Category Archives: Vacancies

Law & Justice at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney is currently advertising a PhD candidate position, including scholarship, for a doctoral topic related to the Australian Research Council Discovery Project of Justine Nolan, Natalie Klein, and Shelley Marshall (RMIT University) on ‘Remedies for Victims of Modern Slavery in Indo-Pacific Fisheries’. Application are welcome until 31 March 2025. For more information and how to apply see here.

Law & Justice at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney is currently advertising a PhD candidate position, including scholarship, entitled, Protection of Human Rights at Sea. Application are welcome until 31 March 2025. For more information and how to apply see here.

Leuphana Universität Lüneburg is currently advertising for a Postdoctoral Researcher, Integrative Mapping and Prioritization of Atlantic Protected Areas (fixed-term/full time). Applications are welcome until 15 July 2024. For more information see here.

The International Seabed Authority (ISA) is hiring a legal officer (regulatory affairs). This position is based in the Office of Legal Affairs (OLA) in Kingston, Jamaica. The appointed person will be responsible, inter alia, to serve as a lead officer in the development of regulatory instruments for the conduct of deep-sea mining activities in the international seabed Area, including the Mining Code and associated standards and guidelines. Closing date for applicants is 31 July 2024. This job opening can be found here.

The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) is currently advertising a vacancy for the Registrar. Expressions of interest should be sent by e-mail to the President of the Tribunal by 21 August 2024. For more information see the announcement and Rules of the Tribunal.

The Arctic Centre at the University of Groningen is currently advertising a fully-funded PhD position on the Legal Aspects of Indigenous Subsistence Harvesting in the Arctic. Applications are welcome before 9 May 2024. For more information see here.

The Faculty of Law at the University of Bergen (UiB) is currently seeking a Shaping European Research Leaders for Marine Sustainability (SEAS) postdoctoral fellow in regulatory and governance challenges to ocean sustainability (fixed-term 3-years/full time). Applications are welcome until 10 June 2024. For more information see here.

The Maritime Institute (Department of European, Public and International Law of the Faculty of Law and Criminology, Ghent University (Belgium)) is seeking a doctoral fellow to address, Gentle wave or tsunami? The impact of unmanned and autonomous shipping on the law of the sea. Applications are welcome until 14 June 2024. For more information see here.

The Department of Law at University of Gothenburg is currently advertising for a Research Assistant (temporary 6 months, 80-100% position) who will work on a project, entitled, Smart Port Enforcement: The Prevention of Marine Pollution by Algorithm. Applications are welcome until 9 May 2024. For more information see here.

The Centre for International Law (National University of Singapore) is accepting applications for the positions of Research Associate (Oceans Law and Policy). Applications are open until the position is filled.

Clarification: There is currently no Research Fellow position.

The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE) has a vacant post (GFIV) for a policy officer supporting the development and implementation of Mission Ocean and waters and Horizon Europe. The post is at the unit for Maritime innovation, Marine Knowledge and Investment. DG MARE is responsible for the development and implementation of the Integrated Maritime Policy as well as for the development, implementation and monitoring of the Common Fisheries Policy. Closing date is 21 March 2024; further details here.

The Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University (Canada) invites applicants for nomination for a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in “Clean Arctic Shipping” at the rank of Associate or Full Professor. The proposed chair will become a member of Schulich Law’s Marine and Environmental Law Institute. Applicants must have a background in maritime law, ocean law, or a related field in the Arctic context. Expertise or interest in Canadian or international law as it relates to Indigenous peoples, or in Inuit law, is an asset. They will join a team at the Marine and Environmental Law Institute leading research on the governance of Arctic shipping through the Qanittaq Clean Arctic Shipping Initiative. The project aims to address and respond to the increase in Arctic shipping and related environmental impacts affecting Arctic communities, and to support Inuit communities’ needs for safe and cost-efficient shipping. Closing date is 25 April 2024; see further details here.

The Environmental and International Law Practice Group (LEGEN) of the World Bank is currently advertising for a Short-Term Legal Consultant: Ocean Governance and International Law Specialist. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled, but are encouraged before 7 March 2024. For more information see here and the terms of reference.

The French National Centre for Scientific Research (French: Centre national de la recherche scientifique, CNRS) has two vacancies for PhD students with focus on marine biodiversity, from a philosophical, sociological or legal angle. The two PhD students will be recruited by the CNRS at the Institut Nicod for the MEDiverSEAty project. See further in the call on “A broadly operationalizable notion of (marine) biodiversity” and in the call on “Representation of Biodiversity in coastal and non-coastal populations”. Deadline for applications is 27 and 28 February 2024, respectively.

