Research Associate in Soil Biogeochemistry

Location: Silwood Park Campus

About the role:

The Waring Lab at the Silwood Park Campus of Imperial College London is seeking a soil biogeochemist to work on a NERC-funded project quantifying the efficacy of enhanced rock weathering (ERW) for atmospheric carbon dioxide removal. You will explore ecological controls on the enhanced weathering mechanism, quantifying uptake of weathering products by plants and soil microbes. Working in the Waring Lab at Silwood Park in Berkshire, you will interact with a large team of researchers examining carbon-climate feedbacks in terrestrial ecosystems ranging from Arctic tundra to tropical rainforests. You will also collaborate with ecosystem modellers and aquatic ecologists (Paschalis Lab, Cavan Lab, Khamis Lab) to explore rock weathering dynamics along the soil to surface water to ocean continuum, and to develop models that can predict these dynamics.  The position entails both fieldwork and bench-based laboratory research.

What you would be doing:

Your primary task will be to carry out a soil mesocosm experiment, exploring how plant, soil, and microbial properties influence the dissolution of silicate rock and the movement of weathering products through the soil column. You will monitor accumulation of rock weathering products in soil pore water, plant tissue, and on clay mineral surfaces. A secondary task is to measure the efficacy of ERW in one of the world’s largest field trials of this technology, which is underway in mid-Wales. This will be accomplished through regular site visits to sample soil pore waters, and monitor changes in soil respiration and plant growth. There is also scope to develop independent experiments, taking advantage of our substantial field and laboratory infrastructure.

You will be assisted in this effort by a team of three PDRAs, two research technicians, and post-graduate students. By working closely together, this team has the potential to significantly advance our capacity to predict rock weathering dynamics and thus effectively implement ERW around the world. You will therefore be expected to interact frequently with your colleagues in the laboratory, in the field, and through regular group meetings.

What we are looking for:

Essential criteria:

• Hold, or near completion of, a PhD in a relevant field
• Excellent scientific communication skills, as evidenced by presentations at scientific conferences and publications in peer-reviewed journals
• Evidence of effective collaborative work in a team environment
• Experience with the basics of experimental design and statistical analysis
• Demonstrated research experience in at least two of the following areas (no candidate is expected to have expertise in all of them!):
  • Soil biogeochemistry
  • Soil physics
  • Molecular microbial ecology
  • Hydrology
  • Plant-microbe interactions
  • Ecosystem ecology
• The capacity to conduct fieldwork under adverse conditions (hot, rainy, buggy, etc.) – note that all fieldwork for this experiment will take place in the UK
• Experience with the management/organisation of large datasets.

Further Information

Candidates who have not yet been officially awarded their PhD will be appointed as Research Assistant.

Applicants should provide a CV and a cover letter (two pages maximum) explaining their qualifications for the role.

Should you require any further details on the role please contact:

Bonnie Waring at b.waring@imperial.ac.uk or

Thanos Paschalis at paschalis@imperial.ac.uk with

‘NERC ERW PDRA’ in the subject line.

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