The 2018 wildfire season was a glimpse of what to expect in the future: deadly mega-fires in Mediterranean regions and high fire activity in temperate and boreal areas outside the typical spring fire season. We cannot solve this challenge with the old mono-disciplinary approach of fire suppression: there is a critical need to change fire management from fire resistance to landscape resilience: Living with Fire. This requires a new type of diverse experts, who not only understand fire, but who are also able to communicate risks and engage with communities, deal with uncertainty, and link scientific disciplines as well as science and practice.
The new PyroLife Innovative Training Network will train the new generation of interdisciplinary experts in integrated fire management, acknowledging that 1) knowledge transfer from southern Europe (and worldwide) to temperate Europe can support the new generation of experts; and 2) fire risk planning, communication and management can learn from cross-risk lessons, including temperate European expertise in water management. In doing so, this project combines how the North solves community problems with the fire knowledge of the European South.
The project is hiring 15 PhD candidates across Southern and Northwest Europe and across a range of scientific disciplines, from social sciences and policy to environmental sciences and engineering. These 15 positions are open at 6 universities, 2 research institutes (including the European Forest Institute), a foundation and a company across Southern and Northwest Europe.
Pyrolife is looking for a diverse group of creative and open-minded Early Stage Researchers who are able to link innovative science to society, and communicate with media, stakeholders, and policy makers. Note that fire expertise is not required for these positions – skilled candidates with diverse backgrounds will be trained in fire topics through an interdisciplinary doctoral training program.
Application deadlines are between 2 and 15 December 2019.
