Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Climate Migration and Urban Modeling

University of Michigan

in Ann Arbor, MI

Type: Full-Time

Posted: 11/24/2025

Application Due: 01/23/2026

Category: Environmental Science, Ecology, and Forestry

JOB OPENING ID: 271248

MODES OF WORK

Hybrid

REGULAR/TEMPORARY: Regular

ORGANIZATIONAL GROUP: School Nat Res Envir

DEPARTMENT: Sch for Environ and Sustain

How to Apply

Required Application Materials are as follows, and should be uploaded as a single attachment:

Detailed CV

Statement describing qualifications and interest in the position (3 pages)

Undergraduate and graduate transcripts

Names and contact information for three references

Application Process:

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.

Questions about the position can be addressed to Dr. Van Berkel (email address available on main.hercjobs.org). If you encounter issues uploading your PDF, please contact SEAS HR (seas-hr-requests@umich.edu).

Job Summary

The School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) at the University of Michigan is seeking applications for a postdoctoral research position to apply urban modeling and practitioner engagement approaches to study the impacts of climate migration. The successful candidate will work under the mentorship of Derek Van Berkel and Maria Carmen Lemos on an NSF project called the Climate Adaptation and Resilience Strategies (CLARS). This project seeks to develop collaborative adaptation strategies for vulnerable climate migrants and host communities across urban settings in the Lake Victoria Basin (LVB) and Great Lakes Region (GLR). It will build on existing online public participatory GIS software, and be part of GLISA, NOAA's CAP/RISA team for the Great Lakes region. GLISA works at the boundary between climate science and decision making, striving to enhance Great Lakes communities capacity to understand, plan for, and respond to climate impacts now and in the future.

Note: This position will be a one-year term limited appointment with the possibility of renewal.

Responsibilities*

Conducting research on the impacts of climate change on human mobility, focusing on urban modeling and climate migration.

Collaborating with multidisciplinary teams in both the LVB and GLR to develop and implement climate adaptation strategies.

Supporting engagement with key stakeholders and community partners to create frameworks for climate migrants and build resilient communities.

Preparing research findings for conference presentations and peer-reviewed journal articles.

Required Qualifications*

PhD in data science, statistics, computer science, AI, or a related field.

Experience building end-to-end web applications with Python (Django/FastAPI), REST APIs, relational databases, and modern front-end stacks (HTML/CSS/JS)

Strong communication skills and the ability to work both independently and as part of a team.

Strong qualitative and quantitative analysis background

Experience in stakeholder engagement.

Demonstrated success in publishing refereed journal articles.

Interest in applying AI methods to environmental and sustainability issues.

Modes of Work

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.

Application Deadline

Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days. This job may be removed from posting boards and filled any time after the minimum posting period has ended.

Applications will be reviewed as received throughout the posting period and continue until the position is filled.

U-M EEO Statement

The University of Michigan is an equal employment opportunity employer.

The University of Michigan is a non-discriminatory/affirmative action employer.