Sustainable Agriculture Policy & Adoption Postdoctoral Fellow

About the role

The University of British Columbia invites applications for a Sustainable Agriculture Policy and Adoption Postdoctoral Fellow to join the PERCS (Perennial Ecosystem Restoration for Carbon Sequestration) project. The fellow will investigate the adoption of perennial plantings across British Columbia’s agricultural landscapes, working with diverse datasets and collaborating with government agencies, partner organizations, and farmers.

Key responsibilities

• Analyse policy, program, spatial and farmer‑generated datasets to identify drivers of perennial restoration.
• Evaluate existing incentive programs and policy frameworks influencing adoption.
• Map stakeholders and governance structures across agricultural and environmental sectors.
• Examine socio‑economic, cultural and structural factors affecting farmer decision‑making.
• Develop qualitative, quantitative or mixed‑method scenarios to explore future pathways for scaling perennial features.

Required profile

• PhD in a related social science field.
• Proven record of independent research design, execution, and publication.
• Knowledge of the Canadian agricultural sector and policy landscape.
• Strong commitment to collaborative, interdisciplinary research.

Required skills

What we offer

• Salary of $70,000 per year plus benefits.
• Flexibility to shape your own research agenda within the PERCS team.
• Mentorship from Juliet Lu and Hannah Wittman.
• Access to an interdisciplinary network of ecologists, economists, social scientists and industry partners.