Postdoc in Isotope-enabled Terrestrial Ecosystem Modeling

Position Title:
Postdoc in Isotope-enabled Terrestrial Ecosystem Modeling

Appointment Type:
Post Doc/Trainee

Job Description:
Summary of Duties and Responsibilities:

The MacroSystems Ecology Lab (https://www.clu-lab.com/ ) in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, & Organismal Biology at Iowa State University has an opening for a postdoc scholar in Isotope-enabled Terrestrial Ecosystem Modeling.

We are seeking an individual to work on 1) developing isotope-enabled Terrestrial Ecosystem Modeling, leveraging isotopic measurement data and exploring its potential applications in agroecosystems; 2) modeling soil organic carbon dynamics under various agricultural practices, and examining associated impacts on crop yield and nitrogen losses (e.g., N2O and N leaching) from field to regional scale in the US. The successful candidate will participate in an interdisciplinary research team to improve ecosystem model representations and prediction accuracy in soil biogeochemical processes with lab incubations and long-term experimental data at different scales. The postdoc scholar is expected to independently reconstruct and analyze time-series geospatial datasets, test, improve, and implement the process-based land ecosystem models to quantify agricultural carbon and nitrogen fluxes, and climate mitigation potentials. The specific duties include cross-scale data synthesis, data-model integration, data assimilation, model improvement, implementation, and uncertainty analysis. The postdoc will be encouraged to pursue new research direction (e.g., participate in development of research proposals), and will help manage the lab and interact with graduate and undergraduate students.

Required Minimum Qualifications:

  A Ph.D. degree from an accredited institution in Ecosystem Ecology, Biogeochemistry,  Soil Science, Atmospheric Science, Agriculture, Forestry, Remote Sensing or related fields with experience of terrestrial ecosystem modeling

Preferred Qualifications:

-Experience and background on geospatial dataset development, carbon isotopic data analysis from lab and field experiment, biogeochemistry/ecosystem modeling, and proficient coding skills (in at least one of R, Python, C or C++, MATLAB)

-Familiarity with the biogeochemical cycling and US agricultural management practices will be preferred.

-Excellent written and interpersonal communication skills, a record of research publications in refereed journals of high quality, and a demonstrated ability to function well within multidisciplinary teams.

Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. on an on-going basis without sponsorship. 

Proposed Start Date:
June 1, 2024

Proposed End Date or Length of Term:
May 31, 2025

Number of Months Employed Per Year:

Time Type:
Full time

Application Instructions:

To apply for this position, please click on “Apply” and complete the Employment Application. Please be prepared to enter or attach the following:
1) Resume/Curriculum Vitae
2) Letter of Application/Cover Letter
If you have questions regarding this application process, please email [email protected] or call 515-294-4800 or Toll Free: 1-877-477-7485.
Why Choose ISU?
Iowa State Postdocs enjoy comprehensive health and work-life benefits, including medical and dental; as well as:
• Retirement benefits including defined benefit and defined contribution plans
• Generous vacation, holiday, and sick time and leave plans
• Onsite childcare (Ames, Iowa)
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Various voluntary benefits and discounts
• Employee Assistance Program
• Wellbeing Program

Original Posting Date:
April 9, 2024

Posting Close Date:
April 16, 2024

Job Requisition Number:
R14383