Postdoc Research Fellow - Carbon for Good: Enabling a High-Quality Forest Carbon Market in Vietnam

The University of British Columbia is hiring a Postdoc Research Fellow for the 'Carbon for Good' project, focusing on enhancing forest carbon markets in Vietnam. The role involves research on carbon accounting, biodiversity assessments, and policy engagement, requiring a PhD in relevant fields. The position is based in Vancouver, with periodic travel to Vietnam for collaboration with local stakeholders and institutions.
Project Title: Carbon for Good: Enabling a High-Quality Forest Carbon Market in Vietnam

Job Description

Vietnam's forest ecosystems provide essential environmental, social, and economic benefits, including carbon sequestration and biodiversity conservation. However, deforestation and land degradation threaten these critical ecosystems, impacting Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) that rely on forest resources. Ensuring the integrity of Vietnam’s forestry carbon market requires forest carbon accounting and biodiversity assessments to support policy frameworks and private sector engagement.

The Carbon for Good: Enabling a High-Quality Forestry Carbon Market in Vietnam project focuses on developing high-quality, inclusive, and gender-responsive forestry carbon markets by strengthening governance frameworks, supporting biodiversity conservation, and ensuring equitable participation of IPLCs. The project aligns with Vietnam’s commitments under the Paris Agreement, the Glasgow Declaration, and the COP27 Forest and Climate Leaders’ Partnership.

An Interdisciplinary Team From North America, Asia, And Europe Will Collaborate With Vietnamese Institutions, Policymakers, And Local Communities To Develop a Database Of Carbon And Biodiversity Maps. The Project Aims To

Develop a decision support tool to facilitate Vietnamese stakeholders in assessing carbon potential, evaluating biodiversity values and designing carbon projects that integrate biodiversity conservation principles

Facilitate policy dialogues between public and private sectors, IPLCs, and women-led organisations to strengthen legal frameworks for carbon markets.

Deliver technical assistance to national and provincial carbon accounting and monitoring authorities.

Develop training and capacity-building programs for IPLCs, particularly women, to engage in forestry carbon projects.

Support learning exchanges and networking among Vietnamese and Canadian stakeholders to enhance forest carbon and biodiversity assessment expertise.

A co-production and dissemination strategy ensures that project outputs contribute to national climate goals, strengthen governance, and build resilience in frontline forest-dependent communities. The project will also support early-career researchers and institutional capacity-building through long-term partnerships between Canada and Vietnam.

The postdoctoral researcher will be based at UBC for the duration of the project with periodic travel to Vietnam. The postdoc will contribute to research outputs, stakeholder engagement, and project coordination in close collaboration with the project PI and international partners.

Minimum Qualifications

A PhD in Forestry, Environmental Science, Ecology, or related fields.

Strong expertise in forest carbon accounting, including carbon stock quantification.

Proven experience in biodiversity assessments and ecosystem service valuation.

Proficiency in GIS, remote sensing, and statistical modelling for forest carbon and biodiversity analysis.

Experience in conducting socio-ecological research, policy analysis, and stakeholder engagement.

Experience in writing and publishing peer-reviewed articles.

Fluency in verbal and written English, with excellent oral and written communication skills.

Fluency in Vietnamese is essential to facilitate fieldwork, stakeholder engagement, and policy discussions.

Ability to work independently and coordinate multi-partner collaborative research projects, with a willingness to travel for fieldwork and stakeholder engagement.

Interest in working in an interdisciplinary, multicultural, and collaborative environment as part of a diverse team.

Preferred Skills

Experience in carbon accounting and biodiversity assessments.

Experience in GIS and remote sensing

Familiarity with Article 6 of the Paris Agreement and carbon finance mechanisms.

Proven ability to conduct participatory research with IPLCs and rural communities.

Field research experience in tropical or subtropical forests.

Offer

You will be offered a full-time two-year position in the first instance. The annual salary will be commensurate with the annual value of an SSHRC Postdoctoral Scholarship, adjusted for inflation annually. UBC offers postdocs a wide-ranging benefits plan with extended health and dental coverage. Postdocs are encouraged to apply for external funding to support their independent research building on this position within the research group.

About The Organization

This position will be based at the Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, Faculty of Forestry, the University of British Columbia, Vancouver campus, which is located on the territory of the Musqueam (xʷməθkʷəy̓əm) People. The University of British Columbia is a global centre for teaching, learning and research, consistently ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world. The University of British Columbia’s (UBC) Faculty of Forestry is recognised globally as one of the leading forestry faculties in the world. As the largest Faculty of Forestry in Canada, we welcome almost 1,500 undergraduate and graduate students from over 40 countries every year to study forestry at UBC.

We strive to create a respectful, positive, and safe working environment for people of all backgrounds. We believe that inclusiveness and diversity are essential to academic excellence. We encourage members of underrepresented groups in Vietnam to apply, including ethnic minorities, Indigenous communities, and other marginalised populations.

Additional Information: Annual salary: $70,000 Canadian funds, including benefits.

For further information about this position, please contact Prof. Terry Sunderland (terry.sunderland@ubc.ca)

The application deadline is 30th April 2025 or until the position is filled.

This posting is for the UBC Vancouver campus in British Columbia, Canada.

Please refer to reference number LI-58570 during correspondence about this position. Please visit the researcher profile of the supervisor [https://www.grad.ubc.ca/node/16774] for this position to learn more about their research.

Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person.

About UBC

The University of British Columbia is a global centre for research and teaching, consistently ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world. Since 1915, UBC's entrepreneurial spirit has embraced innovation and challenged the status quo. UBC encourages its students, staff and faculty to challenge convention, lead discovery and explore new ways of learning. At UBC, bold thinking is given a place to develop into ideas that can change the world.

Postdoctoral Fellows at UBC Vancouver

UBC is home to over 900 postdocs spanning all faculties and units across two campuses and a variety of affiliated hospitals, research centres, and sites, providing unparalleled opportunities to learn, discover and contribute in one's own way. UBC's Postdoctoral Fellows Office (PDFO) [ www.postdocs.ubc.ca/ ] is committed to supporting the lives and career aspirations of our Postdocs, with the goal of enriching their experience at UBC and preparing them for the future. In addition to providing support and advocacy for all postdocs, the PDFO is dedicated to providing professional development opportunities [ www.postdocs.ubc.ca/professional-development-events ] that foster the development of soft skills needed in today's professional environments, helping them secure future careers in their chosen fields.

About Vancouver

Vancouver is a dynamic, cosmopolitan and progressive city, consistently ranked as one of the top cities to live in the world. Canada's third largest city has it all: sea, parks, mountains, beaches, and four seasons per year, including beautiful summers and mild, wet winters with snow in the mountains. It's the perfect backdrop to your academic research.