Innovation processes in rural areas

Livia Madureira This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - CETRAD, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro.
André Torre This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - INRA, University Paris Saclay.

Call for papers for a special issue of Regional Science Policy and Practice until January 15, 2018

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1757-7802 

One often consider that rural territories are not innovative. Innovation would be mainly reserved for urban spaces and in particular for big cities, as revealed by the concentration of high tech firms and clusters in an urban environment. However, this preconceived idea meets two important limits. The first one is the existence of a very successful and very innovative farming sector, to the point that agriculture only employs nowadays an increasingly small number of workers, due to technical progress, in particular in Europe and in the USA, as well as in BRICs like Brazil for example. Agriculture and forestry are also the stage for intensive agro-ecological knowledge creation towards more sustainable farming processes and practices, involving both scientists and farmers. The second is that numerous innovations are emerging in rural areas highlighting non-technological types of innovation, like organizational innovations (new forms of networks between actors, direct marketing and local markets…), social innovations (cooperatives, services to the population…) and institutional innovations (Leader Programs, local charters…) along with product (superfoods, healthcare services and renewable energy) and technological innovations (the methanation for example).

This special issue aims to make the state of the art about innovations in rural areas, by describing various experiences, and by giving solid references onto the level of rural innovation and the characteristics of the latter, which bring new knowledge about innovation and support to policies to enhance it on rural territories.

Dear member,

Journals and societies are in a position to make a significant contribution to enabling access to the data underlying the articles we publish. The sharing of data enables others to reuse experimental results and supports the creation of new work built on previous findings, improving the efficiencies of the research process and supporting the critical goals of transparency and reproducibility. The RSAI would like to hear from you how data should be shared within the regional science community.

Please share your views with us by completing this short survey. It has four questions only and will not take longer than three minutes to complete

Link to survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VDCBTM8

Assistant Professor in Housing and Property Management

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences

Department of Apparel, Housing and Resource Management

We are seeking an academic year, tenure-track assistant professor with expertise in housing policy, affordability and econometrics for a position in Housing and Property Management.  The successful candidate will have the opportunity to engage in transdisciplinary research, curriculum and/or outreach initiatives with other university faculty working in Housing, Property Management and the Intelligent Infrastructure for Human-centered Communities Destination Area.

Destination Areas:Virginia Tech is building transdisciplinary teams to tackle the world’s pressing problems through research, education, and engagement.  Destination Areas provide faculty and students with new tools to identify and solve complex, 21st-century problems in which Virginia Tech already has significant strengths and can take a global leadership role.

Intelligent Infrastructure for Human-centered Communities: This Destination Area focuses its attention on the ways that people interact with one another and with their environment. Interest areas include smart, healthy, and sustainable cities and communities; transportation systems; human safety, health, and wellness; integrated energy systems; network science and engineering; public policy; and cyber-physical systems.

The successful candidate’s scholarly work and teaching should address housing policy issues, broadly defined from an economic, environmental, financial and/or social perspective.  We are interested in candidates who approach their work in an interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary manner, utilizing mixed research methodologies. A preference exists for candidates whose research, teaching and community engagement interests intersect with one or more of the areas of strength within the AHRM Department, including multifamily/rental housing, lifespan housing, housing for specialized needs, affordable housing and environmentally sustainable housing options. A passion for undergraduate teaching is important.

Responsibilities include:

• Teach undergraduate courses; the expected/standard teaching load is two/two courses per academic year.
• Develop a research program that includes refereed publications, scholarly presentations, and grantsmanship appropriate for a R1 Research University.
• Engage in the initiatives of the Intelligent Infrastructure for Human-centered Communities Destination Area.
• Advise undergraduate students.
• Provide service to the University and profession.
• Contribute to the Housing and Property Management program, including working with industry partners.
• Participate in occasional travel to attend professional conferences and meetings.
• Complete a successful criminal background check.

Qualifications include:

Required:

• Doctorate degree conferred by August 10, 2018.
• Demonstrated potential for effective teaching, scholarship productivity and grant funding.

