Postdoctoral Research Assistant in Biogeochemistry

Fixed term for 3 years, providing the post is filled by 1 September 2024. The grant will end on 31 August 2027.

The Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, seeks to appoint a full-time Postdoctoral Research Assistant (PDRA) in Biogeochemistry. The PDRA will join a research team and report to the Principal Investigator Prof. Robert Hilton on the project “Accelerated carbon dioxide release from sedimentary rocks in a warming world” which is funded by the NERC Pushing the Frontiers scheme.

The overall aim of the project is to generate the first robust quantification of the role of sedimentary rock weathering as a positive feedback on climate change, constraining its role in the long-term carbon cycle and over the coming century. This PDRA position will focus on quantifying the rates of oxidative weathering and rates of CO₂ release from recently exposed sedimentary rocks at sites undergoing rapid deglaciation in Svalbard and/or Canada. They will use laboratory incubations and field-installations to constrain the temperature sensitivity of weathering-derived CO₂ emissions from dominant sedimentary rock lithologies and the role of microbial communities in enhancing weathering. They will combine geomicrobiology methods with gaseous and dissolved geochemistry to tackle these important themes.

The PDRA will collaborate with scientists across the team of researchers at the University of Oxford, University of Bristol, Arctic University of Norway, University of Cambridge, Durham University and the NEIF Radiocarbon Facility. The PDRA will work alongside a PDRA focusing on glacial and geochemical modelling, and join a wider group of researchers and DPhil students working on complementary themes in the Earth Surface Geochemistry group. They will provide guidance to less experienced members of the research group, while also having responsibilities to plan and manage fieldtrip and equipment logistics. Alongside this project, the PDRA will have the opportunity to interact and develop collaborations with a wider range of academics working on biogeochemistry in the Department.

About you

• You will hold, or be close to completion of, a PhD/DPhil in a relevant field, together with relevant experience.
• You will have experience in either: i) methods in geomicrobiology (e.g. sterile/clean laboratory working), laboratory incubations, and DNA sequencing; or ii) carbon isotope geochemistry (stable isotopes, radiocarbon methods) and trace element geochemistry (e.g. via ICP-MS, IRMS, EA-IRMS, AMS). You will also have experience of panning fieldwork and contributing to data collection in the field.
• You must have the ability to manage your own academic research and associated activities and excellent communication skills including the ability to write for publication, present research proposals and results, and represent the research group at external meetings.

For further details of the role please see the job description. The post is available to start as soon as possible.

The deadline for applications is midday on 17 June 2024. Interviews will be held mid-July 2024.

You will be required to upload a CV and a Supporting Statement as part of your application (via the ‘Apply’ button above). Please do not attach any manuscripts, papers, transcripts, mark sheets or certificates as these will not be considered as part of your application.

Applications are particularly welcome from women and black and ethnic minority candidates, who are under-represented in research posts in the Department.

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