The Office of Legal Affairs at the United Nations is searching for a programme coordinator to a project for the promotion of a better understanding of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement), in particular to strengthen capacities of developing States toward becoming parties to the BBNJ Agreement and implementing it. The project, to be implemented by the Division pursuant to General Assembly resolution 77/321 and in the context of its capacity-building mandate, will seek to address critical capacity barriers at the regional and national levels in becoming parties to the Agreement and for its implementation. The Programme Coordinator will engage in programme management, liaison, communications and reporting to manage the Project and assist in its implementation. Deadline for applications is 15 February 2024. See further at UN Careers.

The Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA) is looking for two researchers / senior researchers / senior advisors with competence and experience in marine and coastal governance and management. The section is engaged in various projects such as CrossGov (policy coherence and cross-compliance), C-Blues (blue carbon), BlueMissionAA, BlueGreen Governance, and the forthcoming Blue Connect project (Marine Protected Areas). In addition to contributing to the implementation of these research projects, successful candidates are also expected to contribute to the development of new research applications for funding from national and/or European research programs. Application deadline is 18 February 2024. Further details here.

The Environmental Policy Group at Wageningen University and Research is currently seeking a Postdoc researcher on Governance of active and passive deep-sea restoration activities. The successful applicant will be part of a Horizon Europe project entitled ‘Restoration of Deep-sea habitats to Rebuild European Seas’ (REDRESS). Applications are welcome until 7 February 2024. For more information see here.

The Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea of the Office of Legal Affairs of the United Nations (DOALOS), is now accepting applications for the 2024 Session of the United Nations – The Nippon Foundation Strategic Fellowship Programme. It is intended that 11 Fellowships will be offered in 2024.

The objective of the United Nations – The Nippon Foundation Strategic Needs Fellowship is to assist developing States, particularly least developed countries, small island developing States and landlocked developing countries to address identified strategic needs in the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and related instruments, as well as Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14 and other related SDGs. The Fellowship is targeted at Government officials with limited background in ocean affairs and the law of the sea who are filling key positions in their Administration and who are tasked to address the needs referred to above.

Call for Application 2024

Applications are welcome until 16 February 2024. For more information and to apply, see here.

The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea has opened the following vacancy: Legal Officer (P-3). Application deadline is 22 January 2024. More information is available here.

Deadline for applications is 2 January 2024 for a postdoctoral researcher position at the Department of Law, University of Southern Denmark. The selected candidate will be a part of an interdisciplinary group of researchers all connected to the research project “SDU Maritime Research Platform (MRP)”, and deal with legal and regulatory aspects including particularly aspects of how the maritime industry is active in the co-creation of rules and other legal frameworks relevant to it. Further information is available here.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is currently seeking applications for the 2024-2025 Judicial Fellowship Programme of the International Court of Justice. Normally up to 15 applicants are accepted per year for the full-time (10 month) Judicial Fellow positions. Submissions are welcome until 5 February 2024, but only from nominating universities and not individuals. For more information see here. To see the cases currently pending before the ICJ, including numerous law of the sea cases, see here.

The School of Law and the SFI Research Centre for Energy, Climate and Marine (MaREI) at University College Cork are currently advertising a PhD Studentship, focused on the topic Reconciling regulatory requirements with restoration requirements under the EU Environmental Liability Directive. The PhD researcher will be part of the Co-existence and Co-location in shared island Marine governance (CoCoMar) Project and will therefore also be expected to collaborate with Queen’s University Belfast and the Marine Institute. Application are welcome until 15 December 2023.

The School of Law at Queen’s University Belfast (United Kingdom) accepts applications for a doctoral researcher on the theme of cohesive and ecologically coherent EU-UK fisheries management after Brexit. The researcher will investigate the potential for good ocean governance by promoting sustainable fisheries practice in light of the best and most up-to-date scientific knowledge. As well as producing a legal and policy analysis of the shifting regulatory landscape, the researcher will also work with catch data and findings from stakeholder engagement to develop proposals for cohesive transboundary fisheries governance on the island of Ireland. Closing date for applications is 23 November 2023. Further information here.