Preferred:

• Demonstrated experience with interdisciplinary teaching and/or research in areas that align with Virginia Tech’s university-wide, multidisciplinary focus on Intelligent Infrastructure for Human-centered Communities.
• College teaching experience.
• Successful grant writing experience.
• Productivity in research publications in peer-reviewed journals.
• Willingness to develop and teach in a graduate level curriculum.

The starting date for the position is August 10, 2018. The applicant must have an earned doctorate degree in a housing or property management related field by the position starting date. Review of applications will begin February 1, 2018.  The review will continue until a suitable candidate is appointed from a diverse pool of applicants.  Salary is dependent on qualifications.

To Apply

To apply, go to http://www.jobs.vt.edu  posting #TR0170158and complete the on-line application. You will be asked to supply brief demographic information and to upload a cover letter (describing qualifications and relevant experience in teaching and research or creative scholarship), your vita, and provide contact information for three (3) references.  If you have specific questions about the position, please contact Dr. Kathleen Parrott, Chair, Search Committee at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .  If you are an individual with a disability and desire accommodation, please contact Dianna Givens at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, or veteran status; or otherwise discriminate against employees or applicants who inquire about, discuss, or disclose their compensation or the compensation of other employees, or applicants; or any other basis protected by law. (http://www.vt.edu/about/equal-opportunity.html).  For inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies, contact the Office of Equity and Access at 540-231-2010 or Virginia Tech, North End Center, Suite 2300 (0318), 300 Turner St. NW, Blacksburg, VA 24061.  Virginia Tech’s Dual Career Program is available for faculty with a spouse or partner considering employment at the University.  Further information is available at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 540-231-9331. 

On the 11^th and 12^th of October 2017 took place in Rabat the 2º Congress of Regional Science Association of Morocco with the general theme “The Ambition of Sustainability from the Perspective of Territorial Complexity and Society of Risks”. With 85 participants, 89 presentations and 4 key speakers the Congress was a remarkable signal of the vitality of the Moroccan Regional Science Association and of the importance of regional science in Morocco and in Africa. Participants come from Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Cameron, Benin, France, Portugal and Brazil, female and male, young and mature, rooted in the disciplines that compose regional science (economics, transport, agriculture, environment, planning and policy) and focusing the reality with sound methods, clear expositions and interesting results for the global literature on resilience and risk management; indicators of sustainable development; adaptation to climate change;  territorial governance and regional development; ecosystem services; water and energy issues; and agriculture and food security.

The key speakers talked on stimulating topics: Reconversion of Mining Towns by Abdelaziz Adidi, Director de the Institute for Land Use Planning and Urbanism; Research Questions for Africa by Tomaz Ponce Dentinho from the University of Azores; Adaptive tools to address coastal risks by Maria Snoussi from the University Mohamed V in Rabat; and Trade in Water : constraints and perspectives by Eduardo Haddad from the University of São Paulo.

Next year, the third Congress of the Regional Science Association of Morocco will be in the North of the country, in Tangier or Tétuan. There an increasing number of participants are expected not only from Morocco and Africa but also from nearby European countries like Spain, Portugal and France. There are also sound plans to organize a regional science meeting in Tunes and within two years one more Regional Science Conference in South Africa. Soon the African Network of Regional Science Associations will be created to promote the diffusion of regional science in Africa.

Join the conversation at the LSE about globalisation, foreign direct investments and local development. Check out the new LSE blog http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/gild/

Latest research from the new LSE blog on globalisation, FDI and local development, delivered directly to you by email: http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/gild/subscribe-by-email/

Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science

Special Issue: Spatial Analysis and Modeling

A majority of socio-economic phenomena are closely related to the geographic location and context where they occur. This underscores the need to analyze spatial processes, spatial dependence and spatial heterogeneity associated with these phenomena by means of spatially explicit models. Our understanding of urban and regional systems is uniquely enhanced by spatial analysis and modeling. In this special issue, we call for papers on a range of cutting edge issues of spatial analysis and modeling of relevance to urban and regional science. We welcome both theoretical developments of models and empirical applications. From the theoretical point of view, spatial models have to be general enough to be applicable to a number of spatial phenomena, but at the same time, the models should be flexible enough to be implemented to specific problems. From the empirical point of view, the application of spatial models should shed light on meaningful actual phenomena and their underlining processes. Economic and social issues in Asia-Pacific regions are becoming increasingly compelling and yet, spatial models that can be brought to bear on enhancing our understanding these issues and our ability to effectively alleviate them remain in their developing stage. We envision this special issue as a major contribution towards the promotion of this development.

