NURTURING NEW TALENT 2019

The RSAI aims to continue promoting the development of Regional Science by nurturing new talent in 2018. The council has therefore pledged resources to co-finance workshops and summer institutes intended to provide substantive training to pre-doctoral researchers, including the presentation of their work and receiving feedback from senior scholars and their peers. It is expected that the selected workshops and institutes will have considerable international geographical coverage.

Organisers of workshops and summer schools fulfilling the above aims are invited to submit a two-page case for support by November 2^nd 2018 the RSAI (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

All applications will be reviewed by the Committee and with the approval of the Council. Their decision will be final.

BUILDING BRIDGES IN REGIONAL SCIENCE

2019 conference participation support

The RSAI will facilitate the participation of researchers from low-income and lower-middle-income economies (as defined by the World Bank: http://data.worldbank.org/about/country-and-lending-groups#Low_income) at the four largest Regional Science Conferences in 2019: LARSC, PRSCO, ERSA, and NARSC. 

The RSAI will provide a subsidy up to USD 500 (or the equivalent in other currencies) to selected researchers. This is likely to cover the conference registration fee and some local travel costs. Alternative means of financing will have to be sought for international travel and accommodation.

Only one author of a submitted paper presentation proposal can apply for a subsidy.

Interested researchers should upload a two-page CV plus a one-page motivation –including a budget with proposed sources of funding of the conference-related registration, travel and accommodation costs – within 30 days of receiving confirmation of the acceptance of the researcher’s abstract by the conference organizers.

Applications can be uploaded using the following link until November 2^nd 2018.

Applicants should have had a paper accepted for presentation at the conference.

All applications will be reviewed by the Committee and with the approval of the Council. Their decision will be final.

POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT

DEPARTMENT OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE AND REGIONAL PLANNING

UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST

Title:                  Assistant Professor – Planning

Appointment:   Academic Year (9-month) – Tenure Track

Available:          September 1, 2019

About UMass Amherst

UMass Amherst, the Commonwealth's flagship campus, is a nationally ranked public research university offering a full range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, and offers a rich cultural environment in a bucolic setting close to major urban centers. In addition, the University is part of the Five Colleges (including Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, and Smith College), which adds to the intellectual energy of the region.

Job Description:

We seek scholars who are using new sources of information and innovative analytical methods to answer questions in the areas of land use and/or economic development planning.  Candidates with a specialization in data analytics, land use modeling, geographic information systems (GIS), transportation and economic development are especially encouraged to apply. Teaching responsibilities will consist of both graduate and undergraduate classes, with potential courses including: quantitative methods in planning, spatial modeling/GIS, economic development, planning studio, regional or international planning, and a research seminar.  Candidates are expected to develop an independent research program with external funding and have the opportunity to build departmental and inter-departmental interdisciplinary collaboration with departmental centers and other campus-wide initiatives, such as the School of Public Policy and Institute for Social Science Research (ISSR). 

We are seeking talented applicants qualified for an assistant professor position. Under exceptional circumstances, highly qualified candidates at other ranks may receive consideration.

Requirements:

A doctoral degree in planning or a Masters in planning with a Ph.D. in a closely-related field is required.  Professional experience in urban and regional planning and/or AICP certification is desirable.  Preferred qualifications include: a demonstrated capacity for teaching; professional experience in planning and/or AICP certification; a demonstrated capacity for scholarly research; and a demonstrated ability to attain external funding to support research.

Additional Information:

Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience.

The Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning is one of the few programs where planning and design are in the same academic department, and enjoys a national and international reputation with a focus on sustainability.  We are a collegial department with a new, award winning building and investment by the university.  The Department has accredited programs in Regional Planning (MRP) and Landscape Architecture (MLA, BSLA).  We also offer a Ph.D. in Regional Planning, a B.S. in Sustainable Community Development and an Associate’s degree in Landscape Contracting.  The Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning is located in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences.

For further information on the Department, please visit our web site: www.umass.edu/larp

Application Instructions:

Applicants should apply online at http://careers.umass.edu/amherst/en-us/job/494688/assistant-professor-in-planning. Please include a letter of interest including your research and teaching interests and experience, a comprehensive curriculum vitae, selected samples of publications, and the contact information for three references (including name, title, address, telephone number and email).

Application review will begin October 15, 2018. Search will continue until the position is filled.

