Postdoc position on 'Modelling water quality Ganges/Brahmaputra' (1.0 FTE)

Postdoc position on 'Modelling water quality Ganges/Brahmaputra' (1.0 FTE)

Job description The Department of Earth Sciences is now looking for a highly-motivated applicant to fill a postdoctoral research position on 'Modelling water quality of the Ganges/Brahmaputra’.
The study is a work package of a collaboration project between the Netherlands and India called 'Co-creating Sustainable Agri-Water Use in the Hindon Sub-Basin –A Multi-Scale Participatory Approach'. The focus of the whole project is the Hindon sub-basin, part of the Gangetic Plain, which suffers from water depletion and pollution due to over-extraction and emissions of nutrients and pesticides. The contribution of agriculture and other sectors to reduced water quantity and quality will be determined by monitoring and modelling. Alternative agricultural management options to improve water use efficiency and to reduce emissions by agriculture will be identified. These will be evaluated and visualised at the levels of fields, farms, landscapes, and the whole sub-basin. A vision of future development will be formulated and steps for its implementation will be identified and started.
The current position aims to investigate water quality (nitrate, pesticides and heavy metals) for future decades for the whole Ganges/Brahmaputra basin through modelling with the Integrated Model to Assess the Global Environment (IMAGE) - Dynamic Global Nutrient Model (DGNM) framework fed with data from other partners in this project. Work will consist of preparation of agriculture, industry and other economic data at the level of the states/regions of India for running DGNM for the historic period and preparation of scenarios for future decades. Next to applying the model, new approaches for simulating heavy metals and pesticides will be developed. The position is funded by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO). The research team members include Prof. Dr Lex Bouwman and Dr Arthur Beusen at the Department of Earth Sciences, Geochemistry group. The research will be performed at Utrecht University, The Netherlands.

Qualifications The successful candidate should be ambitious and have a PhD degree in Earth, Environmental or Agricultural Sciences. A background in modelling and model development would be an advantage. A broad interest in Geosciences, and the willingness and capacity to interact in a multidisciplinary team, are essential. You should be willing to work on an interdisciplinary project, travel abroad (e.g. to India), and expand your knowledge of modelling techniques. You should be proficient in English and have excellent scientific writing and presenting skills. You are an enthusiastic team player and have good communicational skills.
Offer We offer a temporary position (1.0 FTE) for the duration of 22 months in an international working environment. The gross salary ranges between €3,282 and €3,821 (scale 10.3 - 10.7 of the Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities) per month for a full-time employment. Salaries are supplemented with a holiday bonus of 8 % and a year-end bonus of 8.3 %. In addition, Utrecht University offers excellent secondary conditions, including an attractive retirement scheme, (partly paid) parental leave and flexible employment conditions  (multiple choice model). More information about working at Utrecht University can be found here .
About the organization A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University , the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major societal themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Sustainability.
Utrecht University's Faculty of Geosciences studies the Earth: from the Earth's core to its surface, including man's spatial and material utilisation of the Earth - always with a focus on sustainability and innovation. With 3,400 students (BSc and MSc) and 720 staff, the Faculty is a strong and challenging organisation. The Faculty of Geosciences is organised in four Departments: Earth Sciences, Human Geography & Spatial Planning, Physical Geography, and Sustainable Development.
The Department of Earth Sciences conducts teaching and research across the full range of the solid Earth and environmental Earth sciences, with activities in almost all areas of geology, geochemistry, geophysics, biogeology and hydrogeology. The department hosts a highly international tenured staff of over 45 scientists and more than 110 PhD students and postdoctoral researchers. Our research programme spans four intertwined themes: Climate & Life, Earth interior, Earth materials, and Environmental Earth Sciences. We house or have access to a wide variety of world-class laboratories.

Additional information For more information about this position, please contact: Prof. Dr Lex Bouwman (Professor of Nutrient Transport from Land to Sea), via [email protected].
Apply

Everyone deserves to feel at home at our university. We welcome employees with a wide variety of backgrounds and perspectives. To apply, please send your curriculum vitae, including a letter of motivation via the ‘apply’ button below.
Evaluations and interviews are planned soon after the application deadline of February 28, 2022. The intended starting date is May 1, 2022 or a.s.a.p. thereafter. Online screening may be part of the selection.
Commercial response to this ad is not appreciated.

The application deadline is 28/02/2022