Research Fellowships in Global Methane Politics
The Global Methane Politics project (METH-POL) is a five-year European Research Council-funded project led by Professor Jan Selby in the School of Politics and International Studies at Leeds. The overall objectives of this project are to contribute to global climate change research and practice by exploring 1) the distinctive political dynamics and challenges associated with methane emissions and methane emission reduction efforts; and 2) why methane emissions are proving so hard to control, despite their acknowledged importance as a short‑term climate forcer and the abundance of low‑cost technical mitigation solutions. The project will involve research across five major methane‑emitting sectors – livestock, oil and gas, solid waste, coal, and wastewater – and in more than a dozen countries spanning global North and South, and every continent. The project adopts a broadly political‑ecology theoretical approach and will involve research at many different scales, from international policy arenas right down to the level of individual mines, farms and treatment plants where methane is emitted and governed in practice. The project will principally make use of qualitative methods, especially documentary analysis, interviews and observations.
The 3 Research Fellows will join the project for three years from September 2026, focusing respectively on 1) livestock, 2) oil and gas, and 3) solid waste. For each fellowship the core objectives are to generate original research findings on their specific sector; to work with other members of the project team (the PI, project administrator, two PhD researchers and other research fellows) to compare across sites, scales and sectors; and to explore the broader implications of these sectoral and comparative findings for methane and climate research and practice.
Benefits
* 26 days holiday plus approximately 16 bank holidays per year – a total of 42 days a year!
* Generous pension scheme options plus life assurance
* Health and wellbeing: discounted staff membership at The Edge, including gym, pool, sauna, climbing wall, cycle circuit and sports halls
* Personal development: access to courses run by the Organisational Development & Professional Learning team
* On‑site childcare, shopping discounts and travel schemes are also available
Contact
To explore the position further or for any queries you may have, please contact the METH‑POL project team at methpol@leeds.ac.uk.
Additional Information
Seniority level: Entry level
Employment type: Full‑time
Job function: Research, Analyst, and Information Technology
Industries: Higher Education
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