Location: | London, Hybrid |
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Salary: | £43,003 to £56,345 per annum |
Hours: | Full Time |
Contract Type: | Fixed-Term/Contract |
Placed On: | 10th July 2025 |
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Closes: | 7th August 2025 |
Job Ref: | ENG03594 |
Location: South Kensington campus
About the role:
Applications are invited for a fully funded fixed-term position at the Research Associate (PostDoc) level in de-risking cirrus modification.
Cirrus cloud modification (CCM) could in-theory mitigate global warming, but it remains unclear whether it would be effective in practice. CCM relies on the idea that emitting small amounts of aerosols at high altitude could modify the optical or physical properties of cirrus, but we are currently limited by a lack of observational data. This project will fill that gap, using existing aircraft and satellite measurements to determine whether aircraft exhaust is already having a cirrus-modifying effect. If such evidence can be found, the project will expand to an aircraft campaign in which flights with a research aircraft are closely monitored to see if a soot-CCM effect can be predicted.
What you would be doing:
You will acquire in-situ and remote-sensing data of cirrus forming downwind of flights over the past decade, along with measurements/estimates of local conditions and emissions for said flights. By comparing to an observational counterfactual, you will seek to establish whether cirrus properties are different downwind of locations where an aircraft has passed through ice-subsaturated air (but where no contrail was formed).
What we are looking for:
Research Associate: Hold a PhD in Aerospace Engineering, Atmospheric Science, Physics, or a closely related discipline*, or equivalent research, industrial or commercial experience.
Research Assistant: A first/masters degree (or equivalent) in Aerospace Engineering, Atmospheric Science, Physics, or a closely related discipline.
*Candidates who have not yet been officially awarded their PhD will be appointed as Research Assistant.
*Candidates with a PhD in other disciplines may be eligible if they can demonstrate exceptional problem-solving skills and deep expertise in the development of complex computational models. Candidates who have not yet acquired their PhD would be appointed at the Research Assistant level.
What we can offer you:
Further Information
We are hoping that the successful candidate will start her/his contract immediately, or as soon as possible. The successful candidate will be supervised in the Department of Aeronautics at Imperial College London but will also work with colleagues in the Departments of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Physics.
If you require any further details on the role please contact:
Dr. Sebastian Eastham s.eastham@imperial.ac.uk
If you encounter any technical issues while applying online, please don't hesitate to email us at support.jobs@imperial.ac.uk. We're here to help.
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