CLOSED

Supervisor: Dr. Felix Vogel (Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France), co-supervisor: Prof. Euan Nisbet (Royal Holloway University of London, United Kingdom)

Employer: Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France

Project description: The successful candidate will conduct field measurements to characterize the spatio-temporal variations of the mole fraction and isotopic signature of CH₄ in the Paris region or Ile-de-France (IDF). She/he will, based on this data, create an urban scale ¹³CH₄ emission model, which will be used to drive an atmospheric CH₄ and ¹³CH₄ concentration (forward) model. As concentration enhancements of CH₄ and ¹³CH₄ are significant in the IDF region, the continuous measurement site of Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines can be used to determine the region’s mean source signatures. Combining the source signature data (campaigns) and the atmospheric modelling framework with the continuous monitoring of the larger region allows validating spatio-temporal variations of the CH₄ emissions of the IDF through the additional constraints from ¹³CH₄ data. To assess the generalizability of this framework, comparisons to another region (London) will be performed.

Secondments: The successful candidate will work 1 month at Royal Holloway University of London, United Kingdom, to join a campaign for isotope measurements of CRDS and IRMS, and 1 month at National Physical Laboratories, United Kingdom, to join measurement campaigns in urban regions of the United Kingdom (e.g. London).

We are searching for: From the successful candidate we expect knowledge and skills in atmospheric physics and chemistry, greenhouse gas analysis and scientific coding skills (e.g. shell, R, python). She/he must  have good English language skills to  write scientific reports, publications, essays, oral presentations, and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively. Candidates must be willing to travel abroad for secondments and measurement campaigns, and to present their research to an international research community. As this project requires close collaboration within the consortium, candidates are expected to be excellent team players. French language skills are considered an asset, but language training will also be available during the duration of the PhD. The participation in workshops and secondments during the project is mandatory. According to EU eligibility criteria, researchers may be of any nationality, BUT must be at their early carrier stage and may not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in France for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately before the application deadline.

We offer: The candidate will work at the Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement (LSCE) at l’Orme-des-Merisiers site, 25 km South of Paris. She/he will be part of the ICOS team (about 30 people), working on GHG measurements. She/he will work in close collaboration with the SATINV team (transport and inverse modeling), and will have one day-to-day supervisor and 2 additional close collaborators. The three-year studentship includes lectures. MSCA-ETN projects are part of Horizon 2020 and offer attractive salaries and working conditions following the conditions as described in the respective work programs.

Selection procedure: The selection procedure will follow the Code of Conduct for Recruitment. Candidates will be selected first on EU eligibility criteria, second on qualifications. The CVs, including a MSc. or equivalent in atmospheric sciences, will be selected according to the adequation of skills and experience with the profile required for the project. The selection committee is composed of 4 researchers, including the main supervisor, and will conduct teleconference or, if possible, presential interviews.

Deadline: Eligible applications received before 30 April 2017 will receive full consideration.

Contact: Please send your application before 30 April 2017 directly to management@h2020-memo2.eu or to the MEMO² coordinator Prof. Thomas Röckmann or Dr. Sylvia Walter. The application material should include a letter of motivation, a curriculum vitae, copies of university and high-school degrees (including grades) and either two letters of recommendation or contact information of two people that can be contacted for reference. For more information on the MEMO² project, including this and other vacancies, please visit the MEMO² website.

For more information about the project please contact Dr. Felix Vogel (felix.vogel@lsce.ipsl.fr) or Dr. Camille Yver Kwok (camille.yver@lsce.ipsl.fr).