Please follow the ‘Instructions for Authors’ www.springer.com/journal/41685 in preparing your manuscript. For the proper tracking of submissions, select the special feature titled Spatial Analysis and Modelling at the “Select Article Type” stage during the submission https://www.editorialmanager.com/ajrs/default.aspx. Due date: September 30, 2018.

Yasushi Asami, The University of Tokyo

Jean-Claude Thill, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

The position is available from January 1, 2018 for a period of one year.

The CESAER [1] recruits a postdoctoral scholar for research in regional and urban economics, who must have proven skills in the application of econometric methods. The PostDoc will contribute to a research program for the Société du Grand Paris, with two economists, three geographers, two physicians and one urban planner. The successful candidate will estimate how density changes (in response to transportation network changes) affect the costs of providing infrastructures and public services, with particular attention to causality.

Applicants are expected to have completed (or being close to completing) a Ph.D. in Economics and to have a strong background in microeconometrics and programming in R. Some proficiency in regional and urban economics and/or Geographic Information Systems would be appreciated.

Interested candidates should send their applications (CV, names of two potential references, the job market paper, copies of Master’s and Ph.D. certificates and a grade transcript, if available) to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Deadline for applications: November 1, 2017

For further information, applicants can contact:

The position is available from January 1, 2018 for a period of one year.

The CESAER^[1] recruits a postdoctoral scholar for research in regional economics, who must have proven skills in the application of econometric methods. The PostDoc will contribute to a H2020 research program IMAJINE (Integrative Mechanisms for Addressing Spatial Justice and Territorial Inequalities in Europe) that aims to formulate new integrative policy mechanisms to enable European, national and regional government agencies to more effectively address territorial inequalities within the European Union. The successful candidate will apply the recent advances in spatio-temporal exploratory spatial data analysis to perform a detailed analysis of the space-time distribution of a large set of local socio-economic indicators. She/he will also use quantile decomposition methods to assess spatial income distributions and will participate to the elaboration of a framework to evaluate the effectiveness of public policies to reduce regional disparities.

Applicants are expected to have completed (or being close to completing) a Ph.D. in Economics and to have a strong background in spatial econometrics, regional economics and programming in R. Some proficiency in microeconometrics and/or Geographic Information Systems would be appreciated.

Interested candidates should send their applications (CV, names of two potential references, the job market paper, copies of Master’s and Ph.D. certificates and a grade transcript, if available) to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Deadline for applications: November 1, 2017

The Southern Regional Science Association is sponsoring the 2018 University of Florida Water Symposium, hosted by the UF Water Institute.  This year, the Symposium will include a Special Session/Panel Session on Water and Regional Science, sponsored by the Southern Regional Science Association (SRSA) and organized by Christa Court (University of Florida).

Water and Regional Science at 2018 UF Water Institute Symposium

The 6th biennial University of Florida Water Institute Symposium, held in Gainesville, FL on February 6-7, 2018, will bring together individuals from a broad range of disciplines and organizations to explore water issues from multiple perspectives. The Symposium, titled "Sustainable Water Resources: Complex Challenges, Integrated Solutions - Shaping our Water Future", will focus on current water use, conservation, restoration, and adaptation efforts and challenges while envisioning ways of sustaining our water systems. Innovative science, technology, cultural, policy, and management solutions will be explored through presentations, poster sessions and panels in the following areas:

* Drivers of social, hydrologic, ecologic, and economic change
* Impacts to coastal, surface water, spring, and aquifer systems
* Tradeoffs among use, conservation, restoration, and adaptation
* Solutions through science, technology, cultural, policy, and management approaches

