Postdoctoral Fellow in the Study of African Critical Minerals

Surging global demand for 'critical minerals' used in renewable energy technologies represents unprecedented opportunities and challenges for Southern Africa, home to substantial concentrations of these materials. Experts anticipate that rising international consumption will sustain demand and prices until mid-century due to the impact of the ‘Green Transition’, the strategic shift led by industrialized countries towards the replacement of carbon-based fuels and energy generation with renewable energy sources and technologies.

Yet as Southern Africa emerges as a priority destination for miners, traders and processors of these minerals, there are growing concerns in the region about the capacity of local governments to regulate the foreign-dominated industry and ensure their countries’ equitable share in the benefits of the sector’s rapid growth. Recent African iterations of ‘extractivism’ –national development strategies which rely heavily on revenues derived from mineral exports – produced disappointing results in the 2000s and 2010s, delivering weak economic growth, few opportunities for local miners, businesses and workers, and poor fiscal support for the strengthening of state social services.

African Extractivism and the Green Transition is a six-year (2023-2029) project funded by a Partnership Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). The project studies the dynamics of critical minerals’ extraction, taxation, beneficiation, local and international supply chains, and regulatory innovations in four leading African mineral exporters – the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The multidisciplinary project includes political economists, anthropologists and sociologists, legal scholars, historians, and policy analysts and advocates from a diverse collection of research organizations across Southern Africa, Canada and Europe. Our overarching aim is to address key research and knowledge gaps, and support public debates and policy-making initiatives in Southern Africa and beyond.

‍

As a Post-Doctoral Fellow affiliated with the African Extractivism and the Green Transition project, the successful candidate will pursue an independent research agenda aligned with the project’s research priorities (see attachment), including a focus on one or more of the project’s four case study countries. The Fellow will work closely with and under the guidance of the project’s research team. In addition to pursuing their own research, the Post-Doctoral Fellow is expected to collaborate with the project’s researchers where possible and contribute to the intellectual life of their African host organization.

‍

1. Conduct independent research aligned with the project’s research priorities and region of study, and report regularly to their supervisor on the progress of their research. 
2. Draft and submit manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals and other scholarly publications related to their research agenda. 
3. Write at least one project policy briefing on their research, for publication on the project website. 
4. Participate in and assist with organizing project-sponsored seminars, public lectures, conference panels and workshops. 
5. Contribute to the intellectual life of the organizational host by presenting their research and participating in seminars, workshops and other knowledge mobilization activities. 

‍

Educational Qualifications

Applicants must have completed their PhD by the position’s start date. Preference will be given to applicants who have completed their PhD in the previous 3 years (since 2020). 

Experience and Skills Required 

• 3-4 years’ experience conducting independent research on the extractive industries; 
• experience in research and/or advocacy related to the projects’ 4 research clusters (see attachment); 
• evidence of an active research program and publication record; 
• experience in designing and executing fieldwork research in Southern, Central or East Africa (and notably in the DRC, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe) would be a strong asset; and, 
• academic proficiency in English (both written and verbal). 
  

‍

The position is one year in duration (February 1, 2025-January 31, 2026), with the possibility of renewal for an additional year.

In addition to the listed salary, postdoctoral fellows (PDFs) may access a conference/research travel fund of up to $10,000 CAD for eligible research and/or conference-related costs.

The Post-Doctoral Fellow must be affiliated with an academic institution or relevant non-governmental organization associated with the project in one of the four focal countries of study listed above.

Research Ethics approval for the PDF’s research fieldwork must be secured from all pertinent local/national regulatory bodies where the proposed research will be conducted. Evidence of research ethics approval will be required before the commencement of research fieldwork.

Salary: $50,000 CAD, payable bi-monthly

‍

To apply for this position, please submit the following documents: 

• A Research Statement: a detailed (1500 words maximum) description of the research and writing project the applicant plans to pursue during their tenure of the postdoctoral fellowship, including an explanation of how the project is related to previous work, a description of the research methodology and timeline for completion of the project 
• A detailed Curriculum Vitae 
• Two letters of professional reference 
• A writing sample (preferably from a peer-reviewed publication) 
  

Please submit the above documentation by email to the Project Director Dr. Richard Saunders at rsaunder@yorku.ca and the Project Manager Alex Caramento at alexcara@yorku.ca by Monday, December 16, 2024. Shortlisted applicants will be invited for an interview, to be conducted in-person or by Zoom. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.