[ES_JOBS_NET] Postdoc position: U.S.-wide estimation of land value and conservation cost

[Christoph Nolte]

The PLACES lab at Boston University (BU) is offering a time-sensitive,
NSF-funded position for a* postdoctoral researcher or research scientist*
with a strong computational and statistical skillset and an interest in
land conservation policy in the United States.


The successful candidate will contribute to the development of U.S.-wide,
parcel-level estimates of land value and the cost of long-term conservation
(land purchase, easements)*. Products will support policy analyses and
decision-making processes of academic, federal, and non-profit stakeholders
interested in identifying effective and equitable land use choices under
the federal administration's current initiative to protect 30% of the U.S.
by 2030. The research is projected to be funded under NSF's
Human-Environment and Geospatial Sciences program.


The researcher will have the last opportunity to work with a unique and
fascinating dataset that is scheduled to expire on Sept 30, 2023:
geospatial data of 150 million U.S. properties and sales with a wide range
of social and environmental characteristics (placeslab.org/dictionary).
Research priorities will be defined jointly. Creative extensions are
welcome.



The ideal candidate will have:

   - A PhD (or similar experience) in economics, statistics, data science,
   geography, environmental science, or a similar field with a strong
   quantitative research profile.
   - Prior experience with geospatial data processing and prediction in
   Python, including geospatial statistics, machine learning, and
   spatiotemporal cross-validation.
   - Publications in peer-reviewed journals.
   - Interest in understanding land conservation policy in the United
   States.

Knowledge in the following domains will be an asset (but not expected):

   - Methods for causal inference with observational data.
   - Parallelized computing (Linux, SunGrid).
   - Principles of land and easement valuation.

Due to the time constraints, the position starts as soon as possible,
ideally not after Sept 2022. The initial contract duration will be 12 - 18
months. Continuation of this research with other data sources is planned
and contingent on the success of grant applications to which the candidate
can contribute. BU offers a competitive salary ($61K) and benefits package.



Interested applicants should contact Assistant Professor Christoph Nolte (
chrnolte at bu.edu) with their CV, a short letter of interest that includes a
statement of fit with the position and research interests, publications,
and contact information of two reference letter writers. Review of
applications will begin *April 22, 2022*, and continue on a *rolling basis*
until the position is filled. For updates on the status of this search,
visit: placeslab.org/postdoc.



BU is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will
receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color,
religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran
status, or any other characteristic protected by law.



--



* For more information, visit placeslab.org/fmv_usa or consult the
following articles:



Nolte (2020) High-resolution land value maps reveal underestimation of
conservation cost in the United States. PNAS (link
<https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2012865117>)



Nolte et al. (2021) Studying the impacts of environmental amenities and
hazards with nationwide property data: best data practices for
interpretable and reproducible analyses. SSRN (link
<https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3900806>)

-- 
*Christoph Nolte*
Assistant Professor
Earth & Environment
Boston University
chrnolte at bu.edu
www.placeslab.org
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