The WCRP Academy Lighthouse Activity is seeking an individual or research group to conduct approximately six months of research and analysis into climate science training opportunities across the globe. The ideal candidate will have a background in climate science and experience with qualitative data analysis. A broad understanding of and interest in tertiary education, training, and professional development programs is desirable. This part-time position would suit individuals looking for flexible work which aligns with their Science, Technology, Engineering, and Medicine (STEM) education or policy research interests or groups with a research focus on STEM education and knowledge capacity development.
There is a possibility that this consultancy could lead to further contracts, as the WCRP Academy will be undertaking a training stocktake survey annually and there will be opportunities to support the development of the Academy’s resources.
The key tasks of the consultancy are:
Task 1: Horizon scanning of climate training opportunities
- Compile a list of WCRP training currently offered (seasonal schools etc.) and WMO Global Campus events that link to climate research training
- Collect information about how training portals are organized and report on structure/categorization options for the Academy Portal
- Construct a list of universities offering climate courses including country, contact, level (include any relevant private sector training)
- Work with the WCRP Secretariat to produce a web layout to display current training (from point 1.1) on the Academy website
Task 2: Survey analysis and writing
- Construct an analysis plan for survey data (in collaboration with the WCRP Academy stocktake working group)
- Set up analysis scripts/spreadsheets with initial data already collected
- [From 26 November 2021] Construct publication-ready figures of survey outcomes, share with Academy steering group.
- Support the drafting of a stocktake paper for submission.
Task 3: Lessons for next stocktake
- Review uptake of the Stocktake Survey by country, career stage, etc., and identify gaps that should be filled next time.
- Identify patterns in survey completion by month/time, link these to the promotion of the survey.
- Discuss outcomes with the WCRP Academy stocktake working group. Where are there gaps in understanding? How could questions be reframed? What should be removed?
- Complete a review report on the stocktake survey, including what went well and what lessons should be learned for next time.
The remuneration for this part-time consultancy is US$ 15,600 - 21,600 (for six months of work, paid in six equal monthly installments), depending on experience. The three tasks outlined above should take, on average, 20 hours per week over a six-month period and can be undertaken from anywhere in the world.
Applications are now closed.
Any questions related to this role can be sent to:
The WCRP Academy is the research training advisory and coordination arm of the World Climate Research Program. Its mission is to equip current and future climate scientists with the knowledge, skills, and attributes required to tackle the world’s most pressing and challenging climate research questions.
The World Climate Research Programme addresses frontier scientific questions related to the coupled climate system — questions that are too large and too complex to be tackled by a single nation, agency, or scientific discipline. Through international science coordination and partnerships, WCRP contributes to advancing our understanding of the multi-scale dynamic interactions between natural and social systems that affect climate.
