Position: Early-Career Researcher CIGIDEN R+ – Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Disaster Risk, Resilience and Recovery (ANID National Center of Interest)
The ANID National Center of Interest CIGIDEN R+ invites applications for the position of Early-Career Researcher (Investigador/a Joven). The selected candidate will join the Center’s research team with the aim of strengthening cross-cutting research, contributing to the scientific productivity of the Center, and supporting the achievement of the general and specific objectives of the CIGIDEN R+ project.
The successful applicant is expected to have a strong early research trajectory and to actively contribute to the Center’s scientific activities through publications, participation in research projects, and dissemination of results. The position emphasizes the promotion of transversal methodological and thematic approaches that enhance interdisciplinary collaboration across the Center’s research lines.
About CIGIDEN R+
The Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Disaster Risk, Resilience and Recovery CIGIDEN R+ (www.cigiden.cl) is a multidisciplinary research center of excellence center funded by the Chilean Agency for Research and Development, ANID. Its mission is to reduce disaster risk, promote resilience, and strengthen recovery processes in social and built environments exposed to multiple hazards, by integrating cutting-edge research with public policy and territorial action.
CIGIDEN R+ brings together researchers from a wide range of disciplines—including Sociology, Urban Planning, Geography, Psychology, Engineering, and Geosciences—and is supported by a consortium of six Chilean universities: Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (www.uc.cl), Universidad Católica del Norte (www.ucn.cl), Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María (www.usm.cl), Universidad Andrés Bello (www.unab.cl), Universidad de Valparaíso (www.uv.cl), and Universidad de Concepción (www.udec.cl). The Center’s research team is primarily based in Santiago, Valparaíso, Antofagasta, and Concepción.
In a context characterized by earthquakes and tsunamis, as well as the increasing occurrence of climate-related disasters such as floods and wildfires, CIGIDEN R+ seeks to transform scientific knowledge into applied solutions that support improved decision-making and more integrated disaster risk management. Research is organized around five interconnected lines: Hazards, Infrastructure, Territories, Society, and Challenges, addressing topics ranging from multi-hazard risk assessment to governance and community participation.
Main responsibilities
-Conduct high-quality scientific research, contributing to the Center’s academic output through publications in indexed journals and presentations at conferences and scientific events.
-Contribute transversal approaches, methodologies, and tools that strengthen collaboration across the Center’s research lines.
-Support the achievement of the general and specific objectives of the CIGIDEN R+ project through active participation in scientific, technical, and outreach activities.
-Collaborate with principal investigators, associate researchers, postdoctoral fellows, and students in the development of interdisciplinary research projects.
-Support activities related to human capital formation, knowledge transfer, and engagement with public institutions and other relevant stakeholders, as appropriate.
Requirements
-A PhD degree obtained within the last 10 years at the time of appointment.
-A demonstrated research trajectory, evidenced by scientific publications and/or presentations at academic or professional events.
-A profile oriented toward transversal themes and methodologies that contribute to interdisciplinary research, including (but not limited to):
-Public policy, governance, and institutional processes for disaster risk management, including policy design, implementation, and evaluation, and their articulation with scientific evidence and territorial and community actors at national, regional, and local levels.
-Computational methods, data science, and quantitative modeling applied to complex systems, multi-hazard risk, and socio-environmental processes, including the development and use of data integration and analysis platforms.
-Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing, and geospatial analysis for territorial risk analysis and spatial data integration.
Integrated risk assessment considering multi-hazard phenomena, infrastructure, and spatially distributed risks and their interactions in real territorial contexts.
-Ability to work collaboratively in interdisciplinary teams.
-Autonomy, proactivity, and results-oriented work style.
-Proficiency in spoken and written English.
Position conditions
-Application deadline: Friday, February 20, 2026
-Expected start date: March 2026
-Appointment: Full-time position (in accordance with funding program requirements)
-Location: San Joaquín Campus, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
-Salary: To be determined based on experience and qualifications
Applications
Interested candidates should submit their CV and a cover letter to postula@cigiden.cl, indicating in the subject line: Early-Career Researcher (Investigador/a Joven) – CIGIDEN R+
