São Paulo, Brazil – Mapping linkages between sanitation and the SDGs

In collaboration with Fundaçao Escola de Sociologia e Política de São Paulo (FESPSP)

Closing date for applications: Monday 17 October, at 1pm
Interviews of shortlisted candidates: Wednesday 19 October (please see below ‘To apply’ section)
Start: 15 November Duration: 1 month (plus up to one month for finalisation of deliverables)
Financial support: 4,500 GBP (please see below ‘Contractual details’ section)
Eligibility: all DPU alumni, and current DPU and UCL PhD students

The DPU summerLab was born out of the MSc Building & Urban Design in Development (BUDD) course in 2009 and expanded in 2010 into a wider DPU initiative. It is intended to provoke, stimulate, and reconsider the role of designers and researchers in promoting spatial justice in cities’ contested spaces.. In this special 2022 series, we are reviewing and expanding our format, offering the opportunity to a series of researchers to work in a specific locality, for about four weeks, with the support of a local partner – in this case in São Paulo, Brazil, along with the Fundaçao Escola de Sociologia e Política de São Paulo (FESPSP).

Context

The Fundação Escola de Sociologia e Política de São Paulo (FESPSP) is Brazil’s first undergraduate Social Sciences school, offering courses in Sociology, Library Science and Administration. FESPSP hosts a traditional postgraduate programme as well, with more than ten courses, and is a reference in MBAs in public policy. Through FESPSP’s Projects Department, the school provides support to governments, non-profits and companies, helping them formulate, implement and evaluate social policy as well as urban and infrastructure policy.

Main purpose of the role and responsibilities

Based at FESPSP from the 15 November to the 15 December, the Research Fellow will contribute to a cross-departmental research initiative at UCL (see here for instance, as an example amongst a wider series of projects) that is concerned with mapping linkages between sanitation and the sustainable development goals to raise the importance of sanitation and promote integrated approaches and benefits.

The Research Fellow will participate in the activities of FESPSP’s research group on Sanitation, collaborate with FESPSP’s current students and have the following main responsibilities:

-    to become familiar with the framework of the research on mapping linkages between sanitation and the SDGs;
-    to engage with the methodology of the global mapping and further elaborations developed in follow-up projects, localising the work on the linkages between SDGs and sanitation, with grounded work in the context of São Paulo – mapping the synergies, risks and trade-offs between sanitation and the SDGs in the chosen locality and gathering evidence for the linkages identified;
-    to dialogue with local institutions relevant in the sanitation agenda (and its links with concerns across the SDGs), with the facilitation of FESPSP, to support the mapping of linkages and gathering of evidence;
-    to participate in specific events of FESPSP’s research group on Sanitation, and collaborate with local students as appropriate to address the above agenda;

The above activities will be facilitated by staff at FESPSP and further supervised (first in situ and then remotely) by DPU staff. Please notice a current student from FESPSP will be working alongside the Research Fellow.

Additionally: 

-    please notice that, prior to the above São-Paulo-based activities, the Research Fellow will be required to attend a mandatory research workshop at the DPU (dates tbc). In the event the Research Fellow is not currently based in London, the workshop can be attended online from a remote location;
-    please notice that, should the project’s deliverables not be completed by the 15th of December, the Research Fellow will be required to complete the work by the 15th of January.

Person specification

We invite to apply DPU alumni from both MSc and PhD programmes, and current PhD students from any UCL department.

Criteria (qualifications, experience and knowledge)	Essential or Desirable	Assessment method (Application / Interview)
Fluency in (spoken and written) English	E	A and I
Fluency in (spoken and written) Portuguese	D	A and I
Be educated to at least Masters level in a subject related to sustainable development, development studies and / or environmental planning	E	A and I
Strong research and analytical skills	E	A
Skills and experience in reading and producing analytical diagrams and spreadsheets		A
An understanding of the current debate on sanitation and its links to environmental and social sustainability	E	A and I
Excellent presentation and communication skills	E	A and I
Demonstrate good interpersonal skills and excellent administrative and organisational skills	E	A
Knowledge of current Latin American environmental challenges and urban transformation dynamics, with a specific focus on Brazil	D	A and I
Previous experience working in research projects and within wider research teams	D	A and I

Contractual details

DPU will support the selected Research Fellow with 4,500 GBP covering:

a. Return ticket to São Paulo;
b. Living allowance to cover accommodation, meals, transportation to and from work station;
c. Visa as and if applicable;
d. Medical insurance (and covid tests, as and if applicable by the date of departure). It is a pre-condition to show proof of payment of the insurance before the Research Fellow is granted the award.

The amount of 4,500 GBP will be transferred by DPU to the Research Fellow in two instalments: two thirds (3,000 GBP) after signing the contract; one third (1,500 GBP) upon finalisation of deliverables.

Please notice the Research Fellow will be required to return a part or the entirety of the first instalment in case of early interruption of the fellowship or if failing to finalise the agreed deliverables.  

To apply

Please send a statement of purpose and a CV by 1pm on Monday 17 October 2022, to dpusummerLab@ucl.ac.uk. Shortlisted candidates will be notified on Tuesday 18 October, and interviews held in the afternoon of Wednesday 19 October – a specific time will be communicated once candidates are notified (please notice we will not be able to change the interview schedule).

For clarification and further information, please contact Dr Giorgio Talocci (DPU summerLab programme coordinator) at giorgio.talocci.11@ucl.ac.uk and we will be happy to help.