Boom time for posts in economics research

Five economics chairs are on offer at Edinburgh University in the first recruitment drive of a multimillion-pound research pooling collaboration.

The Scottish Institute for Research in Economics (Sire) - which brings together Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt, Glasgow, St Andrews, Stirling and Strathclyde universities - aims to appoint 18 professors and 18 junior staff. Sire is backed by £9.4 million from the Scottish Funding Council and £11.6 million from the universities.

Edinburgh is seeking established senior researchers with a good publications record and for young academics with research potential.

It is particularly keen to find applicants with interests that link into its Sire research strand of behaviour, incentives and contracts. This covers a wide range of themes, including marriage and divorce, bankruptcy law, public-private partnerships, labour relations and the evolution of co-operation. Sire's two other research strands are work and wellbeing, and macroeconomics, financial linkages and the regions.

Reading and Plymouth universities are also advertising economics posts this week. Reading is seeking a lecturer, senior lecturer or reader in spatial economics. And PhD and postdoctoral students with an interest in green issues can apply for a new lectureship in environmental economics at Plymouth.