Research Assistant on socioeconomic aspects and farmers' acceptance of treated wastewater reuse - Benguerir

About IWRI:

International Water Research Institute (IWRI/UM6P) aims to rethink and adapt research, development, innovation and training to new paradigms to meet future water and climate challenges.

IWRI implements interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary education and research programs around issues related to Water and Climate on the campus of the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in Benguerir, as well as two future Research and Innovation platforms dedicated to Water at the Mazagan Campus and Laayoune Technopole. It aims to act as an African Water Hub through triangular strategic cooperation and partnerships (International Open Space Exchange Platform).

The objectives are to conduct cutting-edge research where local themes are connected to global issues of water and climate, with a focus on:

• Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM)
• Development of advanced water technologies (irrigation, water supply and sanitation, desalination, wastewater treatment and reuse)
• Hydro-informatics
• Climate Change and Adaptation Strategies.

 The Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) invites applications for a research assistant position within the International Water Research Institute (IWRI).

The work will be accomplished in the frame of the "Upgrading the enviro-septic systems for sustainable domestic water treatment, energy generation and food production" ENSUS project, which aims to assess the performance of the modified system in wastewater treatment, biogas production, and irrigation and inform strategies for scaling the technology to communities in arid and semi-arid regions of Morocco. We are looking for a highly motivated candidate to provide assistantship in the research on farmers' acceptance of treated wastewater in the Rehamna region and to analyse the determinants that affect their willingness to use or reject treated wastewater. The work will also involve conducting interviews with peri-urban communities and other industrial and commercial units on sanitation challenges and alternatives.

Key duties:

The specific tasks to be performed include:

• Finalize the questionnaire to assess treated wastewater acceptance by farmers in the Rehamna region
• Pilot the questionnaire, then conduct interviews for data collection with a representative sample of farmers in the region.
• Conduct interviews with peri-urban communities and other industrial and commercial units on challenges and sanitation alternatives.
• Conduct a state-of-the-art review on farmers' wastewater acceptance, focusing on developing and water-stressed countries.
• Code and clean survey data and conduct descriptive data analysis using further regression data analysis
• Contribute to drafting reports and scientific articles based on collected data.
• Reporting regularly on project activities progress,
• Conduct other activities related to the project as directed by task managers.

Application:   

The application should be sent in a single electronic zipped folder, which should contain:

1) a detailed Curriculum vitae with publications, if any,

2) a copy of the Master's (or other graduate) degree certificate,

3) Letter of motivation

4) An electronic copy of the Master thesis.

Criteria of the candidate:   

The potential applicant must have a higher university degree (MSc or equivalent) in a relevant field (economics, statistics, water management, industrial engineering, or related disciplines) and be able to complete the different tasks within the next six months.

Skills:   

The ideal candidate should be strongly self-motivated, keen to innovate and work well in an interdisciplinary research environment and with a rigorous work ethic. He/she should be able to deliver outputs (data collection, scientific publications, presentations, and the dissertation) in the targeted timeframes and according to the international standards of excellence.

The skill set sought in an ideal applicant includes:

1. Have a master's degree in social sciences (economics or agricultural economics), Econometrics, geography, rural engineering, soil sciences or a related discipline, with rigorous quantitative and data analysis training.
2. Prior experience collecting and managing survey data would be a strong asset.
3. Show ability and willingness to draft, design and administer survey questionnaires.
4. Knowledge of smallholder farming systems in Africa and Morocco would be an asset.
5. Excellent Excel skills and proficiency in using leading statistical software (SPSS, R, STATA) for econometric analysis.
6. Excellent command of the English language for oral and written communication.
7. Fluency in French and (Moroccan) Arabic will be a strong asset.
8. Flexibility and willingness to travel