Assistant Professor of Blue Economy & Policy
College of Earth, Ocean & Environment

University of Delaware

Description

The University of Delaware (UD) invites applications for a full-time, tenure-track faculty position within the School of Marine Science and Policy (SMSP) at its Newark campus. This 9-month position has an anticipated start date of Fall 2026. SMSP offers a wide range of degrees in marine science and policy including fields in policy analysis and environmental economics.

We invite applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position focused on the blue economy—a term often used to describe the goal of sustainable use of ocean resources to support economic growth, environmental health, and social well-being. We seek a social scientist or legal scholar whose research addresses the policy, legal, and/or economic dimensions of contemporary ocean resource use. Areas of focus may include, but are not limited to marine spatial planning, offshore energy, ocean-based carbon dioxide removal, critical marine mineral extraction, maritime shipping and trade, fisheries, and coastal- and ocean-related policy analysis. Candidates whose work engages with domestic or international legal and policy regimes and explores how ocean governance influences ecosystems and livelihoods are especially encouraged to apply. 

The successful candidate will contribute to an interdisciplinary intellectual community through teaching and research related to the blue economy. We welcome applicants with a Ph.D. from a wide range of disciplines, including but not limited to sociology, law (joint JD), public policy and administration, political science, international relations, management science and engineering, economics, and anthropology.  We are interested in scholars whose work is analytically rigorous and empirically driven by qualitative or quantitative methods. Your research does not need to focus exclusively on ocean-related topics, but they should be a significant portion of your research portfolio.

The University of Delaware is home to a number of institutions offering opportunities for collaboration and stakeholder engagement. The candidate filling this position, for example, may affiliate with the Delaware Energy Institute, Delaware Environment Institute, Gerard J. Mangone Climate Change Science & Policy Hub, and/or the Center for Research in Wind. 

Duties

The successful candidate will have responsibilities in research, teaching, and service. The successful candidate is expected to develop a scholarly research program leading to publication in top field and general journals and work to gain outside funding to support their program. Faculty typically recruit and mentor graduate students at Master’s and PhD levels. The successful candidate will work with the School Director to develop a teaching portfolio with a workload of two 3-credit hour courses per year. The courses will balance the person’s areas of expertise and needs of the SMSP and may include graduate and/or undergraduate courses. The service workload is typically kept to a minimum in the early years, and will likely include committee work on a curriculum committee, colloquium committee, etc. There is also an expectation that the person will be active in professional societies and outreach related to their research.

Qualifications

Applicants should have a PhD in a social science or related interdisciplinary field. Applicants must demonstrate an ability to conduct independent rigorous research, a capacity to teach undergraduate and graduate courses to students from broad backgrounds, and a facility to work in a collegial environment to advance the mission of our school.  

Application Process

Applicants should upload a cover letter, a curriculum vitae, contact information for three references, and a two-page scholarship statement covering research and teaching interests. The information submitted will be shared with SMSP and affiliated faculty. Inquiries regarding this position may be addressed to the Search Chair, Professor George Parsons (gparsons@udel.edu). 

Review of applications will begin on December 1, 2025 and continue until the position is filled.