PhD position at Universitat Autònoma Barcelona funded by the TOUCH COFUND project

Offer Description

Topic: A transdisciplinary multi-scalar approach to foster mental in Europe by means of nature-based therapies.

A PhD position is available at the Research Group Psychological Research in Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain - Department of Clinical and Health Psychology and Barcelona Lab for Urban Environmental Justice and Sustainability - Institute for Environmental Science and Technology from the Universitat Autònoma Barcelona under the supervision of Juan Vicente Luciano Devis (Health psychologist), Helen V.S. Cole (Urban health equity) and Margarita Triguero Mas (Environmental health). We are looking for a highly motivated candidate that will investigate nature-based therapies.

The PhD project will be embedded within the (September 2023-August 2027). All supervisors are involved in the project, which is coordinated by H. Cole and M. Triguero-Mas.

GreenME aims to explore ways in which green care can be scaled-up to enhance equity in adult mental health and wellbeing, while contributing to various socio-ecological co-benefits. The approach taken by GreenME involves diagnosing, enhancing scientific understanding of the mental health benefits associated with green care, and empowering actors in green care. The goal is to increase the use of nature-based therapy and its integration within a multi-scalar green care framework, promoting just climate-resilient and sustainable healthy communities. Employing a transdisciplinary and mixed-methods approach, GreenME will delve into identifying opportunities, barriers, causal pathways and patterns related to the (in)equitable distribution of mental health and wellbeing benefits from green care in the seven countries under study. Subsequently, we will co-create solutions and guidelines including an EU framework and country-specific schemes for bolstering green care along with an identified community of green care actors and design a training program for nature-based therapy providers informed by empirical evidence. The resulting evidence will offer replicable partnership models and guidelines to design impactful cross-sectorial green care systems, with national healthcare systems and local governments amongst the beneficiaries, fostering the adoption of nature-based therapy and a reevaluation of the functional aspects of green infrastructure.

Some initial ideas of specific topics that could be the PhD focus:

- Biodiversity and mental health benefits.

- Cost-effectiveness of nature-based therapies.

- Nature-based-therapies and their implementation in healthcare systems.

Depending on the student interest and trajectory, could may choose to undertake one of the following PhD programs:

-PhD in

-PhD in

The successful candidate will be enrolled in the doctoral program at the (UAB) in the framework of the project. TOUCH (“Towards the next generatiOn of excellent yoUng doctoral researchers on mental health by developing an intersectoral & transdisciplinary approaCH”) is a new excellent doctoral programme co-funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie (MSCA) Actions of the European Commission and led by the UAB for the recruitment and training of 24 doctoral candidates in the field of mental health and wellbeing.

works towards more just, inclusive, healthy and sustainable urban environments. The group work is based on the theories and methods of urban planning, public policy, environmental sociology, urban geography and public health to explore: (i) to what extent the needs, vulnerabilities, knowledge and identities of the most disadvantaged groups are prioritized in urban planning, (ii) how underprivileged population groups organize themselves to deal with environmental injustices.

approaches mental health and pain from a multidisciplinary perspective. It conducts patient-oriented research with high translational value to clinical practice, focused on the economic evaluation of psychological and pharmacological treatments for pain and mental disorders. It is interested in studying which treatments cost-effective for patients, which specific profile of patients these treatments are more effective and how they act at a cognitive, affective and physiological level.

We are looking for candidates with an excellent CV, ahigh degree of ambition and motivation, and with good personal qualities to work in our Team. We offer a 3-year full-time contract (37,5 hours/week) and a gross salary of 2.375 €/month (the salary will be the same for the 3 years).

The candidates must fulfil the following eligibility criteria from the EC: Mobility rule: candidates must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Spain for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately preceding the deadline for the programme call. Experience rule: researchers must be doctoral candidates at the date of recruitment, i.e. not already in possession of a doctoral degree at the deadline of the open calls. Researchers who have successfully defended their doctoral thesis but have not yet formally awarded the doctoral degree will not be considered eligible. Candidates must hold a degree that allows admission to the official doctoral programme at UAB.

Additional requirements for a stronger application are:

Research Field
Interested applicants should apply through the TOUCH online platform by submitting a full CV, a motivation letter, two letters of recommendation and academic and English level certificates. The call will be open from the 1st of April to the 30th of June 2024. More information about the TOUCH project, the recruitment process, and the application platform are available on the .



Research Field Psychological sciences Education Level Master Degree or equivalent

Languages ENGLISH Level Excellent



Work Location(s)

Number of offers available 1 Company/Institute Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (UAB) Country Spain City Bellaterra (Barcelona) Geofield

Where to apply Website

Contact State/Province

Barcelona City

Cerdanyola del Vallés Website

Street

Campus UAB Postal Code

08193 E-Mail

pr.cofund.touch@uab.cat

STATUS: EXPIRED

Fecha de publicación: 16/03/2024