Research Associate (Fixed Term)

A six-month postdoctoral Research Associate position is available in the Computational Modelling (CoMo) Group at the University of Cambridge, under the supervision of Professor Markus Kraft.

The project will use a comprehensive virtual model of the built environment alongside heterogeneous spatial and time-series data to develop AI-enabled methods for analysing coupled energy and environmental systems.

The research will build on The World Avatar (TWA), a knowledge-based technology pioneered by Professor Kraft. TWA combines detailed digital representations of physical assets, infrastructure, resources and environmental conditions, providing a common semantic framework for integrating models and observations across domains.

The project aims to move beyond static descriptions and isolated analyses of individual assets or processes. It will investigate interactions among energy supply and demand, emissions, environmental quality, resource use and infrastructure, and evaluate how the effects of technical or policy interventions propagate through these coupled systems. A core objective will be the development, testing and validation of generalisable methodologies for knowledge-based data integration, model coupling, uncertainty-aware analysis and AI-assisted decision support.

The successful candidate will work as part of the TWA team to:

• Represent energy, environmental and infrastructure data using knowledge-based models;
• Collate and integrate heterogeneous data and computational models describing built and natural systems;
• Develop and apply new computational methods to analyse system interactions, assess scenarios and characterise trade-offs among energy, environmental and sustainability objectives.

Appointment within the stated salary range will depend on qualifications and experience.

Applicants should demonstrate the following essential and desirable criteria:

• A PhD or equivalent experience in chemical engineering, energy systems, environmental engineering, applied mathematics, computer science or another relevant science or engineering discipline (essential).
• Excellent oral and written communication skills (essential).
• An interdisciplinary and collaborative research approach (essential).
• The ability to work effectively within a dynamic, multidisciplinary team (essential).
• A developing publication record in a relevant research area (essential).
• Experience in energy systems, environmental systems, sustainability modelling or the development of quantitative methodologies relevant to these areas (desirable).
• Experience working with knowledge graphs or semantic technologies (desirable).
• Experience in computational modelling, data science, systems analysis, machine learning or software engineering using Python, Java, JavaScript or other languages (desirable).
• Willingness to contribute to the supervision of students (desirable).

Further information about the Computational Modelling Group is available at como.ceb.cam.ac.uk.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 6 months in the first instance.

To apply online for this vacancy and to view further information about the role, please visit: www.jobs.cam.ac.uk/job/56504.

Please quote reference NQ50578 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

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