phd opportunity

Linking ecosystem data and processes towards an improved sampling under extreme climatic conditions

The Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) with its 1,100 employees
has gained an excellent reputation as an international competence centre for
the Helmholtz association. Our mission: Our research seeks to find a balance
between social development and the long-term protection of our natural resources.
In a framework of six strategic Research Units scientists address key environmental
challenges following a solution-oriented approach. In order to strengthen its
interdisciplinary work, UFZ is currently offering 4 PhD positions in the thematic
Research Unit SMART Models and Monitoring: MOMENT: Towards improved
understanding of the coupled water and carbon cycles of terrestrial ecosystems with
special focus on extreme events.
A fundamental challenge for model-observation comparisons lies in the scale
mismatch between plot-scale observations and larger-scale predictions made in
simulations. Within this PhD-college, procedures shall be developed and evaluated
which can scale outputs from the ecosystem-level up to the regional and country
scales by considering different temporal scales in sampling and modeling describing
the biogeophysical and hydrological processes. For this aim we try to achieve
simulation models that are able to represent biogeochemical/hydrological cycles and
their coupled processes in a realistic way and scale the relevant processes to larger
regions via remote sensing.

Tasks within this phd-project:
The PhD project will help to get a more complete picture of the consequences of
extreme events on the behavior of different ecosystems. For this purpose, the PhD
shall evaluate existing data sets of biotic and abiotic variables including flux data,
with their influence on carbon and water fluxes by linking the ecohydrological,
(micro-) climatological, geophysical, hydrogeological, and pedological information on
plot and ecosystem scale.
Main tasks will be the development of innovative strategies to analyse existing field
well as (geo)statistical methods including machine learning approaches.
Your profile:
Applicants with a degree in atmospheric science, physics, environmental or
geosciences or a related field and a background in micrometeorology and
data-assimilation procedures are encouraged to apply. The candidate should
demonstrate programming skills (e.g., Python or Fortran), experience with scientific
is advantageous. Communication skills in English and willingness to work in a team,
present and publish results at scientific conferences and peer-reviewed scientific
journals are required. She/ He will benefit from related graduate activities and
programs at the UFZ.
We offer:
Top level interdisciplinary research at a research centre which enjoys an
excellent reputation within Germany as well as internationally
Excellent technical facilities
Work in inter-disciplinary and multinational teams
Excellent links to national and international research networks
Support and optimal training courses by our graduate school (HIGRADE)
Remuneration in accordance with the TVöD public-sector pay grade 13

Closing date for applications:
31.01.2019

Place of work: Leipzig/Germany

Your contact for any questions you may have about the job:
Dr. Corinna Rebmann
[email protected]

  • Close Date:
  • Additional Dates:
  • Contact: Corinna Rebmann email