The Law Group at Wageningen University & Research (WUR) is looking for a lecturer who is interested in exploring how law can contribute to transformative changes to our living environment, with a view to create a more sustaining and sustainable future. A background in European Union law and International Law is particularly relevant for the work of the LAW Group. The lecturer will be especially involved in our Master Governance of Sustainability Transformations, teaching courses on (transnational) environmental law. Closing date for applications is 13 November 2023. More information here.

Utrecht University is currently advertising a PhD Candidate position (fixed-term, up to 4 years), concerning institutional interactions in marine areas beyond national jurisdiction. Applications are welcome until 31 October 2023. For more information see here.

SOAS University of London (School of Oriental and African Studies) is seeking for a postdoctoral researcher. The successful applicant shall conduct critical research on the development of the concept of freedom of the seas in early international law (XV-XVII centuries) and its linkages with individual freedom and slavery. This research will contribute to the successful implementation of the project “Freedom of the Seas and Human Rights Protection”, funded by the British Academy. Closing date for applications is 26 October 2023. Further information here.

The Norwegian Centre for the Law of the Sea (NCLOS), Arctic University of Norway (Tromsø, Norway), is currently seeking applicants for the position of Postdoctoral Research Fellow (fixed term, 2 years) with the Aurora research program. Applications are welcome until 18 October 2023.

The Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS) is currently seeking a PhD Candidate in International Law of the Sea for a project on Regulating Ocean Noise Pollution, starting February 2024. To be eligible, the candidate must be an Australian or New Zealand citizen or an Australian Permanent Resident. Domestic students, especially Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, are encouraged to apply. Applications are welcome until 17 September 2023. For more information see here.

The Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS) Ocean Nexus Program at the University of Wollongong is currently seeking a fixed term (2 years) full-time Research Fellow (post-doc researcher) “to undertake research into equity and transboundary fisheries governance, focusing on tuna fisheries in the Indo-Pacific region”. Applicants from Indo-Pacific small island developing States are particularly encouraged to apply, as are those with experience in international negotiations, government, industry and sustainable development. Applications are welcome until 3 September 2023. For more information see here.

The Law School of Åbo Akademi University is currently seeking a Project Researcher in Marine Environmental Law (3 years fixed term), starting 16 October 2023 (or as per agreement). The researcher should specialise in legal issues related to marine environmental protection, biodiversity, and marine protected areas and is required to hold a Doctor’s degree in a relevant field. Applications are welcome until 16 August 2023. For more information see here.

The newly founded Joachim Herz Doctoral School (Leuphana University Lüneburg) is currently inviting applications for nine Ph.D. Scholarships to participate in their structured Ph.D. programme on Law and Transformation, beginning 1 October 2023 (4-year programme). Scholarships are open to graduates of law (and related social science disciplines) and includes consideration of Ph.D project proposals addressing the law of the sea, including fisheries law. Applications are welcome until 11 June 2023. For more information see here.

The World Maritime University-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute (WMU-GOI) is currently advertising a Research Associate position, with a particular focus on multifunctional ocean governance and sustainable blue economy under the auspices of the C2B2 programme, to be based at WMU (Malmö, Sweden). Applications are welcome until 31 May 2023. For more information see here.

The Centre for International Law (National University of Singapore) is accepting applications for the position of Research Assistant (Oceans Law and Policy Team), with a closing date of 20 May 2023. For more information see here.

The Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) is advertising for a full-time Legal Advisor, to be based in Honiara (Solomon Islands). Applications close 12 May 2023. For more information see here.

The Office of the Legal Affairs at the Headquarters of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) is currently seeking a Legal Officer. Applications are welcome until 31 May 2023.

Universiteit Leiden is currently advertising an Assistant Professor position in the field of International Justice and Global Challenges, including a particular focus on Migration and Refugee Law and Law of the Sea. Applications are welcome until 25 April 2023.

Queen’s University Belfast is currently advertising a research assistant position for the project Changing Conceptions of the Freedom of the Seas: The High Seas as Legal Space. Application are welcome until 31 March 2023. For more information see here.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is currently seeking an Intern (6 months) to join the IUCN Ocean Team (Headquarters, Gland, Switzerland). The Ocean Team intern “will support the work and projects of the IUCN Team with a focus on communications and research for the Global Plastics Treaty work and possibly work related to the [BBNJ Agreement]”. Applications are welcome until 13 March 2023. For more information see here.

The Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea of the Office of Legal Affairs of the United Nations (“OLA/DOALOS”), is now accepting applications for the 2023 Session of the United Nations – The Nippon Foundation Strategic Fellowship Programme. It is intended that 11 Fellowships will be offered in 2023.