UMass Amherst is committed to a policy of equal opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, age, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, disability, military status, or genetic information in employment, admission to and participation in academic programs, activities, and services, and the selection of vendors who provide services or products to the University.  To fulfill that policy, UMass Amherst is further committed to a program of affirmative action to eliminate or mitigate artificial barriers and to increase opportunities for the recruitment and advancement of qualified minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and covered veterans.  It is the policy of the UMass Amherst to comply with the applicable federal and state statutes, rules, and regulations concerning equal opportunity and affirmative action.

The Regional Science Academy (TRSA)in Corkon the occasion of the annual ERSA conference, August 28 – August 31:

For those who will attend the ERSA conference in Cork, August 28-31, 2018:

Dear colleagues/friends:

In less than 2 weeks from now we will have 3 interesting events:

• ABC (Advanced Brainstorm Carrefour) of The Regional Science Academy (TRSA), in Cork, on the occasion of the annual ERSA conference (to be held from August 28 – August 31). This open-access ABC will be held in the premises of the University and will start on Monday, August 27, from 13:30 to 17:00; this ABC will continue on Tuesday morning (08:45), August 28, till noon (13:15); after lunch the ERSA opening ceremony will start. We will address a special theme this time, viz. The Entrepreneurial City.  Please find attached the final ABC programme.

• Special Academic Session (SAS)of TRSA on ‘The New Geography of Happiness’, during the ERSA conference in Cork, on Thursday, August 30, from 16:30 to 18:00 in room: WGB_G09 (see ERSA programme: S49-S1).

• Elevator Pitch Festival on Thursday, August 30, from 18:15-19:45, where we will solicit short pitch contributions (3-5 min.), on the theme of ‘Urban Crisis and Rural Nostalgia’, in a nearby pub. See attached information on the pub location; registration for the Elevator Pitch Festival is necessary (see attached invitation letter + programme).

We will be pleased and honoured to have you with us in these events.

If you are unable to participate, you are more than welcome to send us your ideas for future activities or plans. 

We look forward to seeing you all soon at one of our forthcoming meetings.

Best personal regards,

RSAI is pleased to announce the election of the following Fellows in 2018:

Janet E. Kohlhase University of Houston, USA	Alan T. Murray University of California at Santa Barbara, USA
Dan Rickman Oklahoma State University, USA	Andrés Rodríguez-Pose London School of Economics, UK

Dear Regional Scientist,

We would very much appreciate your input for the RSPP lecture at the ERSA conference in Cork this August!

Therefore, we want to invite you to fill in a short survey about your research focus and interest. The results will be used for the RSPP lecture at the ERSA conference in Cork and a subsequent article.

The survey will take 4 minutes to complete. Please, follow this link to access the survey.

The deadline is the 24^th of August.

Many thanks,

Prof.dr. Eveline van Leeuwen,

Urban Economics group, Wageningen University

Assistant/Associate Professor

Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics

College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

The Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics (ACE) seeks to fill a position for an Assistant or Associate Professor in International Trade and Food Security.

This position is part of an initiative in the College of ACES to contribute to the improvement of global human and environmental health via the food system. We intend to dramatically strengthen and expand our capacity in this arena through a seven-position cluster hire focused on Food and Agricultural Systems for Global Health. Faculty hired into these positions will lead collegewide efforts in food security and global health, and participate in related campus priorities, including the Nutrition and Food Security theme of the campus strategic plan (blogs.illinois.edu/view/7831/601847), the Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Institute, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, and Carle-Illinois College of Medicine, among others.

The Department of ACE conducts an internationally recognized applied economics program with specialization in the areas of commercial agriculture, price analysis, development economics, environmental economics, regional economics and public policy. We invite candidates conducting research in international markets and trade as they apply to agriculture, food, nutrition, food security, natural resources, and/or rural economies. Applicants should have a strong scholarly record of applying economic theory and/or empirical methods to study factors and/or policies affecting trade, and international agricultural markets. In addition, the successful candidate must be able to work collaboratively with faculty and students of the department, the college, and the university in areas relevant to this position.

Primary Duties include:

• Develop a nationally prominent research program with publications in leading peer-reviewed scientific journals and extramural funding
• Contribute to the department’s undergraduate and graduate teaching programs through teaching (generally two courses per year) and student advising
• Collaborate with colleagues to address societal problems that require complex, multidisciplinary approaches

All candidates must hold a Ph.D. in agricultural/applied economics, economics, finance, or related field. Candidates should show potential for a strong research and teaching program in their area of specialization, and have completed their degree before the start date of the appointment. 

