Research Associate (Fixed Term)

We are seeking an experienced and highly motivated postdoctoral researcher with a strong academic background in dendrochronology and/or paleoclimatology to work with us in the ERC Synergy-Plague project "Reconstructing the environmental, biological, and societal drivers of plague outbreaks in Eurasia between 1300 and 1900 CE Synergy-Plague".

Supervised by Professor Ulf Büntgen and performed in our well-established Tree-Ring Unit (TRU) at the Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, the successful candidate will contribute to the development and analysis of two multi-millennial long tree-ring chronologies from the Taurus mountains in southern Turkey and the Pamir mountains in Tajikistan. We expect the appointee to also contribute to the TRU's innovative research agenda, including various aspects of global change ecology and quantitative wood anatomy.

Applicants should have a PhD in geography, biology, ecology, or a related field of the environmental sciences. Experience in developing composite tree-ring width chronologies from living and relict wood samples is essential. Furthermore, we are looking for applicants with basic knowledge in the generation and interpretation of wood anatomical measurements, as well as with substantial laboratory and fieldwork experience.

The successful candidate must be self-motivated, have excellent organisational and communication skills with experience in reporting research results both in writing (reports, publications) and orally (project meetings, conferences). Fluency in English is essential, and basic knowledge of Russian and Spanish would be useful to organise and conduct fieldwork between the Pyrenees in the west and the Altai in the east. 

Applicants should review the further particulars for information on all the skills/experience essential  criteria and more indepth information on the role duties.

The position is 37 hours per week (100%), and online interviews for shortlisted applicants will take place Friday 4th April 2025.

Start of the employment would ideally be between 1st of November 2025 and 1st January 2026.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 1 years in the first instance.

To apply online for this vacancy and to view further information about the role, please click the 'Apply' button above. 

Please quote reference LC45230 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

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