Thematic Project – Evictions Observatory: Interdisciplinary Dimensions of Risk in Times of Climate Change and Housing Crisis

Prof. Diogo Rosenthal Coutinho (Faculdade de Direito da Universidade de São Paulo) offers a Postdoctoral Fellowship to conduct research under his supervision, titled “Mapping Legal Risks in Eviction Processes”. This fellowship is funded by the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), with a duration of 28 months, and is part of the project, “Evictions Observatory: Interdisciplinary Dimensions of Risk in Times of Climate Change and Housing Crisis”, coordinated by Prof. Raquel Rolnik. The project was approved under the FAPESP Thematic Project Grant 2023/12851-7 and will be hosted at the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism of the University of São Paulo.

  1. About the Project and the Position

The Thematic Project aims to launch a new phase of the Evictions Observatory, which has identified, mapped, and analyzed threats, removals, and forced evictions of individuals and groups in the São Paulo Metropolitan Region for over a decade. This new phase addresses theoretical and methodological challenges to identify, quantify, and characterize territories and groups at risk of eviction due to being categorized as “at risk.” It also seeks to conceptually develop “risk” as a device for socio-territorial intervention, within the context of overlapping environmental and housing crises.

The research to be conducted by the Postdoctoral Fellow, under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Diogo Rosenthal Coutinho, focuses on designing a methodology to identify and systematize the “families” of key legal issues, amid their complexity and opacity, emerging in eviction processes. This effort is essential to concretely and structurally understand the notion of legal risk, one of the modalities framing the research project.

1.1 General Objectives:

  1. Develop an analytical and methodological framework to provide consistency to the notion of legal risk amidst the technical-bureaucratic entanglement surrounding the topic, mapping legal and regulatory devices that enable removals and evictions.
  2. Identify readings and databases, including ongoing cases in the Court of Justice, social media clippings, and more.
  3. Collaborate for research purposes with the Public Defender’s Office, Public Prosecutor’s Office, and civil entities advocating for affected communities in monitoring cases.
  4. Assess public policies of urbanism and housing, mapping mechanisms for assistance, compensation, and indemnification of displaced populations.

1.2 Specific Objectives:

  1. Contribute to identifying the legal mechanisms and instruments commonly employed in eviction processes, emphasizing their (complex) combined and simultaneous effects in administrative and judicial contexts.
  2. Participate in the interdiscipinary team and assist in organizing events, meetings, and communication with FAPESP and other partner institutions.
  1. Profile and Requirements for Application

Applications are open to Brazilians and foreigners. The project encourages applications from individuals who identify as women, Black, Indigenous, and LGBTQIA+.

2.1 Required Profile:

  1. Candidates must have expertise in one or more of the following fields: administrative law, urban law, civil law, and experience in jurisprudence research and interdisciplinary methods typical of the sociology of law.
  2. Meet the requirements of FAPESP Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, including:
    • Having completed a Doctorate or equivalent (PhD) within the last seven years.
    • Having an excellent academic record and postgraduate transcript.
    • Dedication to full-time research. Candidates cannot receive remuneration from other entities except under conditions set by FAPESP Resolution N. 13/2009.
  3. Adhere to the postdoctoral program regulations at the University of São Paulo.
  4. Availability for on-site work at LabCidade (located at FAU-USP, Cidade Universitária, Butantã Campus, São Paulo, Brazil).
  5. Advanced knowledge in Spanish or English or proficiency in Portuguese is a plus.
  1. Application Process

Interested candidates must submit their application via Google Forms by March 1st, 2026, including the following documents:

  1. A curriculum summary following the FAPESP required model.
  2. Postgraduate academic transcripts (Master’s and Doctorate/PhD).
  3. A cover letter of up to 1,500 words detailing their interest in the project and relevant skills.

Interviews will be scheduled and conducted in the first half of March 2026. 

The selected candidate’s documentation will be submitted to FAPESP, which will determine whether to approve the fellowship.

Postdoctoral Fellowship Amount (PD-BR): R$ 12,570.00