The start date will be August 16, 2019. This is a full time, 100%, 9 month tenure-track appointment. Salary will be commensurate with experience.

To ensure full consideration, candidates should apply by November 15, 2018. The search will remain open until suitable candidates are identified. Candidates may be interviewed before the closing date; however no hiring decision will be made until after that date. To apply, please create a candidate profile at https://jobs.illinois.edu/ and upload a cover letter, curriculum vitae, a sample of written work, a research statement, a teaching statement and three letters of reference. Applicants who are currently graduate students or post-doctoral fellows must also submit transcripts from graduate program(s). All requested information must be submitted for your application to be given full consideration. Please contact Melissa Warmbier at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with questions.

ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY, COLLEGE, AND DEPARTMENT

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has a student enrollment of more than 40,000, and nearly 2,000 faculty. It’s located approximately 120 miles south of Chicago in a vibrant and diverse community of 110,000, and is easy driving distance from St. Louis and Indianapolis. Our community offers the residential advantages of a medium-sized university city, excellent cultural opportunities, and a high quality of life.

The College of ACES is recognized worldwide for its commitment to excellence in undergraduate and graduate programs, teaching, research, outreach, and international programs. We offer tremendous opportunities for students to achieve their goals and prepare for excellent careers. Our hands-on academic programs prepare our graduates for local, national, and global careers. ACES research programs are making a difference in people’s lives. Our research and education centers, located throughout the state, provide vital testing grounds where research can generate practical applications that benefit consumers, farmers, commodity groups, agricultural organizations, environmentalists, conservationists, government agencies, industry, and business. University of Illinois Extension connects the university to people, businesses, and communities statewide to help solve problems, develop skills, and build a better future. ACES faculty and staff are leaders in international engagement, addressing global challenges and impacting lives around the world.

The Department of ACE is one of seven departments in the College of ACES with 700 undergraduate students, 80 graduate students, 30 tenure-track faculty members and 80 non-tenure track staff. Disciplines include ag economics, economics, business, finance, and law. Nine undergraduate concentrations are offered, ranging from agribusiness markets and management to public policy and law to financial planning. The department’s research and outreach programs relate to commercial ag, the environment and natural resources, development economics, and consumer and family economics. An applied emphasis helps the department meet its land-grant mission while maintaining a high level of scholarship. Responsibilities are divided between research, teaching, and extension with annual support of about $5.3 million from state and federal recurring funds, and $10 million from grants, contracts, and gifts. Six endowed chair positions have been established in the fields of marketing, futures and options (2), finance, policy, and law.

The University of Illinois conducts criminal background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer.

The University of Illinois is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action employer. Minorities, women, veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. For more information, visit http://go.illinois.edu/EEO. To learn more about the University’s commitment to diversity, please visit http://www.inclusiveillinois.illinois.edu

The event will be held on November 27, 2018 from 4:00pm to 8:00pm
George Mason University, Founders Hall Auditorium, Room 134.  A reception will follow in the Art Gallery.

Hosted by George Mason University's Schar School of Policy and Government and its sponsors, the Hays Outside the Box Competition seeks to support innovative and “outside the box” solutions to challenges in transportation.

In the ever-evolving world of transportation and transportation challenges, it is imperative that we foster the development and implementation of new ideas. Instead of offering the same old solutions – turning the proverbial wheel but not moving forward – we challenge you to think creatively and offer “outside-the-box” solutions to the complex challenges of passenger and freight mobility, accommodating new urbanism, acknowledging environmental impacts and climate change, understanding the role of transportation in economic competitiveness, responding to the rapid change in technology, the re-imagining of global supply chain networks, and promoting opportunity for all communities through transportation infrastructure, system management, and new transportation products and services.

How can you affect change? Are you up to this challenge?

If you are, then we want to see your best ideas in Transportation Policy and System Management, and Innovations in Transportation Products and Services submitted to the Cameron Rian Hays Outside-the-Box Competition.

Two Competitions:

• Transportation Policy and System Management – Submission Deadline: October 1, 2018
• Innovations in Transportation Products and Services -  Submission Deadline: Spring 2019

First prize: $10,000
Second prize: $5,000
Third prize: $2,500

More information can be found here - https://schar.gmu.edu/current-students/scholarships-funding/cameron-rian-hays-outside-box-competition

Dear Colleagues,

The Extremadurian Regional Science Association (AExCR) is delighted to announce the II Seminar for New Academic Researchers (SNAR) at the University of Extremadura in Plasencia (Cáceres) next October 5th. 

