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École Normale Supérieure
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Postdoctoral Researcher / Research Engineer (M/F) – CONSCIENT Project (GPR PSL TERRAE) École Normale Supérieure in France
Degree Level
Postdoc
Field of study
Environmental Science
Funding
Available
Deadline
Dec 3, 2026
Country
France
University
École Normale Supérieure
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About this position
The CONSCIENT project within PSL’s TERRAE research programme examines PFAS litigation as a form of strategic legal mobilisation, with a particular focus on how scientific arguments and legal controversies emerge around environmental harm. This postdoctoral position is embedded in the project’s “Litigation” workstream and will be hosted at IRISSO, where the researcher will have access to shared office space and laboratory seminars, including the MIRE axis on markets, industries, regulation and expertise.
The appointed researcher will work closely with Pauline Barraud de Lagerie and in connection with Béatrice Parance, Henri Boulier, and Emmanuel Henry, all members of the CONSCIENT hotspot. The post is centred on the empirical study of the so-called “250 Lawsuit”, one of the largest civil actions in Europe concerning PFAS contamination. The case involves residents and associations near France’s Chemical Valley, south of Lyon, pursuing compensation for harm linked to contamination by industrial PFAS producers.
The research will examine how legal support is built for local residents, how claimants and lawyers document and frame different kinds of harm, and how the case develops before the courts. A key focus is the construction of legal categories such as health-related harm, loss of enjoyment of life, property damage, anxiety-related harm, and moral damages. The project also situates this lawsuit within broader scholarship on social movements, law, and mobilisations around environmental and industrial harm.
Day-to-day work includes fieldwork in the Lyon metropolitan area, interviews with NGOs, lawyers, and local residents, observation of activist events and court hearings, processing of collected material, and preparation of academic publications and research-action outputs.
Funding details
Available
What's required
PhD or equivalent in Sociology or Political Sciences. Strong knowledge of the literature on social movements, sociology of law, and public policy; interest in industrial pollution, particularly PFAS; qualitative research methods in the social sciences; strong academic writing skills; ability to build contacts, access research sites and documentation, and work as part of a team. Excellent French and English required. 1–4 years of research experience preferred.
How to apply
Apply by email to [email protected] with the position subject line. Use the contact email provided in the advert and follow the application instructions in the posting.
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