Interested in an internship at the French Hub of Future Earth?
Start date: Fall 2024
Length: 6 months minimum
This position has been filled
Future Earth
Future Earth is an international research program with a mission to accelerate transformations to global sustainability. Future Earth convenes researchers and scholars from all parts of the world, across different societal and academic sectors, and across the natural, social, and human sciences. Future Earth initiates and supports international collaboration between these researchers and stakeholders to identify and generate the integrated knowledge needed for successful transformations towards societies that provide good and fair lives for all within a stable and resilient Earth system. A key part of Future Earth’s work occurs through our networks that generate research at the forefront of sustainability science and facilitate highly integrative sustainability research on key societal challenges.
The Secretariat for Future Earth encompasses 9 Global Hubs located in Canada, China, France, India, Japan, South Africa, Sweden, Taipei, and the US. The Future Earth Secretariat provides coordination, facilitation and enabling services to Future Earth’s community. The French Hub is administered by the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), and is hosted by Sorbonne University (Pierre et Marie Curie Campus). It is currently composed of five staff.
Internship mission
In the face of unprecedented and highly complex socio-environmental challenges, bridging the gap between science and society is crucial. Traditional research modes, anchored in disciplinary approaches, where the role of scientific knowledge is often limited to informing decision-making processes has shown to be largely unsuccessful in addressing sustainability issues. New research practices needed include working across and beyond disciplines, engaging in processes of co-design with societal actors, better integrating academic and non-academic knowledge, and actively contributing to the development and implementation of place-based pathways towards sustainability. For researchers, this means developing their capacity and skills to engage in ways of doing research that are transdisciplinary and transformative.
The French Global Hub focuses on advancing the Science-Based Pathways for Sustainability initiative, science-policy-society interface activities, and on supporting early career researchers. Its activities are framed by four core objectives:
- Increase inclusivity and diversity of researchers involved in sustainability science (disciplines, approaches, regions, career stages);
- Support researchers’ engagement in inter- and transdisciplinary research;
- Provide researchers with spaces for reflection and experience sharing regarding sustainability science practices, challenges and progress;
- Promote transformative inter and transdisciplinary research in the sustainability science arena and at the science-society interface.
The intern will be involved in many aspects of the hub’s activities, with a particular focus on outreach and communication. Their tasks include, but are not limited to:
- Contributing to the development of our key activities : the French annual conference on sustainability science, and the Pathways Autumn School.
- Assisting with the development of the Pathways Fellowship, a new programme aimed at early-career researchers in sustainability science.
- Contributing to the development of webinars as part of the Pathways Forum webinar series;
- Communication and outreach : assist with our bi-monthly newsletter, draft social media and blog posts, identify relevant networks, etc.
There will also be space to develop projects of personal interest that support the objectives of the Pathways Initiative and the French Global Hub.
Requirements
- Excellent level of written and spoken English;
- Currently enrolled in a Master’s level program in a relevant field (and will remain enrolled for the duration of the internship);
- Knowledge of sustainability and environmental challenges, and interest in transdisciplinary research;
- Motivated, organized and able to work independently to deadlines as well as to follow instructions, with attention to detail and good interpersonal and communication skills;
- Must be able to work on site at our office located in Paris (Please note that due to COVID-19, office rules may change);
- EU citizenship or in possession of a relevant French visa for the duration of the internship and eligible for a ‘Convention de Stage’1.
Salary
591,51€ per month (legally bound) plus associated benefits (subsidized access to University restaurants and transport card).
To apply
To apply, please send your Curriculum Vitae (CV) and a one-page cover letter written in English with the subject “Future Earth Internship” to: coline.grimee@futureearth.org
This offer is ongoing with flexible start dates.
Interviews can be held in person in Paris or online.
1 Convention de Stage is typical for work placements in France. It consists in a tripartite agreement signed by the student, the home university and the host organization that facilitates a short-term work placement.
