Post-doctorant.e / ingénieur.e de recherche projet CONSCIENT (GPR PSL TERRAE) - Postdoctoral Researcher / Research Engineer (M/F) – CONSCIENT Project (GPR PSL TERRAE)

Organisation/Company Ecole Normale Supérieure Research Field Sociology Political sciences Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions Postdoc Positions Application Deadline 3 Dec 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Paris) Country France Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 37,5 Offer Starting Date 1 Jan 2027 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

MISSION PRINCIPALE

ACTIVITES PRINCIPALES

SPECIFICITES DU POSTE

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WORKING ENVIRONMENT (Host institution)

The postdoctoral researcher will be hosted at IRISSO, with access to shared office space. They will be able to participate in the laboratory’s seminars, particularly those organised by the MIRE research group (Markets, Industries, Regulation, Expertise).

They will work closely with Pauline Barraud de Lagerie, as well as with Béatrice Parance, Henri Boulier and Emmanuel Henry, all members of the CONSCIENT research group (TERRAE project).

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

The postdoctoral position is part of the “Litigation” workstream of the CONSCIENT project, which is itself part of PSL’s major research programme, TERRAE.

Building on a number of studies in the sociology of social movements and law (Emmanuel Henry on asbestos; Jean-Noël Jouzel and Giovanni Prete on pesticide litigation; Nicolas Dodier and Janine Barbot on trials involving growth hormones and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease; Stéphane Tonnelat on the defence of agricultural land in Gonesse; and Pascal Marichalar on the “glassworkers of Givors”), as well as Pauline Barraud de Lagerie’s work on litigation against multinational corporations (particularly Total) under the 2017 Duty of Vigilance law, this first phase aims to examine PFAS litigation as a new example of the use of law in support of a cause.

Beyond this first dimension of strategic litigation, PFAS cases are also likely to involve extensive use of scientific arguments and give rise to scientific and legal controversies, which will be central to CONSCIENT’s investigations. Finally, these cases are often pursued jointly by NGOs, local residents and citizen groups. This collaboration will also be a focus of the research.

Several case studies will be conducted across different legal proceedings.

The postdoctoral researcher will be responsible for the empirical study of the “250 Lawsuit”.

On 2 February 2026, the organisation Notre Affaire à Tous (NAAT), the association PFAS contre Terre and nearly 200 citizens, represented by the law firm Kaizen Avocat, launched one of the largest civil actions in Europe concerning PFAS. Adults and children living near France’s Chemical Valley, south of Lyon, are suing Arkema France and Daikin Chemical France to seek compensation for the significant harm caused by contamination of their area by these two PFAS manufacturers.

One year earlier, on 3 February 2025, the public launch event for this initiative was held at Oullins-Pierre-Bénite, where the two factories are located. The event was fully booked. The following year was devoted to developing this unprecedented approach: providing legal training to equip claimants with the necessary knowledge, compiling nearly 200 individual case files, involving claimants in documenting the harm they have suffered, and maintaining ongoing dialogue between claimants and lawyers.

The postdoctoral research will examine the efforts made by NAAT and the lawyers to provide legal support to local residents. It will shed light on how the legal definition of the harm suffered is developed, including health-related harm, loss of enjoyment of life, property damage, anxiety-related harm and moral damages. The researcher will also monitor the progress of the case before the courts.

MAIN ACTIVITIES

• Fieldwork
  • Conducting interviews with NGOs and associations
  • Conducting interviews with lawyers
  • Conducting interviews with local residents
  • Observing activist events and mobilisation activities
  • Observing court hearings
• Processing and analysing collected data
• Writing academic publications and research-action reports

SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS OF THE POSITION

• Most of the fieldwork will take place in the Chemical Valley ( Vallée de la Chimie ), in the Lyon metropolitan area.

Requirements

Research Field Sociology Education Level PhD or equivalent

Research Field Political sciences Education Level PhD or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

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Knowledge

• Strong knowledge of the literature on the sociology of social movements
• Strong knowledge of the literature on the