Postdoctoral Research Fellow in terrestrial carbon cycle modelling

About the position

Position as Postdoctoral Research Fellow available at Department of Goesciences.

Starting date as soon as possible.

The appointment is a fulltime position and is for a period of three years (10% of which is devoted to other career promoting work, usually in the form of teaching activities). 

No one can be appointed for more than one Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the University of Oslo.

Project description

The net uptake of carbon to terrestrial systems (LULUCF) in Norway is estimated to be 20-25 MtCO2e/yr or about 50% of the anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. However, the positive trend in the estimated uptake between 1990 and 2010, has since then been reversed. The reason for this reversal is not fully understood, although similar trends are observed across Europe. The aim of NorSink is to improve the knowledge base for decision making through  six key activities:   

• assimilating rich Norwegian datasets into process-based models
• novel modelling of forest disturbances
• more robust modelling of soil accumulation
• utilise new flux tower data in high-altitude and high-latitude areas 
• inclusion of lateral riverine and biomass fluxes into carbon budgets 
• provide baseline data for the inclusion of ocean and coastal carbon

NorSink will lead to a step change in the emerging science of carbon budgets and forecasting, and provide decision makers with the knowledge to design effective climate policies as Norwegian and European carbon sinks dynamically evolve under climate change.  

The postdoc will work on improving and applying the land surface model CLM (Community Land Model) that is used in the Norwegian Earth System Model (NorESM). In the project, the CLM model will be using the FATES (Functionally-Assembled Terrestrial Ecosystem Simulator) terrestrial ecosystem model and the MIMICS+ module for soil carbon decomposition. FATES simulates and predicts growth, death, and regeneration of plants and subsequent tree size distributions by tracking natural and anthropogenic disturbance and recovery. It does this by allowing plants with different traits to compete for light, water, and nutrients. MIMICS+ is microbial explicit module to simulate soil carbon decomposition and nutrient cycling, by including growth and decay of saprotrophs (bacteria and fungi) as well as mycorrhiza fungi. 

The postdoc will work together with UiO expertise on data assimilation to calibrate the coupled CLM-FATES model using: 

• Snow cover
• Flux tower data

The idea is to combine established iterative ensemble Kalman methods with novel emerging machine-learning-enabled model calibration techniques recently adopted in CLM-FATES at UiO. 

The aim is:

• to constrain snow-related parameters
• to constrain the dominant drivers of photosynthesis, aggregated to species level (for trees) and functional type (for non-forest systems).  

The Department of Geosciences (IGF), University of Oslo (UiO), invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in terrestrial carbon cycle modelling. This position is associated with the recently funded project "Norway’s carbon sink under climate change (NorSink)" supported by the Norwegian Research Council. This project is a collaborative effort between several Norwegian research institutions (CICERO, NIBIO, NIVA, NTNU and UiO), and the position will be supervised Terje Berntsen and Norbert Pirk (IGF, UiO).
The main purpose of a postdoctoral fellowship is to provide the candidates with enhanced skills to pursue a scientific top position within or beyond academia. To promote a strategic career path, all postdoctoral research fellows are required to submit a professional development plan no later than one month after commencement of the postdoctoral period.

What skills are important in this role?

The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences has a strategic ambition to be among Europe’s leading communities for research, education and innovation. Candidates for these fellowships will be selected in accordance with this, and expected to be in the upper segment of their class with respect to academic credentials.

Qualification requirements:

• Applicants must hold a degree equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree in natural sciences (geoscience, physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology or related fields) with an emphasis on modelling. Doctoral dissertation must be submitted for evaluation by the closing date. Only applicants with an approved doctoral thesis and public defense are eligible for appointment.
• Good knowledge of programming and data analysis using Fortran, Matlab, Python, or similar programming languages.
• Experience in using and developing models to simulate natural systems.
• Knowledge about data assimilation and calibration of models based on observational data.
• Experience in using Github or other platforms for version control and collaboration on code development
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English.
• The candidate is expected to publish papers in leading, international journals, and must therefore be able to document previous publications in top-level journals.
   

Desired qualifications:

• Experience from field work
• Experience with high performance computing (HPC)
• Experience with supervision of students

All candidates and projects will have to undergo a check versus national export, sanctions and security regulations. Candidates may be excluded based on these checks. Primary checkpoints are the Export Control regulation, the Sanc-tions regulation, and the national security regulation.

What are we looking for in you?

Personal skills:

• Good communication and collaboration skills
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team
• Ability to work precise in a structured manner and swiftly adapts to new tasks
• Positive attitude and the ability to handle hectic periods
• Enjoy solving research questions as a part of a team
• Willing to take initiative
• Enthusiastic and curious

Employment in the position is based on a comprehensive assessment of all qualification requirements applicable to the position, including personal skills.

We can offer you

• Exciting and meaningful tasks in an organization with an important societal mission, contributing to knowledge development, education, and enlightenment that promote sustainable, fair, and knowledge-based societal development.
• Committed colleagues in a good working environment. 
• Good welfare schemes.
• Opportunity of up to 1.5 hours a week of exercise during working hours.  A workplace with good development and career opportunities.
• Postdoctoral development programmes.
• Membership in the Statens Pensjonskasse, which is one of Norway's best pension schemes with beneficial mortgages and good insurance schemes.
• Salary in position as Postdoctoral Fellow, position code 1352 in salary range NOK from 585 800 - to 668 000, depending on competence and experience. From the salary, 2 percent is deducted in statutory contributions to the State Pension Fund. 

Inclusive work life and diversity at UiO

Inclusion and diversity are a strength. The University of Oslo has a personnel policy objective of achieving a balanced gender composition. Furthermore, we want employees with diverse professional expertise, life experience and perspectives.

If there are qualified applicants with disabilities, employment gaps or immigrant background, we will invite at least one applicant from each of these categories to an interview.

We hope that you will apply for the position.

More information about gender equality initiatives at UiO can be found here.  

How to apply

The application must include:

• Cover letter (statement of motivation, summarizing scientific work and research interest)
• CV (summarizing education, positions, pedagogical experience, administrative experience and other qualifying activity)
• Copies of educational certificates, academic transcript of records
• A complete list of publications and up to 5 academic works that the applicant wishes to be considered by the evaluation committee
• Names and contact details of 2-3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and telephone number)

Application with attachments must be submitted via our recruitment system Jobbnorge, click "Apply for the position".

When applying for the position, we ask you to retrieve your education results from Vitnemålsportalen.no. If your education results are not available through Vitnemålsportalen, we ask you to upload copies of your transcripts or grades. Please note that all documentation must be in English or a Scandinavian language.

General information

The best qualified candidates will invited for interviews.

Please see the guidelines and regulations for appointments to Postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Oslo.

If an applicant has applied for and been granted funding for a fulltime research stay abroad while being employed as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, the employment will be prolonged with the equivalent time as the research stay, but for no longer than of twelve months ( thus extending the employment to a maximum of four years)

No one can be appointed twice as a Postdoctoral fellow financed with funds from The Research Council of Norway (NFR).

Applicant lists can be published in accordance with Norwegian Freedom of Information Act § 25. When you apply for a position with us, your name will appear on the public applicant list. It is possible to request to be excluded from this list. You must justify why you want an exemption from publication and we will then decide whether we can grant your request. If we can't, you will hear from us.

The University of Oslo has an agreement for all employees, aiming to secure rights to research results a.o.