Postdoctoral Research Associate

This new full time post is available from 15 February 2024 on a fixed term basis until 14 February 2026.

Summary of the role

The Faculty wishes to recruit a Postdoctoral Research Associate to support the work of Profs Richard Betts, Ted Feldpausch, and Kees van Groenigen at the University of Exeter and in collaboration Dr Eleanor Burke and Dr Chantelle Burton at the Met Office. This UK Natural Environment Research Council funded post is available from 15 Feburary 2024 to 14 February 2026. The successful applicant will model fire, management and soil organic carbon (SOC) fractions under land-use and climate change.  

The post will include modelling fire, management and soil organic carbon (SOC) fractions under climate change using a state-of-the-art land surface model. This will include evaluating and improving the novel parameterisation of SOC fractions, including pyrogenic carbon (PyC), in JULES. The research will evaluate: i) the impact of PyC both on forest regrowth after burning and future soil C storage and ii) whether land management (fire frequency, selective logging) can control the quantities of stabilised SOC stored in soil; and iii) develop PyC modelling in JULES.

About you

The successful applicant will be able to present information on research progress and outcomes, communicate complex information, orally, in writing and electronically and prepare proposals and applications to external bodies.

Applicants will possess a relevant PhD or possess an equivalent qualification/experience in a related field of study and be able to demonstrate sufficient knowledge in the discipline and of research methods and techniques to work within established research programmes. Applicants will have experience with numerical modelling of environmental systems (essential) and experience with the JULES model or other large-scale land surface models (desirable).

Please ensure you read the Job Description and Person Specification for full details of this role.

Further information

Please contact Prof Richard Betts, e-mail r.a.betts@exeter.ac.uk.

Interviews are expected to take place the second week of January 2024.

This role may be subject to additional background screening.

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