Clean Air Catalyst (CAC) is a new flagship program launched by The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and a global consortium of organizations, led by World Resources Institute (WRI) to accelerate clean air solutions in low and middle income countries. Clean Air Catalyst will work with communities around the world to identify and raise awareness of local pollution sources, and build focused coalitions to deliver interventions that lead to sustained progress on cleaner, healthier air.

Through this new program, USAID will build capacity for tailored solutions that cut air pollution and improve human health in cities in developing countries. The primary sources of air pollution vary from city to city, but most cities in the developing world lack information on primary and secondary drivers of air pollution. Communities must first have a clear understanding of the main drivers of pollution in their region in order to develop effective pollution mitigation policies and strategies.

Clean Air Catalyst seeks to change this dynamic by making the causes of pollution more visible and personal by building a vivid, shared understanding of the pathway to clean air. Our scientists and epidemiologists work with local scientists, business and government leaders to resolve key uncertainties about what is causing air pollution. We engage with communities to build trust in the results and raise awareness of what effective clean air action looks like. We delve into the root causes of these emissions to develop creative ways to manage pollution. We convene and support local coalitions – working with policy, business and community collaborators – to initiate and sustain these interventions.
 

Position Overview

The Clean Air Catalyst, a new global program launched by World Resources Institute, Vital Strategies, and other partners with support from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) seeks a part-time scientific collaborator to be a co-investigator in building actionable awareness of air pollution sources in Jakarta. The work is part of a 5 year global program in which Jakarta is one of three pilot sites.

The selected co-investigator will be awarded a research grant in the range of 350-700 million IDR (~ $25,000 – $50,000 USD) for his or her participation in the project over approximately two years, with a potential extension for continued data collection and analysis or for participation in other project activities. The program has additional funds for purchase and deployment of monitoring equipment among other data collection activities.
 

Scope of Work

The Jakarta Air Quality Science Co-Investigator will collaborate with the CAC consortium’s global science partners, including Columbia University, the MAP-AQ network of atmospheric scientists, Environmental Defense Fund, Vital Strategies, and the WRI team to co-create the design of a research plan for the Jakarta pilot and oversee its implementation. The plan will consist of ambient pollution monitoring and analysis, collection of activity and emissions data from key sources, and air quality modeling in support of the CAC’s pilot project’s objective of improving awareness about the air quality impacts of specific sources.

Key Responsibilities:

• Collaborate closely with CAC partners (Jakarta-based staff, global experts, local partners/communities and researchers) in the development of pilot design and high-quality research.
• Advise project’s science module, including air quality monitoring (collection of data through regulatory grade and low-cost instruments), and overseeing air quality data analysis, source apportionment, and/or improving emission inventories
• Advise the source awareness activities in Jakarta
• Advise on root cause analysis of air pollutant emissions from specific sources
• Coordinate technical reports and scientific manuscripts on study results
• Supervise the work of a post-doctoral researcher based in Jakarta
• Present findings to local partners and stakeholders to build source awareness