[Sehefac] Funded PhD Position in Environmental Humanities Approaches to Global Climate Change Policy, Trent University

[dana.simmons at ucr.edu]

>From SEHE faculty Juliann Allison (thanks, Juliann):

*From:* essforum at aessonline.org <essforum at aessonline.org> on behalf of
Stephanie Rutherford <srutherford4 at gmail.com>
*Sent:* Monday, September 28, 2026 1:48 PM
*To:* Environmental Studies and Sciences Forum <essforum at aessonline.org>
*Subject:* [ESS Forum] Funded Position in Environmental Humanities
Approaches to Global Climate Change Policy


Funded Position in Environmental Humanities Approaches to Global Climate
Change Policy

Two researchers at Trent University (Anne Pasek and Stephanie Rutherford)
are recruiting a new PhD student for joint supervision and participation in
the new SSHRC-funded project (Re)Thinking Sustainability: Research Network
for Global Environmental Humanities (ReSuRGEH
<https://milieux.concordia.ca/concordia-to-lead-2-5m-national-partnership-advancing-climate-solutions-through-the-environmental-humanities/>).
The student---located in either Trent’s Cultural Studies
<https://www.trentu.ca/culturalstudies/programs/graduate/cultural-studies-phd>,
Indigenous Studies
<https://www.trentu.ca/graduatestudies/program/indigenous-studies-phd-0>,
Canadian
Studies <https://www.trentu.ca/graduatestudies/program/canadian-studies-phd>,
or Interdisciplinary Social Research <https://www.trentu.ca/idsr/>
programs---will be part of this consortium of researchers exploring
critical approaches to climate institutions and sustainable development
goals. This larger project includes experiments in new forms of public
engagement around UNFCCC policy documents in order to catalyse critical
reflections on global climate diplomacy and climate justice. Specifically,
the candidate will be expected to play a leading role in organizing and
analyzing semiannual ‘COP Rewrite’ events that guide members of diverse
publics in deliberations around key terms and strategies contemplated in
recent UNFCCC documents. The student will also develop their own original
thesis research, ideally with strong points of connection to the project’s
themes of sustainability, climate justice, and environmental history.

(For precedents for this kind of activity, see the Mont Pelerin Rewrite
<https://www.anthropocene-curriculum.org/case-study/the-mont-pelerin-rewrite>
and the Theatre of Negotiations
<https://www.sciencespo.fr/ecole-affaires-publiques/en/news/cop21-make-it-work/>
).


Benefits:

   -

   Trent’s normal PhD funding package (~$22,950 CAD in scholarships and
   teaching assistant positions for 4 years)
   -

   An additional research assistant position for 4 years (~$15,000
   CAD/year) to assist in ReSuRGEH events and research projects
   -

   Access to a global research network of environmental humanities scholars
   -

   Travel and participation in research network events


These benefits are supplemental to any external funding the student may
bring with them (i.e. there are no ‘clawbacks’).

Qualifications:

   -

   A Masters degree in a humanistic or social science discipline, with a
   proven interest in climate and environmental politics.
   -

   Experience and/or interest in some of the following research areas:
   qualitative social research, public programming, community engagement work,
   arts-based methods, institutional ethnography, critical discourse analysis,
   environmental communication, environmental policy, and science and
   technology studies.
   -

   An ability to work well in interdisciplinary teams.


How to apply:

   -

   Send an expression of interest to both Anne and Stephanie at
   annepasek at trentu.ca and srutherford at trentu.ca that includes a brief (1-3
   paragraph) explanation of both your qualifications and planned PhD project
   and your CV. Please explain the connection between the two and the proposed
   ReSuRGEH COP rewrite events.


Deadline:

Dec 15 2026


-- 
Dana Simmons
Chair and Associate Professor, Department of Society, Environment and
Health Equity
Cooperating Faculty, Department of History
University of California, Riverside

On Hunger: Violence and Craving in America from Starvation to Ozempic
<https://www.ucpress.edu/books/on-hunger/paper> available May 13 from UC
Press (Open Access)
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