Research Associate (Fixed Term)

We are seeking an experienced and highly motivated postdoctoral researcher with a strong academic background in quantitative, spatial modelling at the disciplinary interface of physical geography, digital archaeology and human history. The successful candidate will be part of 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 connected to our well-established Tree-Ring Unit (TRU) at the Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, you will collate, analyse and interpret natural and societal proxy archives from Europe and Asia over the Common Era and compare them with output from state-of-the-art model simulations of socio-environmental interactions across a wide range of spatiotemporal scales.

In close collaboration with the TRU's innovative and crosscutting research agenda, we expect the appointee to communicate and foster interdisciplinary methods from both the natural sciences and the humanities. We further expect the candidate to proof a strong background in digital, quantitative methods in geography and/or archaeology, with a particular research focus on climate change ecology, climate proxy data and spatiotemporal modelling.

Applicants should have a PhD in geography, quantitative environmental archaeology, ecology, or a related field of the environmental sciences. Experience in programming languages, GIS, and climate proxy data analysis is essential.

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.

The position is 37 hours per week (100%), and online interviews for shortlisted applicants will take place Monday afternoon 28th April 2025.

Funds for this fixed-term post are available for 12 months in the first instance. Start of the employment would ideally be 1st of October 2025. 

Applicants should review the further particulars for information on all essential criteria.

Please quote reference LC45407 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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