellowship opportunities are being offered across our four faculties: Science & Engineering, Arts & Humanities, Business & Law and Health & Education. We will be making up to 15 appointments onto the cohort, based on application and assessment performance, and best fit to our preferred areas of research, across our four faculties. 

Further details about the fellowship and research areas can be found here

You can explore our Fellowship Opportunity in Natural-based solutions for recovery of ecosystems from perturbation, below.

Nature-Based Solutions Research Cluster at Manchester Metropolitan:   

The Nature-Based Solutions research cluster at Manchester Met are a multi-disciplinary group of environmental, biological, chemical and geographical scientists undertaking research into the drivers and impacts of ecosystem degradation, and how maintaining, transitioning or restoring habitats can provide solutions to achieving sustainability and promote resilience. Since 2020, the Department of Natural Sciences has attracted over £3 million in research funding from bodies including UKRI, EU and Innovate UK to support research activities. This research has been translated into an excellent track-record of real-world impact, for example our 4* REF 2021 impact case study on the conservation and restoration of damaged peatlands.   

Our researchers have expertise working across a wide range of habitats, including tropical forests and drylands, wetlands and marine and coastal habitats. Our current projects range from understanding the biodiversity potential of secondary tropical forests, through community co-design of mangrove restoration, to identifying how restored saltmarsh can deliver multiple natural capital benefits. 

About the role:  

• To undertake world-leading and internationally excellent research using latest and innovative methodologies, as relevant in your area of research.    
• To prepare, present and publish research outputs through the appropriate forums e.g. research workshops, conferences, seminars, exhibitions, portfolios, academic journals etc.    
• To develop ideas for generating income to ensure the continued success and growth of research portfolio.     
• To disseminate findings of research widely to further the institution’s standing in the HE and research community and strengthen the impact of the research.   
• To engage in scholarly activities conducive to a long-term successful academic career that will support and enhance the research culture within the Department/ School, Faculty and University.   

About the candidate:   

The Fellow will join the critical mass of researchers with an excellent track-record of applied ecological research, working with national and international partners to create viable real-world solutions for the ecosystems that humans rely on.   

We welcome applications from prospective Fellows working in applied or theoretical aspects of ecological restoration and nature-based solutions. Our research would be particularly complemented by a research fellow grounded in interrogating fundamental ecological principles and applying them to the applied restoration research undertaken by existing staff. 

Requirements:  

• Doctoral level qualification in a related research area.   
• Possess breadth or depth of specialist knowledge and demonstrate potential for research independence.   
• Excellent track record of relevant research outputs.    
• Significant research experience in the chosen field of research, which should include where appropriate:   
• leading the work of a team, co-ordinating effort and resources to meet objectives   
• developing partnerships with internal and external agencies   
• preparing funding proposals and applications to external bodies   
• using initiative, creativity and judgement to develop appropriate approaches to research   
• synthesising complex data from different sources and communicating findings via written reports and articles   
• presenting at national and/or international research meetings   
• supervising student work and providing appropriate support and feedback.    
• Experience of managing and monitoring performance of research projects in multi-disciplinary teams.   
• Ability to manage projects involving academic institutions and funding bodies.   

Please refer to the Job Description & Person Specification for a full list of essential & desirable criteria.   

Academic Contact: Prof. Paul Hooper (p.hooper@mmu.ac.uk) to discuss the fellowship opportunity in detail.   

Closing Date: 29 May 2024  

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us on researchfellowships@mmu.ac.uk   

To return to the main fellowship page, click here