Research Associate in River Science

Full-time for 30 months commencing 1 May 2025, with project end date of 30 April 2028.

The Geography and Environment department at Loughborough University is seeking to appoint a Research Associate to work on the second phase of the successful project entitled ‘Stuck in the Mud: addressing the fine sediment conundrum with multiscale and interdisciplinary approaches to support global freshwater biodiversity’.

About the role
The project is UKRI funded, through the Future Leaders Fellowship scheme. It is an interdisciplinary project at the interface of freshwater ecology, fluvial geomorphology, hydrology and sedimentology engaging with academic and stakeholder project partners in the UK and internationally.

The Research Associate will play a key role in the project which will develop a mechanistic understanding of how environmental controls drive fine sediment impacts for freshwater biota. Fine sediment (typically defined as particles <2mm) deposition in riverine ecosystems represents a critical human-induced threat to global freshwater biodiversity.

Despite the extent and magnitude of this threat, we lack fundamental knowledge regarding the mechanisms controlling the ecological effects of fine sediment upon instream ecosystems. This vital knowledge is required to underpin the implementation of effective river management strategies.

The objective of the project is to identify, examine and quantify the primary abiotic and biotic controls influencing the ecosystem effects of instream sedimentation.

About you
The successful applicant will be an experienced researcher with a PhD in Geography, Environmental Science, Ecology, or another discipline closely aligned to the project. The post holder will have experience of coordinating and undertaking fieldwork, sampling and identifying freshwater macroinvertebrates and knowledge of a range of statistical analytical tools. Knowledge of riverine systems and instream sedimentation would be an advantage.

The researcher’s main responsibilities will be to: organize and undertake regular fieldwork campaigns (alongside a project research assistant), process the samples in the laboratory (identification to species level where possible), plan and undertake ecological experiments, prepare research outputs for publication, arrange and attend project meetings and contribute to relevant analyses and dissemination of the research.

The successful candidate will work closely with PI Dr. Kate Mathers (Geography and Environment) but will benefit from working within a dynamic wider interdisciplinary team addressing aquatic biodiversity challenges.

For more information refer to the Job Description and Person Specification.

Informal enquiries
Informal enquiries should be made by email to Dr. Kate Mathers: k.mathers@lboro.ac.uk.

Closing date for receipt of applications is 19 February 2025.

Interviews will be held week commencing 20 March 2025.

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