Governance Working Group - Call for Applications

Call for Applicants: iN-Net Global Nitrogen Governance Working Group

We are excited to announce an open call for applications to join the International Nitrogen Network (iN-Net) Global Nitrogen Governance Working Group. This will be an international  group of interdisciplinary scholars and stakeholders focused on shaping a new research agenda for nitrogen pollution governance.

The Working Group is part of iN-Net (www.in-net.network), a U.S. National Science Foundation-funded project directed by David Kanter (NYU, INI), devoted to stimulating pathbreaking, policy-relevant research that can underpin national action plans to halve N waste by 2030. The project is a collaboration with a number of science and policy networks, including the UNEP Nitrogen Working Group, the Global Partnership on Nutrient Management and the Task Force on Reactive Nitrogen under the UNECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution.

The Global Nitrogen Governance Working Group, led by William San Martín (Worcester Polytechnic Institute), will closely collaborate with two other iN-Net working groups: Nitrogen & Climate (led by Xin Zhang, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science) and Data & Indicators (led by Peter Groffman, City University of New York). Together, the groups will shape the nitrogen research agenda, addressing key policy and knowledge gaps through:

• Regular meetings (virtual and in-person)

• Expert-stakeholder workshops

• Synthesis, review, meta-analysis and perspective papers

• Grant proposals

• Policy briefs, guidance documents, webinars, and other tools aimed at informing and supporting national action plans.

Key Goals

The Global Nitrogen Governance Working Group seeks to:

• Identify critical knowledge gaps, social barriers, and governance challenges related to nitrogen pollution, its sources, and its far-reaching impacts on ecosystems, public health, and communities, in order to shape the research agenda for this growing topic.

• Develop actionable outputs in order to empower UN Member States and the global research community to advance sustainable nitrogen management solutions.

• Focus on  disparities in research capacity, governance frameworks, and policy needs between the Global North and Global South, ensuring equitable and inclusive approaches to nitrogen governance.

Focus Areas

The Global Nitrogen Governance Working Group will address three interrelated challenges that shape both current and emerging nitrogen governance issues. Additional focus areas may be identified and incorporated as the working group discusses and refines its priorities.

• Efficiency vs. Transformation
  Current governance approaches and research overwhelmingly prioritize increasing the efficiency of existing production systems rather than exploring more comprehensive, transformative solutions. There is an increasing demand  to shift toward alternative agricultural systems and transformative approaches that address the  deeper sociocultural, economic, and institutional drivers of nitrogen pollution. 

• Shocks and resistance
  Recent economic shocks and social resistance to nitrogen policies pose major governance challenges that have received limited scholarly attention. These challenges often exacerbate environmental and social inequalities, underscoring the need to develop more equitable and democratic governance systems. Effectively addressing these issues will necessitate a more nuanced analysis of how political, economic, and sociocultural factors interact to shape nitrogen governance and its impacts on communities and ecosystems.

• Governance beyond farmers and consumers
  Existing policies often place disproportionate emphasis on farmers' or individual consumers’ decisions regarding nutrient management, without fully acknowledging the broader structural constraints they face. To address these challenges, it is crucial to expand the policy focus to include external actors such as agrochemical companies, distributors, agricultural extension services, and financial institutions in order to  create more effective pathways for change. 

Terms of Appointment

• Members of the Global Nitrogen Governance Working Group will be publicly listed on our website, and their appointment will last for a duration of two years (with the possibility for extension).

• Members are required to attend regular meetings and are encouraged to participate in our annual in-person meeting.

• The working group will collaboratively define specific outcomes, which may include research papers, reports, policy briefs, and other deliverables. Members will be invited to volunteer to lead some of these initiatives or coordinate designated task forces.

Who Should Apply?

We welcome applications from individuals in academia, community-based organizations, civil society, the private sector and the broader policy arena who are involved in nitrogen-related issues or possess relevant expertise or experience in the following areas:

• Environmental governance, sustainable agriculture, public policy, socio-ecological conflicts, and environmental justice.

• Cross-sectoral issues such as public health, biodiversity loss and conservation, water, soil, and air pollution control, natural resources management, and waste management. 

We are particularly interested in scholars and practitioners with a background in the social sciences and humanities who actively engage with social and environmental issues, especially those based in the Global South (broadly defined) or with experience collaborating with organizations and communities in that region.

How to Apply

Please submit your C.V. and one-page cover letter, as well as additional professional details on this Google Form.

Deadline for Nominations: 

February 28, 2025

For more information or to submit nominations, please contact: admin@in-net.network