Postdoctoral Scholar Opportunity Researching Electrochemical Carbon Dioxide Removal
Position Overview
Organization: Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Studies
Title: Postdoctoral Scholar Opportunity Researching Electrochemical Carbon Dioxide Removal
Position Details
Position Description
About the University of Washington and CICOES:
The University of Washington (UW) is proud to be one of the Nation’s premier educational and research institutions. Our people are the most important asset in our pursuit of achieving excellence in education, research, and community service. UW is in the greater Seattle metropolitan area, with a dynamic, multicultural community of 3.7 million people and a range of natural environments from mountains to ocean. The UW is a community of 80,000 students, faculty and staff including 25% first-generation college students, over 25% Pell Grant students and faculty from over 70 countries.
The Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Studies (CICOES) has existed since 1977 (previously as the Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean) for the purpose of fostering research collaboration between UW and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). CICOES’s research is at the forefront of investigations on climate change, ocean acidification, fisheries assessments, and tsunami forecasting.
Position Description:
CICOES has an outstanding opportunity for a postdoctoral scholar to conduct research at the intersection of marine carbon dioxide removal, ocean acidification, and ocean carbonate chemistry modeling. Dr. Brendan Carter and other CICOES scientists will provide guidance to enhance the professional skills and research independence of the Scholar. The Scholar will also be mentored by PMEL scientist and UW affiliate professor Dr. Richard Feely. Beginning in late 2022, UW will team up with Stonybrook University to assess the potential for mitigating ocean acidification and enhancing ocean carbon sequestration by removing strong acids from seawater using electrodialysis. The research performed by this postdoctoral scholar will involve modeling conditions within a chemically-monitored experimental test tank, and modeling a range of spatial scales around hypothetical environmental implementations for the technology. The research will aim to constrain/quantify/identify:
1. the rates and quantities of acid that can be removed while keeping environmental conditions within specified limits,
2. the timescales and magnitudes of enhanced ocean CO2 sequestration,
3. the chemical impacts of the acid removal across a range of spatial scales,
4. the best approaches for monitoring the efficacy of such an implementation,
5. and how natural environmental conditions affect the hypothetical implementation.
The impact of CICOES’s environmental research is felt by communities all over the world, and a broad variety of perspectives and life experiences is essential to the success of this research. We encourage candidates from groups historically and currently underrepresented in this field to apply. Please read about our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion here.
Postdoctoral scholars are represented by UAW 4121 and are subject to the collective bargaining agreement, unless agreed exclusion criteria apply. For more information, please visit the University of Washington Labor Relations website.
Qualifications
Required qualifications:
- A PhD in chemical oceanography, chemical engineering, environmental modeling, or a closely related field
- A demonstrated ability to work semi-independently on problems with unclear solutions and still yield meaningful progress/insights
- A demonstrated ability to clearly communicate complicated ideas through presentations and peer-reviewed journal articles
- Familiarity with oceanographic modeling
- An understanding of seawater carbonate chemistry
- A strong background in at least one analytical coding language (Matlab, Python, R, etc.)
Desired qualifications:
- A PhD in chemical oceanography or marine chemistry (specifically)
- An understanding of seawater carbonate chemistry analytical methods
- An understanding of electrodialysis and electrochemical methods
- 1 or more years of experience running and using oceanographic or fluid dynamics models (MOM, ROMS, Open-FOAM, etc.) and proficiency in Fortran coding
- Familiarity with ocean acidification impacts literature
- A desire to research solutions to climate change that is balanced by a clear-eyed view of the potential perils of marine geoengineering
Instructions
Please submit—through Interfolio—a cover letter and a CV. References will be requested for a subset of applicants. We will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis.
For questions about the position duties, please reach out to Dr. Brendan Carter at brendan.carter@noaa.gov. For questions about applying, including potential disability accommodations, please contact Carol Pérez at perezcar@uw.edu or (206) 543-5216.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
University of Washington is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, genetic information, gender identity or expression, age, disability, or protected veteran status.
Benefits Information
A summary of benefits associated with this title/rank can be found at https://hr.uw.edu/benefits/benefits-orientation/benefit-summary-pdfs/. Appointees solely employed and paid directly by a non-UW entity are not UW employees and are not eligible for UW or Washington State employee benefits.
Commitment to Diversity
The University of Washington is committed to building diversity among its faculty, librarian, staff, and student communities, and articulates that commitment in the UW Diversity Blueprint (http://www.washington.edu/diversity/diversity-blueprint/). Additionally, the University’s Faculty Code recognizes faculty efforts in research, teaching and/or service that address diversity and equal opportunity as important contributions to a faculty member’s academic profile and responsibilities (https://www.washington.edu/admin/rules/policies/FCG/FCCH24.html#2432).
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Disability Services
To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office at 206-543-6450 or dso@uw.edu.
COVID-19 Vaccine Requirements and Information
Under University of Washington (UW) Policy, University-compensated personnel must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and provide proof thereof, or receive a UW-approved medical or religious exemption. This requirement will be a condition of any offer associated with this recruitment. For more information, please visit https://www.washington.edu/coronavirus/vaccination-requirement/.