Postdoctoral Associates in Coastal Terrestrial-Aquatic Interface Science at SERC
Salary: $60,129
Projected Start Date: September 2021
Appointment Term: 1 year minimum with potential renewal for a total of 2 years
The Biogeochemistry Lab at SERC (Smithsonian Environmental Research Center) is searching for two Post-doctoral Research Associates to help advance ecosystem science and prediction at the coastal terrestrial-aquatic interface (TAI). The Associates will join a multi-institution team funded by DOE to apply the ModEx (Model-Experiment Integration) concept to upland and wetland coastal ecosystems. One Associate will focus on data-model integration related to carbon and nutrient stocks, soil carbon and nutrient sequestration, soil elevation, and water level dynamics. The other Associate will focus on plant-microbe interactions regulating soil biogeochemical cycles. The Associates will be based at SERC and collaborate with members of the COMPASS (Coastal Observations, Mechanisms, and Predictions Across Systems and Scales) project led by Pacific Northwest National Lab.
Data-Model Integration Associate
Coastal wetlands are important to carbon sequestration and methane emissions but there is uncertainty as to their contribution to carbon cycling at the TAI. The focus of this position is to advance model-based inference for in-situ coastal wetland carbon and nutrient cycling by leading the development of a model-informed sampling program relevant to the Chesapeake Bay and western Lake Erie regions, and producing decision support tools on where, what, and how best to sample to improve carbon and nutrient burial forecasting on annual to decadal scales.
A successful candidate will have at least:
• A Ph.D. in geography, a physical, or natural science awarded by the time the position starts
• Excellent R coding skills
• GIS experience
• Excellent quantitative skills
• Experience with data management and/or group coding
An ideal candidate will have one or more of the following:
• Bayesian hierarchical modeling experience
• Spatial-temporal modeling experience
• Parallel processing and Monte Carlo analysis experience
• Research experience with biogeochemistry, global change ecology, tidal and lake water level dynamics, wetlands, and/or coastal forests
Plant-Microbe Biogeochemistry Associate
Coastal TAIs are complex systems characterized by a high degree of spatial and temporal heterogeneity in biogeochemical cycling often described as hot spots and hot moments. Much of the complexity is due to plant-microbe interactions the mediate the soil redox environment. The focus of this position is to advance our process-level understanding of plant-microbe interactions that generate spatiotemporal variation across upland-to-wetland gradients.
A successful candidate will have at least:
• A Ph.D. in a physical or natural science awarded by the time the position starts
• Experience in plant and soil ecology
• Experience in field and lab biogeochemistry methods
An ideal candidate will have one or more of the following:
• Experience in upland forest ecosystems
• Experience in wetland ecosystems
• Experience in plant-microbe interactions
COMPASS
The Coastal Observations, Mechanisms, and Predictions Across Systems and Scales (COMPASS) project is a multi-institutional endeavor focused on understanding and predicting the transformations and fluxes of carbon and nutrients as they are exchanged across terrestrial-aquatic interfaces. COMPASS is led by Pacific Northwest National Lab (PNNL) in collaboration with SERC and many other institutional partners. The goal is to advance a field- and lab- based understanding in close integration with modeling needs and advances. Research spans both seawater-influenced (Chesapeake Bay) and freshwater-influenced (western Lake Erie) coasts. The project’s research emphasis is primarily on terrestrial processes that are influenced by coastal waters. This project includes several national labs, and research institutions in both regions, affording the successful candidate the opportunity for exciting and diverse collaborations. COMPASS will hire several post-docs with complementary skills in coastal science, biogeochemistry, data sciences, and land surface modeling at all scales. The successful applicants will be based at SERC.
How to Apply
Please send a cover letter briefly outlining how you meet any of the required or optional criteria, a CV, a work sample (journal article, dissertation chapter, preprint publication, etc.), and the contact information of three references by May 31, 2021. For those applying for the Data-Model Integration Associate please email your application materials James Holmquist (HolmquistJ@si.edu) and include your last name and Data-Model Integration Postdoc in the subject line. For those applying for the Plant-Microbe Biogeochemistry Associate please email your application materials to Pat Megonigal (MegonigalP@si.edu) and include your last name and Plant-Microbe Biogeochemistry Postdoc in the subject line.
About SERC
SERC is focused on understanding the causes and consequences of environmental change for marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems. The main campus is a 2,650-acre research site on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay in Edgewater Maryland. Facilities include the Global Change Research Wetland, the site of the known longest-running ecological manipulation experiment. Nearby cities include historic Annapolis, Maryland's capital, and D.C. The postdoctoral scientist will be hired as a ‘Trust Employee’ through Smithsonian’s non-profit wing, entitling them to health, vision, dental, and other benefits.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement
Both SERC and the COMPASS-FME project are strongly committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Women, people of color, Indigenous people, and other underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply.