Autumn 2024 Academic Year Part-Time Research Fellowship Opportunity: "Sand, Sustainability and Gender"
The Stanford King Center on Global Development’s Academic Year Part-Time Research Fellowship Program connects King Center faculty affiliates and affiliated researchers with undergraduate students committed to providing research support 8-10 hours per week during autumn, winter, and spring quarters.
Students have the opportunity to engage in world-class research that has real-world impact. Undergraduate student research fellows are paid $19/hour, for 8-10 hours per week of research per quarter.
*Students must submit an I-9 form to verify employment and receive payment.
Students must be enrolled full-time to participate and must be able to commit to research 8-10 hours per week. Students who cannot accept pay may be allowed to receive academic credit for this research.
Research Project Description:
Sand is the second most used natural resource in the world, second only to water, and the single most mined material. Global consumption has tripled over the past 20 years, with sand dug from pits and quarries on land, dredged from riverbeds, or increasingly extracted from marine and coastal environments. Beyond local scarcity concerns, sand mining poses considerable sustainability and equity challenges. Poor monitoring and weak governance result in biodiversity loss, habitat alteration, threats to fisheries, changes in livelihoods, and illegal activities. Although it can be an important source of income through artisanal and small-scale mining, the rights of local communities to land, water, and culture are often sidelined for mining and land reclamation projects they rarely benefit from. Women, in particular, are disproportionately excluded from decision-making processes and the most at risk from the loss of artisanal mining.
Improving sand governance has consequently been described as one of the most pressing resource issues of the 21st century and one that is essential to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Yet research on the topic is limited, precise data on sand extraction and use are scarce, and the issue remains largely absent from discussions on sustainability and gender equity. This project aims to address these gaps by embracing a holistic approach to the social-ecological dimensions of sand mining around the world. In particular, the project will increase the visibility of women’s contributions to sand mining, including the key challenges and opportunities they face, with a focus on governance mechanisms that could support the sustainable and inclusive transformation of the sector.
Research Mentor: Jean-Baptiste Jouffray, Doerr - Earth System Science
Stanford undergraduate students in good academic standing and enrolled full-time are eligible to apply. Co-term students must have undergraduate student status - if they are in GR billing status (after 12 quarters) they will be ineligible.
All majors are welcome!
The Research Fellow will join a dedicated and enthusiastic team of researchers contributing to the project. Their primary responsibilities will include conducting a systematic review of academic and grey literature on the gender aspects of sand mining.
This will involve (i) testing search strings and building a Zotero library of relevant papers and reports; (ii) identifying and interviewing key informants from relevant countries or case studies to provide contextual insights; and (iii) synthesizing this information as the basis of a peer-reviewed article. Additionally, the Fellow will have the opportunity to engage with other aspects of the project, depending on their interest and availability.
Students qualifications:
- Highly motivated and well-organised.
- Keen interest in environmental sustainability and equity.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively.
- Willingness and ability to work as part of an interdisciplinary team.
- Good written and spoken communication skills for diverse audiences.
- Experience working in diverse environments and a demonstrated commitment to DEI principles.
- Previous experience in literature review or stakeholder interviews is a plus but not a requirement.
Time Commitment:
The time commitment is 8-10 hours per week (equivalent to a 3-unit course) during autumn quarter. Continuation in winter and spring quarters is possible with the agreement of both the research mentor and the student.
These hours may be an average and be flexible across the 10-week quarter to accommodate your academic obligations, such as midterms or finals week.
To Apply:
Along with the application, applicants are asked to submit:
- a cover letter
- resume or CV
- unofficial Stanford transcript (first quarter frosh do not need to submit transcripts for autumn quarter applications)
