Call for applications: Postdoctoral Position for Assessment of Risk and Resilience of Urban Settings

The Research Center for integrated Disaster Risk Management(www.cigiden.cl) is a multidisciplinary research center funded by ANID with research teams located in Santiago, Valparaíso, and Antofagasta. CIGIDEN brings together researchers from various fields (e.g.,Sociology, Urban Planning, Geography, Psychology, Engineering, and Geosciences) and is supported by Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Universidad Católica del Norte, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, and the Universidad Nacional Andrés Bello.

The aim of CIGIDEN is to produce excellence-level and interdisciplinary research on all aspects of the disaster cycle (preparedness, response, participation, recovery, and mitigation) and to mitigate disaster impacts by building more resilient communities.

To encourage the research work, CIGIDEN is offering a 1-year postdoctoral research position in the research cluster of Risk and Resilience Analysis, focusing on Quantitative risk analysis and resilience of networks and complex systems. The candidate is expected to have expertise in quantitative research methods.

The successful applicant is expected to integrate in his/her research, disciplines related to the built environment, including but not limited to engineering, simulation, statistics and data science. The position is oriented to the synthesis and evaluation of risk and resilience of complex systems and networks subject to large (and multiple) natural hazards, and to the analysis and design of optimal planning and mitigation strategies to increase resilience of networks, communities and cities. To contribute to CIGIDEN’s work plan, the research, models, and mitigation strategies developed will be applied in central Chile.

Topics to be developed by the applicant may include one or more of the following:

1. Simulation of networks and complex systems (within urban settlements) exposed to multiple hazards;
2. Synthesis of large network and city models into graphical models;
3. Application of data science techniques to the study of urban settings and networks;
4. Recovery processes;
5. Cascading effects and interdependencies between networks and urban settlements.
6. Simulation and modeling of lifelines and urban settlements.

Candidates will become a part of the team working in different projects within the research cluster, contributing to the interaction and productivity in collaboration with the other research clusters of CIGIDEN, Natural Systems and Processes, and Social Practices. Also, candidates will be encouraged to participate in the different outreach activities and programs of CIGIDEN with the objective of transferring the scientific knowledge to different communities in the country, such as professionals and practitioners, and K-12 education.

Required qualifications

1. The candidate must hold a PhD degree obtained preferably during the last three years in an area related to the description above, with previous demonstrated experience in publishing in international indexed journals.
2. The candidate should also be fluent in English. Conference publications and presentations, programing skills, and experience with geographic information systems.
3. Experience in teaching, supervising of undergraduate and graduate students, engaging in outreach and transfer activities, participation in research projects, and other professional industry and research working experience are a plus.

Minimum expected achievements by the end of year 1

To eventually allocate a 2nd year postdoctoral funding from CIGIDEN, the researcher should have submitted at least one ISI-indexed paper to a scientific journal, and a research proposal to the Chilean ANID Postdoctoral program.

Application

The call is open between June 1st and September 15th, and the starting date should ideally be October 2021. Late applications may be considered until the position is filled, and special conditions may apply for the starting date. The duration of the position is for a total of 12 months.

To apply, please submit to Dr. Juan Carlos de la Llera (jcllera@ing.puc.cl) and Cc. to Juan Pablo Muñoz (jp.munoz@cigiden.cl) the following documentation:

• Letter of intent/motivation.
• One page research proposal.
• Extended CV.
• Digital archive of most relevant published ISI papers.
• Two letters of recommendation.

The successful applicant will reside in Santiago, Chile. She/he will receive a gross monthly salary of $1,800,000 Chilean pesos, plus additional expenses for start-up research activities. The Center will also cover air ticket and allocation costs in Santiago and help will also be provided for obtaining a working visa. In the current condition of the pandemics, consular visa arrangements are substantially longer (8 months), so trips to Chile should be considered during this postdoctoral year as well as weekly meetings remotely or in person if in Chile.

For additional information, please contact Juan Pablo Muñoz (jp.munoz@cigiden.cl).