GSMI - Assistant Professor: Environmental Evaluation and Life Cycle Analysis

About Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P)

Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) is an internationally oriented institution of higher learning, that is committed to an educational system based on the highest standards of teaching and research in fields related to the sustainable economic development of Morocco and Africa. UM6P is an institution oriented towards applied research and innovation. On a specific focus on Africa, UM6P aims to position these fields as the forefront and become a university of international standing.   

More than just a traditional academic institution, UM6P is a platform for experimentation and a pool of opportunities, for students, professors and staff. It offers a high-quality living and study environment thanks to its state-of-the-art infrastructure. With an innovative approach, UM6P places research and innovation at the heart of its educational project as a driving force of a business model.

In its research approach, the UM6P promotes transdisciplinary, entrepreneurship spirit and collaboration with external institutions for developing up to date science and at continent level in order to address real challenges.

All our programs run as start-ups and can be self-organized when they reach a critical mass. Thus, academic liberty is promoted as far as funding is developed by research teams.

The research programs are integrated from long-term research to short-term applications in linkage with incubation and start-up ecosystems. 

Duties:

Research activities (70%)

The Geology & Sustainable Mining Institute (GSMI) aims to contribute to the development of a truly circular economy by conducting research covering a wide range of expertise, through its Circular Economy and Resource Governance research axis. The fundamental objectives and challenges are to:

• Develop and optimize management and treatment systems for effluents and resources, allowing for the recovery of their mineral and critical metal content, as well as energy and construction materials.
• Develop multi-criteria environmental indicators, as well as their evaluation methods, to support the mining and fertilizer industry in the transition to a circular economy.

One of GSMI's scientific objectives is to contribute to limiting the impacts of mine and industrial waste and its management. This approach will actively contribute to the implementation of circular economy approaches and policies at the territorial level.

Environmental considerations in companies decision-making are necessary to support the necessary green transitions to control and reduce environmental impacts (emissions and pollution) and consumption (energy and raw materials). To do so, evaluation tools (indicators, models, data) adapted to the engineer's professions and decision-making must be developed. Companies decisions must integrate new aspects and parameters related to environmental evaluations that are unfamiliar to them. The research work will help to develop the most relevant indicators and evaluate the uncertainties in data and models, as well as their propagation to qualify the results obtained.

The recruited researcher will be required to:

• Contribute in the establishment of a sound science and technology, research program, and strategies related to life cycle analysis expertise within the Geology & Sustainable Mining Institute.
• Participate in the design of research projects, identify funding sources and contribute to the process of securing funds.
• Contribute to the development of standardized Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) and Material Flow Analysis (MFA) methods to reach sustainable development goals.
• Analyze the types of decisions to be made, their multi-criteria and multi-objective evaluation context, and work on the formats or representation tools usable by decision-makers.
• Formalize a systematic approach to identifying and defining relevant indicators and levers of action.
• Apply the LCA methodology to processes that consider and/or reduce resource dissipation, the presence of pathogens in various matrices (water, air, soil) in an industrial context, as well as technical innovations that will bridge with product eco-design.
• Work with a diverse population of students at the undergraduate and Masters levels and to supervise postdocs and PhD students.
• Publish research in high impact factor journals and attend national/international conferences.

Pedagogical and support activities (30%)

The recruited researcher will teach, in French and English, in his/her area of expertise, particularly on the following indicative themes:

• Environmental Evaluation
• Life Cycle Analysis: Environmental, Economic, and Social
• Materials flows analysis 
• Industrial and Territorial Ecology
• Sustainability
• Carbon Footprint

Candidate Criteria 

• PhD in environmental sciences, sustainability and/or innovation engineering.
• Relevant hands-on experience in the subject discipline related to circular economy, life cycle assessment, carbon footprint, decarbonization strategies, material flow analysis, circularity indicators, etc. 
• Mastery of scientific software for LCA (e.g. SimaPro or other tools) and Material and Flow Analysis (e.g. Umberto software). 
• Good knowledge of environmental impact calculation and life cycle analysis methodology in industrial sectors.
• Good knowledge of database management and analysis. 
• Ability to generate new ideas, links, and to build upon existing ideas to generate good concepts and solutions.
• Proven ability to fulfil the academic writing requirements for development of proposal, reports, and scientific publications.
• An excellent research and publication track record
• Good English communication skills, both verbal and writing are important.
• Ability to work both as part of a team and to work independently.
• Demonstrated fund raising skills.

Application and Selection

Required documents include:

• Curriculum Vitae,
• Application letter,
• Statement of research interests and plans,
• Statement of teaching interests and experience,
• 3 reference letters.