The Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability (DGES) and the South Central Climate Adaptation Science Center (CASC) at the University of Oklahoma (OU) are hiring a postdoctoral researcher as part of the National and Regional Climate Adaptation Science Center’s Climate Adaptation Postdoctoral (CAP) Fellows Program. The CAP postdoctoral researcher will be supervised by Dr. Koch and jointly mentored by Drs. Koch and McPherson. The postdoctoral researcher will participate in a project on conceptual modeling and geospatial data synthesis of the Mississippi River Basin’s socio-environmental system. In addition, the CAP postdoctoral researcher will participate in regular training and professional development opportunities, including training on the co-production of actionable science with natural resource decision-makers.

This postdoctoral position is supported through the CAP Fellows Program established by the National and Regional Climate Adaptation Science Centers (NRCASC). The CAP program was established to support management-relevant research and scientific synthesis of emerging research needs related to climate impacts on fish, wildlife, and ecosystems. The objective of the CAP Program is to provide regional-to-national syntheses of climate change impacts on a given theme (Future of Aquatic Flows), focusing on the management challenges experienced by resource stewards to provide scientific research to help managers adapt to a changing climate. More information about the CAP program is available here: https://www.usgs.gov/ecosystems/climate-adaptation-science-centers/science/casc-network-climate-adaptation-scholars .

RESEARCH FOCUS:

The CAP postdoctoral researcher will conduct research related to conceptual modeling and associated geospatial data synthesis for the Mississippi River Basin (MRB) socio-environmental system. The objectives of the scholar’s research are to 1) describe and visualize the MRB socio-environmental system in a conceptual model and 2) synthesize and integrate spatial and temporal information on the MRB socio-environmental system from a multitude of scattered data sources into an object-relational database.

We are looking for an innovative and motivated researcher with solid systems thinking and geospatial analysis skills and a passion for interdisciplinary collaborations that support decision-making regarding using common pool resources. We are especially interested in applicants with experience in quantitative and qualitative research methods and data as well as experience participating in interdisciplinary research projects.

In addition to research duties, the successful candidate is expected to interact with natural resources managers, manage data and metadata for the project and document research status through regular reporting in a professional and timely manner.

TRAINING:

As part of the CAP program, and through work with mentors at the South Central CASC, the CAP scholar will also engage in training, professional development, and mentoring activities on topics like tribal data sovereignty, the co-production of actionable science with natural resource decision-makers, team science and interdisciplinary collaboration, traditional ecological knowledge, and science communication.

TERMS:

This two-year, full-time position will start on December 1, 2022. It will be based at The University of Oklahoma, Norman Campus. The salary is $60,000 per year with second-year funding contingent on satisfactory completion of responsibilities and continuation of funding. The position includes competitive benefits and funding for supplies and travel. 

Application deadline is Friday, November 4, 2022. 

Send all required documents to: 

Jennifer Koch

Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability
100 E Boyd St, SEC Suite 510
Norman, OK 73019

Required document’s: 

• Cover letter (2-page max)
• Curriculum Vitae
• Two (2) relevant publications
• List of three (3) references

Required Education: 

• A PhD (at time of employment) in geography, environmental sciences, environmental engineering, Earth sciences, or another relevant discipline.

Skills:

• Demonstrated experience in conducting geospatial data analysis using GIS, including (but not limited to) PostGIS, QGIS, GRASS GIS, or ArcGIS Pro.
• Demonstrated capacity to conduct quantitative analysis with geo-spatial data, including (but not limited to) experience with scripting languages (R or Python), machine-learning techniques, numerical simulation approaches, or experience with physical process-based models.
• Experience communicating technical or scientific information to government officials, environmental officials, or tribal and other communities.
• The willingness and temperament to work efficiently in a remote teamwork setting, to complete tasks with high-quality work, and to coordinate efforts and share results with team members frequently.
• Experience (or a demonstrated interest in) working with decision-makers to produce actionable science for informing natural resource management.
• Be able to pass a background check.

Certifications:

• None

Advertised Physical Requirements:

• None

Department Preferences:

• Experience with qualitative research methods.
• Experience with version control and data management.
• Experience writing proposals, governmental reports, or publicity materials.
• A strong record of relevant peer-reviewed publications.

Supervision: None

Special Instructions: If you are selected as a final candidate for this position, you will be subject to The University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Tuberculosis Testing policy.  To view the policy, visit http://www.hr.ou.edu/policies/tbtesting.asp .