Research Fellow - AR2873RH

Start date: January 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter

Fixed term until 30 August 2026

We are looking to recruit a Post-doctoral Research Fellow to join our NSF-NERC-funded project “Recent changes in Arctic biogenic sulfur aerosol from a central Greenland ice core”. This exciting opportunity will use new techniques to measure sulfur isotopes at seasonal resolution to reconstruct the history of polar marine productivity over recent times from a newly drilled ice core from Summit in Greenland. The overarching goal of this research project is to understand how marine primary productivity has changed in recent decades, and how changes in oxidation pathways may have influenced records of this. Combining sulfur isotopes with records of methane sulfonic acid in the ice will allow us to distinguish between changes in marine productivity and changes in oxidation pathways. Additionally, the seasonal resolution will allow us to assess how the timing of the spring bloom has changed relative to the pre-industrial era and link back to changes in the timing of sea ice retreat.

The successful applicant will have (or be near to completion of) a PhD in Earth Sciences or related field with expertise in geochemistry. Strong candidates will have technical expertise in clean lab geochemistry and isotope analysis by MC-ICPMS, and it will be desirable to have expertise in paleoclimate and/or marine or atmospheric chemistry. The postdoctoral researcher would join a dynamic cohort of researchers within the School of Earth & Environmental Sciences.

The post is fixed term until 30 August 2026 starting January 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter.

Employees of the University have access to a wide range of staff benefits including:

• Annual leave of 34 days, plus 5 public holidays
• Membership of the USS Pension Scheme with generous employer contributions
• A hybrid working environment, including partial homeworking where appropriate and a range of family friendly policies
• Staff discount scheme for local and national goods and services
• Free staff parking, employee Carshare and Cycle to Work Schemes and subsidised local bus travel
• Subsidised sports membership, reduced tuition fees on degree programmes for staff, access to training and development opportunities including LinkedIn Learning, access to library facilities, salary sacrifice scheme
• A range of wellbeing initiatives including membership of Peppy, a health application that connects staff to expert practitioners and personalized support on health matters

Informal enquiries can be directed to Dr Andrea Burke (ab276@st-andrews.ac.uk)

Applications are particularly welcome from women, people from the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community, and other protected characteristics who are under-represented in research posts at the University.  

Equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of the St Andrews experience.  We strive to create a fair and inclusive culture demonstrated through our commitment to diversity awards (Athena Swan, Carer Positive, LGBT Charter, Race Charters and Stonewall). We celebrate diversity by promoting profiles of BAME, LGBTIQ+ staff and supporting networks including the Staff BAME Network; Staff with Disabilities Network; Staff LGBTIQ+ Network; and the Staff Parents & Carers Network.  Full details available online: https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/hr/edi/

Interview Date: 17 December 2024

Please quote ref: AR2873RH

Further Particulars - AR2873RH FP's.doc

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