Duke University, Sanford School of Public Policy - NRR
(posted 2026/01/09, listed until 2026/06/28)Position Description
Position Summary
The SCALES (Scholars for Climate and Advanced
Leadership in Environment and Sustainability) Postdoctoral Fellows Program at
Duke University seeks early-career scholars committed to interdisciplinary
research and leadership in climate, environment, and sustainability. Fellows
will collaborate with faculty mentors to co-create high-impact research
projects and contribute to climate-focused educational initiatives across the
university.
About the SCALES Postdoctoral Fellows Program
The SCALES Postdoctoral
Fellows Program is a newly launched cohort-based initiative designed to
cultivate the next generation of leaders in climate and sustainability research
and education. Fellows join a vibrant interdisciplinary community, participate
in professional development activities, and collaborate across departments to
advance Duke’s Climate Commitment. The program emphasizes
faculty-mentored research, teaching innovation, and public engagement,
providing Fellows with resources and networks to launch impactful careers.
To learn more about the SCALES Postdoctoral
Fellowship Program, visit our program page: https://climate.duke.edu/what-were-doing/scales-postdoctoral-fellows-program/.
Key Responsibilities
Research Collaboration: Co-develop and lead a faculty-mentored research project addressing a significant climate, environment, or sustainability challenge. Projects must demonstrate interdisciplinary approaches. A final research proposal and budget will be developed in conjunction with the Fellow following their arrival. This is meant to allow the Fellow to shape the project’s research direction.
The preliminary description of the research project is: Durable carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is increasingly necessary to meet ambitious global climate goals. Without carefully planned governance and oversight regimes, however, CDR risks exacerbating global inequalities through resource conflicts, uneven and uncertain risk exposure, mitigation deterrence, and Global North-South power imbalances. This multi-year project seeks to understand conditions for and support the development of effective, equitable governance of three CDR methods (ocean alkalinity enhancement, direct air capture, and enhanced rock weathering) in India, Kenya, and Brazil—all three of which are beginning to see CDR projects developed in-country. The successful SCALES postdoctoral fellow will join a growing interdisciplinary team at Duke and in partnership with the American University Institute for Responsible Carbon Removal and Human Rights Watch, which has laid the groundwork for stakeholder- and rightsholder-engaged governance research through foundational policy and legal research, a database of relevant resource, environmental, social, and political geospatial data layers (our “Participatory CDR Governance Atlas”), and initial policymaker roundtables in each country to set research priorities. The fellow will be invited to bring their own expertise and interests to the project, carving out a piece of the broader project to lead. They might choose, for example, to examine opportunities and risks of one of the project’s CDR methods in one of the countries through stakeholder and rightsholder engagement (e.g., interviews, future visioning workshops, surveys) or draw on stakeholder and rightsholder guidance gathered by other members of the team to develop geospatially explicit roadmaps for equity-centered CDR governance and project development. The SCALES project, in short, will be co-created with the fellow from a wide range of methodological, topical, geographical, and disciplinary possibilities.
The proposed teaching & engagement
responsibilities for this position are: Contribute to the Sanford School of
Public Policy’s ongoing efforts to provide curricular offerings in
environmental, energy, and climate policy. This will include co-creating course
modules or a full course with Professors Scott-Buechler and Pattanayak, ideally
centering engaged and experiential learning opportunities that relate to the
SCALES project.
Faculty Mentors
The primary faculty mentor for this position
is:
• Celina Scott-Buechler, Sanford School of
Public Policy
Additional mentors include:
• Subhrendu Pattanayak, Sanford School of
Public Policy; Nicholas School of the Environment; Department of Economics
Qualifications
· Ph.D. or equivalent
doctorate in public policy, geography, economics, law, sociology, anthropology,
environmental social science, city and regional planning, computer science,
earth sciences, or a related field.
· Degree must be conferred by the start of the fellowship. Applicants should be no more than two years past Ph.D. as of July 1, 2026
Demonstrated interest in interdisciplinary approaches to climate, environment, or sustainability challenges.
· Preferred skills and
experience: demonstrated experience working in, or in close collaboration with,
partners in the Global South; spatial and mixed-methods analysis and/or
participatory governance design; experience working with government or
civil-society partners in Brazil, India, or Kenya is a plus.
· A strong commitment
to justice-forward climate governance is essential.
Program Details &
Benefits
This is a full-time position available with
an initial appointment of one year, renewable for up to two additional years
contingent on satisfactory performance. The start date is flexible between July
1 and September 1, 2026.
The salary range for this position is $65,000 to $70,000. Fellows will also have access to up to $10,000 in professional development funds each year.
Duke University offers a competitive benefits
program, which includes medical, dental, and vision insurance, retirement
contributions, employee discounts, vacation and sick time, and more. Please
review Duke
University’s Benefits Program website and the Summary of Postdoctoral Status and Benefits for more information.
Fellows are additionally supported by the Office of
Postdoctoral Services.
Application Process
Interested applicants should submit the
following materials:
· Cover letter that
addresses your interest in the position, your research and teaching experience,
and how this opportunity aligns with your career goals.
· Curriculum Vitae
· Contact information
for three references
Priority will be given to applications
received by February 15, 2026.
Duke is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, (including pregnancy and pregnancy related conditions), sexual orientation, or military status.
Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.
Application Materials Required:
- Cover letter
- Curriculum Vitae
- Teaching statement
- Three references (no actual letters, just names and email addresses )
Further Info:
Duke University
Box 90239
DURHAM, NC 27708