This meeting is mainly intended to guide and offer advice to young researchers (PhD students or graduates) in developing their research lines and consolidating their long-term careers. 

In this edition, we are again counting on the valuable presence of Geoffrey J.D. Hewings, Professor of Economics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and other senior researchers eager to share their knowledge and provide New Academic Researchers with valuable comments, ideas and advices. 

Likewise, we are proud to count with the support of RSAI, ERSA and AECR. 

The topics of interest include, but are not limited to, questions related to urban economics, regional science, spatial analysis and input-output models. 

Abstracts intended for presentation should be sent in Doc or Pdf-format, with a maximum of 500 words, including author's name(s), affiliation(s), main topic and 3-5 keywords to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by August 20th 2018.

Deadlines:

Submission of abstracts:  20^th August 2018

Notification of acceptance:  5^th September 2018

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact me (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)! 

More information about the Seminar (exact location of the Seminar Venue, accommodation options, tourist info, etc.) will be coming soon!

Come to check it out and spread the word!  There are no fees for participants of the Seminar! 

Looking forward to seeing you soon, in Plasencia (Cáceres).

Best, 

Alberto Franco Solís

Topic: Building resilient cities in the shrinking paradigm: A UK and China comparison using new sources of big data

Funding eligibility: Funding is available for UK residents (fees + stipend) and EU residents (fees only).

Application closing date: August 15, 2018

Project description: Urban shrinkage is a common phenomenon throughout the world despite urbanisation being a well-established trend. With increasing globalisation, cities in both developed and developing counties experience economic downturn, population decline, de-urbanisation. Reasons and solutions of urban shrinkage have been discussed and documented extensively for developed countries (e.g. UK, US, Germany, and Japan). However, deeper understanding of urban shrinkage issues and how to resolve them in the developing world, especially in China with a large number of fast growing cities, is still lacking. Insights from developed countries could be learned in order to better address the challenges for building resilience into shrinking cities of the developing world. Northeast China provinces, including Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang, now known as the “rust belt” in China, have topped the chart in the number of shrinking cities due to resource depletion, deindustrialization, and demographic changes. Similarly, most of the top UK declining cities are in the north of England as a strong indication of the North-South divide. Core cities of North England, such as Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield and Newcastle, share some common characteristics with their counterpart in Northeast China in terms of industrial legacy, aging population, and loss of growth power to support surrounding areas. Insights could be gained for those cities in both countries by a comparative study of their resilience to internal and external changes.

With a focus on Northeast China cities, this project seek to 1) identify and better understand the spatial, economic and social issues of shrinking cities and the underpinning mechanisms in relation to other Chinese cities, and 2) design adaptive strategies to build resilience into these cities through a comparative study of urban shrinkage in China and UK. This project will expand the existing research by combining the spatial, economic and social dimensions of human mobility and urban interactions and considering the interplay of all three dimensions in defining a multidimensional measurement and assessment of urban resilience. Furthermore, this project will promote the collaboration between the UoB research team and the Chinese stakeholders in order to incorporate local interests and benefit decision-makers with both general and place-based strategies in policy-making.

This project will facilitate the identification and acquisition of various traditional and novel sources of data, which can be leveraged them to gain better insights by leading-edge big data analytics and AI techniques. The substantive and methodological knowledge that this PhD project will generate will directly contribute to the UK Industrial Strategy Grant Challenge of Artificial Economy and the Data Economy as well as on the Key Policies on Infrastructure and Places. Moreover, this PhD project will contribute to the research objectives of the Alan Turing Institute, which the University of Birmingham recently joined. The latter signifies the broader recognition of AI and the Data Economy as a research priority for the University of Birmingham.

Qualification: Applicants should hold a minimum of a UK Honours Degree at 2:1 level or equivalent in subjects such as Geoinformatics, GIScience/Geocompuation, Transport Planning, Civil Engineering, Geography, Environmental Science, Computer/Data Science or Urban Planning. Applicants with skills in quantitative modelling or Python/R programming are preferred.

For further details: Please contact Dr Zhaoya Gong (Birmingham):

·         Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

·         Telephone: +44(0)1214144240

·         Supervisory panel: Dr Zhaoya Gong (Birmingham); Dr Emmanouil Tranos (Birmingham)

Application procedure: http://www.dream-cdt.ac.uk/studying/application/