The objective of the United Nations – The Nippon Foundation Strategic Needs Fellowship is to assist developing States, particularly least developed countries, small island developing States and landlocked developing countries to address identified critical needs in the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and related instruments, as well as Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14 and other related SDGs. The Fellowship is targeted at Government officials with limited background in ocean affairs and the law of the sea who are filling key positions in their Administration and who are tasked to address the needs referred to above.

Call for Application 2023

Applications are welcome until 24 March 2023. For more information and to apply, see here.

The Centre for Blue Governance (CBG) at Aalborg University (Denmark) seeks an associate professor with a social scientific background who does innovative research in interrelated blue governance topics or emerging blue economy activities and/or marine/coastal conservation. Those applicants with experience and/or interest in the governance and socioeconomic implications of blue carbon, deep-sea/seabed mining, aquaculture/mariculture, and/or multiuse conflicts and planning at sea are especially encouraged to apply. Closing date for applications is 5 February 2023, as per this announcement.

The Wayne D. McMurray School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Monmouth University (NJ, USA) seeks an outstanding senior scholar for the Endowed Rechnitz Family / Urban Coast Institute Chair in Marine and Environmental Law and Policy. The Chair will have an expertise in environment, coastal and marine policy. This position will offer courses geared towards the overall environment as well as environmental law and policy. The successful applicant will be hired at the Associate or Full Professor level in the Department of Political Science and Sociology with the possibility of a joint appointment in another appropriate department at the university, as well as associated with the Urban Coast Institute (UCI). More information is available here.

The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, an international court with its seat in Hamburg, Germany, has opened the following vacancy: Legal Officer (P-4). Application deadline is 15 February 2023. More information is available here.

The Faculty of Law at the University of Bergen (UiB) and The Norwegian Centre for Hydrogen Research (HyValue) are recruiting a Postdoctoral Fellow in energy and business law. Applicants are encouraged to submit a project proposal on regulatory aspects related to hydrogen and ammonia transport (in pipelines or ships), storage, and contracts. Closing date for applications is 8 January 2023. More information is available here.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is currently advertising a full-time position as a Research Assistant/Associate within the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI), based in Washington, D.C. (USA). For more information see here.

The Utrecht Centre for Water, Oceans and Sustainability Law (UCWOSL) and the Netherlands Institute for the Law of the Sea (NILOS) at the Utrecht University School of Law are currently seeking a Postdoctoral Researcher addressing International Shipping Law and the International Law Relating to Antarctica. Applications are welcome until 8 January 2023. For more information see here.

The Department of Marine Affairs (MAF) in the College of Environment and Life Sciences (CELS) at the University of Rhode Island (URI) is seeking an Assistant Professor of Marine Affairs with expertise in Fisheries Management and Policy. Applications remain open until the position has been filled, with full consideration given to applications received by 15 December 2022. For more information see here.

The One Ocean Hub at the University of Strathclyde (Glasgow, UK) is currently seeking a Research Associate (Law), with applications welcome until 29 November 2022. For more information see here.

The Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University (Canada), invites applications for a probationary tenure-track, tenure-track or tenured appointment at the rank of Assistant, Associate or Full Professor in the areas of Environmental Law, Climate Change and Energy Law, Environmental Impact Assessment, and Oceans Law. The selected candidate is expected to advance the research, teaching and graduate and post-doctoral supervision activities of our Marine and Environmental Law Institute and the associated Marine and Environmental Law Program. Closing date for applications is 17 November 2022. More information is available here.

Three law of the sea focused positions, affiliated to the Norwegian Centre for the Law of the Sea (NCLOS), Arctic University of Norway (Tromsø, Norway), are currently seeking applicants. The PhD Fellow will propose a project within the theme of sovereignty as both the organizing logic and the central legal principle underpinning the law of the sea and ocean governance, applicants being welcome until 18 December 2022. One Postdoctoral Fellow will joint the research project Developing good ocean governance of the Arctic in times of unpredictable and rapid changes (DOGA), applicants being welcome until 4 December 2022. The other Postdoctoral Fellow will undertake research on the themes Ocean Space, Sovereignty, and/or Ocean Commons, applicants being welcome until 4 December 2022.

The Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS) at the University of Wollongong (Australia) is advertising a position for a lecturer or senior lecturer. The successful applicants are expected to support a range of research and capacity-building activities through the Indo-Pacific region. Closing date is 29 November 2022; more information is available here.