The Global Change Research Institute together with Institute of Microbiology both being part of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Czech University of Life Sciences set out ambitious vision of move the true understanding to carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide sources, sinks and fluxes from the rural landscape. This will be achieved by combining unique monitoring program with the state-of-the-art atmospheric modelling combined with modelling the fluxes of GHG gasses through biosphere models. For this adventure we are seeking a postdoctoral specialist with experience in ecosystem and biosphere process-based modelling to quantify land-atmosphere exchange fluxes of green-house gas (GHG) fluxes at landscape to regional level within the inverse modelling framework in the conditions of Central Europe. This position is part of the new AdAgriF project (https://adagrif.cz/) which, in addition to monitoring GHG fluxes, aims to understand how agricultural and forest management specifically contribute to the overall GHG budget and how these managements can be altered to maximise the potential for climate change mitigation. The position will be embedded within an interdisciplinary research team that conducts experimental, observational, and modelling studies focussing on GHG cycle processes at plant cell, through ecosystems to regional scales.
The main work tasks can be summarised as follows:
- Exploit multidisciplinary data sources to be integrated into landscape scale inversion including e.g. local in situ measurements including soil, plant and meteorology, eddy covariance fluxes, surface-based and airborne observations from recent monitoring campaigns in the Czech Republic, or satellite retrievals.
- Parametrize and validate ecosystem process-based models on the individual ecosystem scale to landscape and regional scale.
- Explore the connection between land cover, land use, and land management with GHG fluxes.
- Prepare a workflow of high-resolution biosphere simulations for the territory of the entire Czech Republic within the framework of regional atmospheric inversion. The interpretation of process model results will be conducted jointly with project team colleagues performing the atmospheric inversion simulations and in situ
The ideal candidate should meet the following requirements:
- Higher education degree (PhD) in environmental or atmospheric sciences (e.g. environmental physics, meteorology, or other geo-science or agriculture/forestry/ecosystem modelling).
- Experience in studying ecosystem, dynamics, and land surface-atmosphere exchange processes with atmospheric approaches is a prerequisite with in depth understanding of these processes.
- Experience in one or several of the following disciplines is expected: ecosystem-based models, crop and /or forest models, biosphere models, and model optimisation techniques such as Bayesian statistics.
- Solid experience in scientific programming (R, Python, Julia,) is essential.
- Strong record of publication.
- We seek a highly motivated, flexible and proactive person who is able to work independently and in a larger team.
- Very good written and spoken English is essential.
Terms of employment:
This is a full-time post-doctoral position to be filled from January 2024 (or sooner) with current funding guaranteed at least for 48 months.
We offer a collaborative work environment with a friendly and supportive team that fosters growth and creativity. Our office is located in Brno, known for its rich activities, exquisite coffee, fine dining, and beautiful architecture. Beyond our institute, we offer to engage and collaborate with international scientists who are recognised experts in their field, offering a unique opportunity of mentorship and growth. We offer a flexible work arrangement including a freedom of adjustable work hours and the option to work partly remotely.
To submit your application, send the following documents to jobs@czechglobe.cz by 31st December 2023.