Salary (which will be subject to UK taxation) will be at the rate of £31,944 per annum. This will be a fixed salary with no increments or pay awards for the duration of the post.

Fixed-term for 36 months

“Catchment-wide impacts of reactive hotspots and hot moments“ (PI: Dr. Stefan Krause)

A Marie Curie Early Researcher position is available to carry out research on “Catchment-wide impacts of reactive hotspots and hot moments“ within the Marie Skłodowska-Curie ITN HypoTRAIN (Hyporheic Zone Processes – A training network for enhancing the understanding of complex physical, chemical and biological process interactions).

The position

The candidate will combine cutting-edge integrated distributed sensor networks and smart tracing technologies with advanced numerical modeling approaches for identifying reactive hotspots and hot moments in hyporheic environments and quantifying their catchment wide biogeochemical and ecohydrological impact. The expected results are an integrated methodological approach combining FO-DTS for identification of hyporheic exchange flow patterns and smart tracers for quantification of microbial metabolic activity in identified hotspots and hot moments of hyporheic exchange; and a model-based up-scaling for quantifying the catchment wide relevance of hotspot / hot moment biogeochemical cycling. The PhD candidate will be supervised by Stefan Krause (University of Birmingham) and co-supervised by David Hannah (University of Birmingham) and Jesus Gomez (New Mexico Tech). The position will include several secondments to European and US collaborators.

The project

Hyporheic zones are key compartments for the functioning of aquatic ecosystems. We are facing a significant knowledge gap in the understanding of how hyporheic processes are linked and how they impact on each other. HypoTRAIN has been tailored to fill this gap. Collaborative research with state-of-the-art technologies from multiple disciplines (hydrology, ecology, microbiology, engineering, environmental physics, contaminant science, modelling) will generate new mechanistic insights into the functioning of hyporheic zones. The supra-disciplinary expertise within the network and the high-level training programme will generate scientific knowledge that will enable a more holistic design of river management plans and restoration measures.

The successful applicant:

Candidates should hold an MSc in Environmental Sciences, Hydrology, Geoecology, Ecohydrology, Biology, Civil Engineering or other closely related discipline. They should be able to communicate complex information clearly and be able to work independently. The applicant must also meet the Marie Curie eligibility criteria for this post, details of which can be found at:ec.europa.eu/research/participants/data/ref/h2020/wp/2014_2015/main/h2020-wp1415-msca_en.pdf (pp 40-41).

This is a 36 month fixed term, full time position, to start between 1st May 2015 and 1st June 2015 or as soon as possible thereafter.

To download the details of this position and submit an electronic application online please click on the Apply Online button below, please quote Job Reference in all enquiries.

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