Research Associate in Soil Biogeochemistry

About the role

The Waring Lab at the Silwood Park Campus of Imperial College London is seeking a soil biogeochemist to work on a NERC-funded project quantifying the efficacy of enhanced rock weathering (ERW) for atmospheric carbon dioxide removal. You will explore ecological controls on the enhanced weathering mechanism, quantifying uptake of weathering products by plants and soil microbes. Working in the Waring Lab at Silwood Park in Berkshire, you will interact with a large team of researchers examining carbon-climate feedbacks in terrestrial ecosystems ranging from Arctic tundra to tropical rainforests. You will also collaborate with ecosystem modellers and aquatic ecologists (Paschalis Lab, Cavan Lab, Khamis Lab) to explore rock weathering dynamics along the soil to surface water to ocean continuum, and to develop models that can predict these dynamics. The position entails both fieldwork and bench-based laboratory research.

Maintaining the earth’s climate system within safe limits will require removal of past emissions (atmospheric carbon dioxide removal) as well as the rapid phase-out of fossil fuels. ERW shows great promise as a carbon dioxide removal technology. Crushed silicate rocks are spread on agricultural or forest soils, where they react with CO2. The reaction products are transported through the soil column, into surface and groundwater, and from there to the ocean, where inorganic carbon is sequestered in the long-term. Although ERW is increasingly incorporated into policy decisions, and ERW-based carbon offsets are already being sold, we actually know very little about how plant and microbial communities might influence the fate of weathering products on land – and ultimately, the carbon dioxide removal capacity of ERW. This is the knowledge gap which you will tackle.

What you would be doing

Your primary task will be to carry out a soil mesocosm experiment, exploring how plant, soil, and microbial properties influence the dissolution of silicate rock and the movement of weathering products through the soil column. You will monitor accumulation of rock weathering products in soil pore water, plant tissue, and on clay mineral surfaces. A secondary task is to measure the efficacy of ERW in one of the world’s largest field trials of this technology, which is underway in mid-Wales. This will be accomplished through regular site visits to sample soil pore waters, and monitor changes in soil respiration and plant growth. There is also scope to develop independent experiments, taking advantage of our substantial field and laboratory infrastructure.

You will be assisted in this effort by a team of three PDRAs, two research technicians, and post-graduate students. By working closely together, this team has the potential to significantly advance our capacity to predict rock weathering dynamics and thus effectively implement ERW around the world. You will therefore be expected to interact frequently with your colleagues in the laboratory, in the field, and through regular group meetings. You will also have the opportunity to supervise of undergraduate and post-graduate student projects. Finally, you will be provided the resources to advance your own career along your desired path, through mentorship, professional development workshops, and opportunities to develop collaborations that extend beyond the core group.

You will be expected to communicate the findings of your research through conference presentations and scientific publications. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to connect with the large and growing community of researchers investigating ERW and other land-based carbon dioxide removal technologies, including reforestation and ecosystem restoration.

What we are looking for

Essential criteria:

• Hold, or near completion of, a PhD in a relevant field
• Excellent scientific communication skills, as evidenced by presentations at scientific conferences and publications in peer-reviewed journals
• Evidence of effective collaborative work in a team environment
• Experience with the basics of experimental design and statistical analysis
• Demonstrated research experience in at least two of the following areas (no candidate is expected to have expertise in all of them!):
• Soil biogeochemistry
• Soil physics
• Molecular microbial ecology
• Hydrology
• Plant-microbe interactions
• Ecosystem ecology
• The capacity to conduct fieldwork under adverse conditions (hot, rainy, buggy, etc.) – note that all fieldwork for this experiment will take place in the UK
• Experience with the management/organisation of large datasets

Desirable criteria:

• A valid driver’s licence (for traveling to/from field sites)
• Experience constructing and maintaining soil mesocosms
• Experience with any of the following research techniques:
• Maintenance and operation of soil lysimeters and/or soil suction plates
• ICP-AES and/or elemental analysis
• Metagenomic sequencing on the Illumina Miseq platform
• Experience working with pipelines for the analysis of microbiome data (e.g. QIIME2)
• Experience with either process-based or numeric simulation modelling.

What we can offer you

• The opportunity to continue your career at a world-leading institution and be part of our mission to continue science for humanity.
• Grow your career: Gain access to Imperial’s sector-leading dedicated career support for researchers as well as opportunities for promotion and progression
• Sector-leading salary and remuneration package (including 39 days off a year and generous pension schemes).

Further information

Candidates who have not yet been officially awarded their PhD will be appointed as Research Assistant.

Applicants should provide a CV and a cover letter (two pages maximum) explaining their qualifications for the role.

Should you require any further details on the role please contact Bonnie Waring at b.waring@imperial.ac.uk or Thanos Paschalis at paschalis@imperial.ac.uk with ‘NERC ERW PDRA’ in the subject line.

Available documents

Attached documents are available under links. Clicking a document link will initialize its download.

• download: Employee Benefits Booklet.pdf
• download: Research Associate Job Description.pdf

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