This year, the Symposium will include a Special Session/Panel Session on Water and Regional Science, sponsored by the Southern Regional Science Association (SRSA) and organized by Christa Court. Economic prosperity, quality of life, and the environment are all inextricably linked by water. Availability, quality, and use of water are regional by nature and though interregional trade in water is possible, regional variations in natural and historical resource allocations will continue to play roles in regional development and will likely become more important over time. Absent improvements in water management and efficiency improvements related to water use, additional stress on water resources might lead to reduced economic development potential (even the possibility of negative growth), poorer quality of life, and environmental hazards across regions within the U.S. and around the world. The interdisciplinary field of regional science – with its focus on the important roles of local and regional processes to socioeconomic performance and sustainability, its explicit treatment of spatial relationships, and its increasing attention devoted to modeling the linkages between the human system and the environment – is ideally suited to contribute high quality, policy relevant research on water.

One session within the Symposium will include an introductory presentation that will introduce the field of regional science and its potential for contributions to water-related research to Symposium participants, select regional science research presentations, and a briefing on plans for a special issue on water within SRSA’s official journal, the Review of Regional Studies. All additional accepted regional science presentations will be interwoven throughout other interdisciplinary sessions according to the research topic area.  During abstract submission, potential SRSA participants will be asked to identify “SRSA Submission” at the beginning of their abstract so that accepted abstracts can be easily identified by Symposium participants. Student poster submissions are also encouraged and will be eligible for the three “Best Poster” awards and a prize of $1,000.


Dates of Interest:
* Call for abstracts
August 18, 2017
* Abstract submission deadline
October 12, 2017
* Online registration opens
November 10, 2017
* Early registration deadline
January 7, 2018
* 6th Biennial Water Symposium
February 6-7, 2018

RSAI members that are interested in this opportunity are encouraged to contact Christa Court at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for additional information.

2^nd Call for Abstracts and Keynote Speaker Announced

This is a friendly reminder to submit an abstract for the 6th University of Florida Water Institute Symposiumthat will be held February 6-7, 2018 at the J. Wayne Reitz Union, on the University of Florida Campus.  Please see the call for abstracts below and on-line for details.  The deadline for abstract submission is October 12, 2017.

The UF Water Institute is pleased to announce that Sandra Postel, Director of the Independent Global Water Policy Project will be the Keynote Speakerat the Symposium.   Sandra Postel lectures, writes and consults on global water issues. In 2010 she was appointed Freshwater Fellow of the National Geographic Society. Sandra’s new book, Replenish: The Virtuous Cycle of Water and Prosperity, will be released in October 2017. 

The 6^th University of Florida Water Institute Symposium

February 6-7, 2018

J. Wayne Reitz Union, University of Florida Campus, Gainesville Florida

We encourage you to submit an abstract for the 6^th UF Water Institute Symposium which will focus on current water use, conservation, restoration and adaptation efforts and challenges, as well as envisioning new ways of sustaining our water systems.   

Presentations are sought that focus on new research, education, policy and technology developments in the following interdisciplinary areas:

• Drivers
• Impacts to coastal, surface water, spring and aquifer systems
• Tradeoffs among use, conservation, restoration and adaptation
• Solutions through science, technology, cultural, policy and management approaches

To review detailed topics within each of these areas please see Call for Abstracts on the Symposium web site.

Student poster authors are eligible to compete for "Best Poster" awards based on the quality of the abstract, poster and discussion. Three poster winners will receive prizes of $1000 each to be used as funding to support future participation at a national conference.

Abstracts should not exceed 300 words, and must be submitted electronically using the on-line submission form no later than October 12, 2017.  Authors will indicate their preferred topic area and format (oral/poster) but final decisions will be made by the program committee.  Authors will be notified by email regarding acceptance and format of their presentation by November 10, 2017.  Accepted abstracts will be published online.

There is no charge for submitting an abstract. Conference registration will open November 10, 2017. Conference registration fees are detailed below: