[DIALOGnews] DISCCRS News 12/8/2006
Ruth Ladderud
ladderra at whitman.edu
Fri Dec 8 14:08:03 CST 2006
DISCCRS News
12/8/2006
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
RESOURCES and FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
Resources For Scientists To Communicate Effectively To Non-Scientific
Audiences
http://www.ucsusa.org/publications/scientist-media-guide.html
and http://ec.europa.eu/research/science-society/pdf/communicating-
science_en.pdf
(see RESOURCES 1 below)
Book: GLOBAL CHANGE: Enough Water for all? Free copy to Libraries/
Institutions in developing (1000 free copies)
http://www1.uni-hamburg.de/wasser/ and http://www1.uni-
hamburg.de/wasser/ApplicationForm.pdf
(see RESOURCES 2 below)
Permafrost Young Researchers Network (PYRN)
http://www.pyrn.org
(see RESOURCES 3 below)
FORUM
Council Of Scientific Society Presidents (CSSP): Information about
the 2007 U.S. science budget
http://www.cssp.us/
(see FORUM 1 below)
SCIENCE NEWS
Weather Is Not Climate - Quote of the week: "Choosing shorts or long
underwear on a particular day is about weather; the ratio of shorts
to long underwear in the drawer is about climate." - Charles Wohlforth
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=2655929
Carbon emissions up one-quarter since 1990: study (Reuters - ClimateArk)
http://tinyurl.com/yk4sr8
Brazil Protects Great Swath of Amazon
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/wire/sns-ap-brazil-amazon,
1,7141553.story Or: http://tinyurl.com/y2gwt8
(see NEWS 1 below)
Bush faces rough ride over climate change - Courts and Congress
poised to shape environment policy
(see NEWS 2 below)
NASA Research Reveals Climate Warming Reduces Ocean Food Supply
(see NEWS 3 below)
SUMMER PROGRAMS, COURSES, INTERNSHIPS, MEETINGS, OPPORTUNITIES
AMS Summer Policy Colloquium - Deadline for application is Feb 1, 2007
http://www.ametsoc.org/atmospolicy/colloquium_summer.html
ICES/PICES Conference for Early Career Scientists: New Frontiers in
Marine Science - June 26–29, 2007- Conference Center at the Maritime
Institute - Baltimore, Maryland, (USA)
http://www.pices.int/newfrontiers.aspx
(see MEETING 1 below)
European Geosciences Union - 15-20 April 2007- Vienna (Austria)
http://meetings.copernicus.org/egu2007/
(see MEETING 2 below)
JOBS
Postdoctoral Scholars - all major areas – Scripps Institution of
Oceanography - University of California, San Diego (UCSD) - La Jolla,
CA (USA)
http://scripps.ucsd.edu/
(see JOB 1 below)
Executive Director, International Ocean Biogeographic Information
System - based at Rutgers - State University of New Jersey, New
Brunswick, NJ (USA)
(see JOB 2 below)
Manager Climate Change Program - SGS North America - San Francisco,
CA (USA)
http://www.sgs.com/job_description.htm?
viewid=723&reference=10036230&checkSum=E4F2183AE2848ACDC1535DF01E4ADF69
(see JOB 3 below)
Faculty Position – Interdisciplinary Scientist - The Scripps
Institution of Oceanography (SIO) - University of California in San
Diego (USA)
http://sio.ucsd.edu/
(see JOB 4 below)
Post-Doc - Pyrogenic Aerosol Emission Modelling within the "European
Integrated Project on Aerosol-Cloud-Climate and Air Quality
Interactions" (EUCAARI) - Biogeochemistry Department - Max Planck
Institute for Chemistry – Mainz (Germany)
(see JOB 5 below)
Post-Doc - Ocean, Atmosphere and Climate dynamics - Department of
Geology and Geophysics - Yale University, New Haven, CT (USA)
http://www.geology.yale.edu, http://earth.geology.yale.edu/~avf5/
(see JOB 6 below)
Asst. Prof. tenure-track - Applied Climatologist - Meteorology Dept.
– Florida State University – Tallahassee, FL (USA)
(see JOB 7 below)
Asst. Prof. tenure-track - Earth Systems Ecology - Penn State
University, University Park, PA (USA)
(see JOB 8 below)
Post-Doc - Modeller - Univ Catholique de Louvain (Belgium)
www.astr.ucl.ac.be
(see JOB 9 below)
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Resources and Funding Opportunities
(RESOURCES 1) Resources For Scientists To Communicate Effectively To
Non-Scientific Audiences
http://www.ucsusa.org/publications/scientist-media-guide.html
and http://ec.europa.eu/research/science-society/pdf/communicating-
science_en.pdf
A book from the Union of Concerned Scientists and a report
published earlier this year by the European Commission provide
detailed advice for scientists who want to communicate effectively
with the media and other non-scientific audiences.
A Scientist's Guide to Talking with the Media, Practical Advice
from the Union of Concerned Scientists by Richard Hayes and Daniel
Grossman features a tool called the "message compass" and many
practical tips and specific examples of how to frame scientific
information for use by journalists. For more information: http://
www.ucsusa.org/publications/scientist-media-guide.html
A report commissioned by the European Commissions and published
in May offers a comprehensive look at the issues involved and the
skills required for scientists to be successful in communicating with
non-scientific audiences. Titled Communicating Science: A Scientist's
Survival Kit this report also provides many tips. Download the
report at: http://ec.europa.eu/research/science-society/pdf/
communicating-science_en.pdf
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(RESOURCES 2) Book: GLOBAL CHANGE: Enough Water for all? Free copy to
Libraries/Institutions in developing (1000 free copies)
http://www1.uni-hamburg.de/wasser/ and http://www1.uni-
hamburg.de/wasser/ApplicationForm.pdf
By José L. Lozán / Hartmut Graßl / Peter Hupfer / Lucas Menzel /
Christian-D. Schönwiese (2007) 384 pp. with 179 Figures, 64
Tabellen and 15 Charts. Paperback. EUR 35,-
Water is of vital importance: Without water no life would exist
and our planet would be a huge desert. Water plays a dominant role in
the climate system as well. Atmospheric water vapour is the most
important greenhouse gas; over 60% of the greenhouse effect of the
atmosphere is due to water vapour. Without greenhouse gases the mean
surface temperature of our planet would be around -18 °C. Water is
the basic condition for the high biodiversity on Earth. Plants,
animals and humans are composed of 50–80% water. They are stressed,
fall ill or die from water scarcity or polluted water. Therefore, our
common future is endangered when water is not available in sufficient
amount and quality. Water traverses an endless cycle (the water
cycle), enabling a self-purification on its long way through the soil
and rock layers. Water is a heritage of nature and it belongs to all
living beings. The right of access to sufficient and clean water is a
universal law and it is therefore anchored in important international
treaties. The uneven distribution of precipitation and water on Earth
leads to water scarcity in many regions. Already today 1.2 billion
people (20% of the world population) have no secure access to clean
drinking water and 2.4 billion people do not dispose of access to
sanitary installations. Millions of children die every year due to
polluted water. While Europeans use 130–150 litres water per capita
and day (in the USA this amount is even at around 300 litres), many
people south of the Sahara Desert have less than 20 litres per day at
their disposal.
Global climate change will intensify the water crisis. This is
mainly caused by the emission of anthropogenic greenhouse gases,
mostly from the industrialised countries. Glaciers in particular are
sensitive to climate change. Most glaciers on Earth are shrinking.
Global warming intensifies the water cycle and exacerbates the water
problems on our planet. In humid regions (e.g. Scandinavia) the
precipitation increases and in arid and semi-arid regions (e.g. the
Mediterranean) the precipitation is decreasing. Arid and semi-arid
areas are increasing in size in many regions. The aim of this book is
to contribute to the public discussion on our relations and dealings
with water. It shall also shape the public opinion towards an
integrated view on water and the necessity to ensure enough water for
coming generations.
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(RESOURCES 3) Permafrost Young Researchers Network (PYRN)
http://www.pyrn.org
The Permafrost Young Researchers Network (PYRN) is a
collaborative program of the International Permafrost Association
that connects members of the research community. PYRN, which was
formed one year ago, invites participation from young scientists
engaged in the study of permafrost.
Hosted by Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research,
PYRN provides information on conferences, fellowships, position
announcements, funding sources, recently completed theses and
dissertations, and other resources of interest to permafrost
scientists. The network currently consists of over 250 young
researchers from 29 countries. Those involved or interested in
permafrost research are welcome to join.
For further information and to join the network, please go to:
http://www.pyrn.org or contact: Hugues Lantuit, Alfred Wegener
Institute for Polar and Marine Research E-mail: hlantuit at awi-
potsdam.de
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Forum
(FORUM 1) Council Of Scientific Society Presidents (CSSP):
Information about the 2007 U.S. science budget
http://www.cssp.us/
It appears that Republican-controlled 109th Congress will not
complete the nine major unfinished 2007 spending bills by year end
(that were all due by law to be completed last Sept 30). At least we
are spared the ugly omnibus appropriation Bill of 1000+ pages that no
one is allowed to read until after it is passed.
However that means the news is not good for science and
scientists-- the Congress is expected to pass a Continuing
Resolution, (CR) which can mean hold spending to the last year level
for next year, OR picking the lower of House and Senate funding for
next year. While the House has passed its version of the spending
bills, the Senate has not, so it is not much of a choice. The problem
for us, that is highly likely to occur, is that in the past, since
granting agencies which cannot know how much they will finally be
appropriated by a new Congress that has not yet met, would fund only
75-80% of a grant award for 2007 until Congress resolves the issue.
While it is expected that the CR will turn into final appropriations
by early or mid February, there is no assurance the needed level of
harmony will occur for this to be achieved at all in 2007.
Thus: (1) plan for the 75-80 % level, (2) pursue full research
funding and expanded federal resources above last year, (3) Fax and
call your own (new) members of House and Senate to point out the
problems it will create, opportunities that could be lost, that
funded research is the best of the best and this delay causes such
researchers to be punished or damaged. Be brief, focused. Wish him/
her a happy new year. Write your plea for the whole science
community, not yourself. (4) Don't hesitate to send a copy to David
Obey (D-WI) expected to become House Appropriations Chair in January
and Sen.. Robert Byrd (D-WV) expected to become Senate Appropriations
Chair in January. Include congratulations for their expected new
positions. Always thank them for all they have done for science in
the past.
Rep. David Obey Fax 715 842 4488 Sen.. Robert Byrd fax 202 228
0002
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Science News
(NEWS 1) Brazil Protects Great Swath of Amazon
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/wire/sns-ap-brazil-amazon,
1,7141553.story Or: http://tinyurl.com/y2gwt8
Los Angeles Times - RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil - A swath of Amazon
rain forest the size of Alabama was placed under government
protection Monday in a region infamous for violent conflicts among
loggers, ranchers and environmentalists.
Known as the Guayana Shield, the 57,915-square-mile area contains
more than 25 percent of the world's remaining humid tropical forests
and the largest remaining unpolluted fresh water reserves in the
American tropics. The protected areas will link to existing reserves
to form a vast preservation corridor eventually stretching into
neighboring Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana.
Conservation International put up $1 million to facilitate the
expansion, which preserves much of the jungle's largely untouched
north. Still, it's far from clear how much the new reserves will do
to stall Amazon destruction, since most of the deforestation is
taking place along the rain forest's southern border.
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(NEWS 2) Bush faces rough ride over climate change - Courts and
Congress poised to shape environment policy
Nature 444, 660-661 (7 December 2006) - With President George W.
Bush and his administration continuing to avoid the issue, the courts
and Congress are poised to shape climate-change policy in the United
States.
Last week, the Supreme Court heard a high-profile case in which
Massachusetts, along with numerous other states, cities and
environmental groups, argued that the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) should be forced to regulate greenhouse-gas emissions from cars
and trucks as a pollutant. Massachusetts itself stands to lose 300
kilometres of its coastline as a result of the rise in sea level as
the planet warms.
The suit can be read as an expression of many states' impatience
with the federal government's inaction on climate change (see Nature
443, 486–487; 2006). Meanwhile, staff in the offices of Democratic
politicians are sharpening their pencils for January, when the more
liberal party takes over Congress, and supporters hope that climate-
change bills will fly.
The verdict will be announced by the Supreme Court by the end of
its term in June. Although the EPA trotted out the same old
administration line that the "scientific uncertainty" was too great
to act upon, the discussions during the 29 November hearing hint that
the case might be decided on the technical grounds of standing —
Massachusetts could sue the agency only if the harm suffered will be
redressed if the EPA does act. The problem is that climate change is
such a large and global problem that the emissions in question — from
the tailpipes of US vehicles — may not make a huge difference by
themselves. Massachusetts will probably still lose a considerable
chunk of coastline.
Beneath the issue of standing, there seems to be a schism of
opinion on more ideological grounds, with the more conservative
judges looking likely to support the EPA, and the more liberal judges
lining up with the Massachusetts group. With four justices on each
side, Justice Anthony Kennedy, a noted moderate, may have the casting
vote.
But many observers say that the decision itself will be less
important than the buzz around the case. "I think no matter which way
it breaks, it will put more pressure on Congress," says Andrew Aulisi
of the World Resources Institute, an environmental think-tank in
Washington DC. If the Supreme Court sides with the EPA, he says,
"everybody is going to throw up their hands and say that the
judiciary isn't doing anything and Congress needs to step in".
When the Democrats take control of Congress in January, the
prediction for the first months is a steady diet of hearings, with
bills taking a little longer. No one is quite sure if the votes are
there for a tough bill on climate change. "What the elections did, to
a large extent, was replace Republican moderates with Democratic
moderates," says Manik Roy, director of congressional affairs at the
Pew Center on Global Climate Change. "You don't have many more votes.
What has changed is who controls the agenda."
Senator Barbara Boxer (Democrat, California), who will head the
Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, has promised lots
of talk and action on climate change, and on 15 November sent a
letter with two other heads of related committees to President Bush,
asking for a commitment to "pass meaningful climate change
legislation in 2007". Republican Senator (and probable presidential
candidate) from Arizona, John McCain, will also undoubtedly
reintroduce the McCain–Lieberman Climate Change Act, a cap-and-trade
bill, for its third outing.
Frank Maisano, a spokesman for Bracewell & Giuliani, a law firm
representing oil and gas industries, cautions that advocates for
climate-change regulation have been overtaken by unrealistic
exuberance. The complexity of the issue will push substantive action
way past the verdict, he says. "It is not something that is going to
be slam-dunked in 12 months."
But even if the rounds of hearings seem to produce nothing but
hot air, Roy points out that they will at least educate members of
Congress, where, for example, Senator James Inhofe (Republican,
Oklahoma) has been holding forth on his view of climate change as
some sort of conspiracy theory. "I would not in any way consider it a
delay tactic if Congress spends a year holding hearings on this
issue," Roy says.
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(NEWS 3) NASA Research Reveals Climate Warming Reduces Ocean Food Supply
NASA Press Release 06-364 WASHINGTON - In a NASA study,
scientists have concluded that when Earth's climate warms, there is a
reduction in the ocean's primary food supply. This poses a potential
threat to fisheries and ecosystems.
By comparing nearly a decade of global ocean satellite data with
several records of Earth's changing climate, scientists found that
whenever climate temperatures warmed, marine plant life in the form
of microscopic phytoplankton declined. Whenever climate temperatures
cooled, marine plant life became more vigorous or productive. The
findings will appear in the journal Nature on Dec. 7.
The results provide a preview of what could happen to ocean
biology in the future if Earth's climate warms as the result of
increasing levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
"The evidence is pretty clear that the Earth's climate is
changing dramatically, and in this NASA research we see a specific
consequence of that change," said oceanographer and study co-author
Gene Carl Feldman of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt.
Md. "It is only by understanding how climate and life on Earth are
linked that we can realistically hope to predict how the Earth will
be able to support life in the future."
Phytoplankton are microscopic plants living in the upper sunlit
layer of the ocean. They are responsible for approximately the same
amount of photosynthesis each year as all land plants combined.
Changes in phytoplankton growth and photosynthesis influence fishery
yields, marine bird populations and the amount of carbon dioxide the
oceans remove from the atmosphere.
"Rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere play a big
part in global warming," said lead author Michael Behrenfeld of
Oregon State University, Corvallis. "This study shows that as the
climate warms, phytoplankton growth rates go down and along with them
the amount of carbon dioxide these ocean plants consume. That allows
carbon dioxide to accumulate more rapidly in the atmosphere, which
would produce more warming."
The findings are from a NASA-funded analysis of data from the Sea-
viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) instrument on the
OrbView-2 spacecraft, launched in 1997. SeaWiFS is jointly operated
by GeoEYE, Dulles, Va. and NASA.
The uninterrupted nine-year record shows in great detail the ups
and downs of marine biological activity or productivity from month to
month and year to year. Captured at the start of this data record was
a major, rapid rebound in ocean biological activity after a major El
Nino event. El Nino and La Nina are major warming or cooling events,
respectively, that occur approximately every 3-7 years in the eastern
Pacific Ocean and are known to change weather patterns around the world.
Scientists made their discovery by comparing the SeaWiFS record
of the rise and fall of global ocean plant life to different measures
of recent global climate change. The climate records included several
factors that directly effect ocean conditions, such as changes in sea
surface temperature and surface winds. The results support computer
model predictions of what could happen to the world's oceans as the
result of prolonged future climate warming.
"When we compared changes in phytoplankton activity with
simultaneous changes in climate conditions, the agreement between the
two records was simply astonishing," Behrenfeld said.
Ocean plant growth increased from 1997 to 1999 as the climate
cooled during one of the strongest El Nino to La Nina transitions on
record. Since 1999, the climate has been in a period of warming that
has seen the health of ocean plants diminish.
The new study also explains why a change in climate produces this
effect on ocean plant life. When the climate warms, the temperature
of the upper ocean also increases, making it "lighter" than the
denser cold water beneath it. This results in a layering or
"stratification" of ocean waters that creates an effective barrier
between the surface layer and the nutrients below, cutting off
phytoplankton's food supply. The scientists confirmed this effect by
comparing records of ocean surface water density with the SeaWiFS
biological data.
For information about NASA and agency programs on the Internet,
visit: http://www.nasa.gov
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Summer Programs, Courses, Internships, Meetings, Opportunities
(MEETING 1) ICES/PICES Conference for Early Career Scientists: New
Frontiers in Marine Science - June 26–29, 2007- Conference Center at
the Maritime Institute - Baltimore, Maryland, (USA)
http://www.pices.int/newfrontiers.aspx
Abstract submission deadline: January 15, 2007
Background and objectives: To encourage greater involvement of
young scientists in international scientific investigations and to
foster their involvement in the management of the marine environment,
the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) and
the North Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES) are
cosponsoring a conference for Early Career Scientists in Baltimore,
U.S.A. in June 2007. The conference will provide an opportunity for
marine scientists who are at the beginning of their careers to meet
colleagues from around the globe who share similar interests in
marine science. The goal of this conference is to foster the
development of contacts, collaborations, and associations among early
career scientists that will persist for decades, and to establish
personal and institutional networks that will help to advance our
understanding of the marine environment.
Scientific themes and sessions: The scientific theme “New
Frontiers in Marine Science” was chosen to encourage contributions
that explore processes at oceanic extremes, apply innovative
approaches and cutting-edge technologies, develop new ideas, or
tackle current or upcoming global or regional environmental issues.
Contributions should address one of the following six session topics:
* Biodiversity and productivity of marine organisms from pole to
pole
* Processes at ocean margins
* The last frontier: processes in the deep sea
* The role of behavior in marine biological processes
* The effect of climate on basin-scale processes and ecosystems
* Humans and the marine environment
Detailed session descriptions can be found on the conference
website. Papers on other, related topics may also be considered.
Participation: All early career marine scientists who can
contribute to the conference topics are encouraged to apply
(Application and abstract submission deadline: January 15, 2007).
Application procedures are described on the conference web site.
Approximately 100 early career scientists will be invited based on
criteria established by the SSC. There is no explicit age limit, but
the conference is intended to attract individuals with research
experience ranging from advanced stages of a Ph.D. program up to
postdoctoral researchers (with priority given to those with no more
than 5 years since obtaining a Ph.D.). There is no registration fee
and most participants should be prepared to pay only for the cost of
travel to/from Baltimore. Additional travel support may be available
on a limited basis.
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(MEETING 2) European Geosciences Union - 15-20 April 2007- Vienna
(Austria)
http://meetings.copernicus.org/egu2007/
European Geosciences Union (EGU) will hold its Third General Assembly
from 15-20 April 2007 in Vienna, Austria. We invite you to
participate in the session NH8.04/BG1.04 Spatial and temporal
patterns of wildfires: models, theory, and reality (co-organized by
BG & NH).
Session: NH8.04/BG1.04 Spatial and temporal patterns of
wildfires: models, theory, and reality (co-organized by the
Biogeosciences & Natural Hazards divisions).
Conveners: Donald McKenzie (Pacific Wildland Fire Sciences Lab;
US Forest Service; 400 N 34th St #201; 98103 Seattle, USA; E-mail:
donaldmckenzie at fs.fed.usBruce) and D. Malamud (Hazards,
Vulnerability and Risk Research Unit; Department of Geography; Kings
College London; Strand; WC2R 2LS London; UK; E-mail:
bruce.malamud at kcl.ac.uk)
Session description: Wildfires are the result of a large variety
and number of interacting components, producing patterns that vary
significantly both spatially and temporally. This session will
examine models, theory, and empirical studies in wildfire research.
We encourage submissions in any one or combination of these three
main areas, and envision bringing together wildfire hazard managers,
applied researchers, and theoreticians. Posters are also very much
encouraged, as we plan to have both lively oral and poster sessions.
ABSTRACT DEADLINE: 15 January 2007 (8 December 2006 for financial
applications) Please note that the deadline for pre-registration is
31 March 2007. We look forward to seeing you in Vienna. Please
forward this message also to your colleagues.
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Jobs
Planktonnet: Great listserv for aquatic-science jobs
To subscribe to the list, send an empty email to:
planktonnet-subscribe at yahoogroups.com
Or, visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/planktonnet/ and click on
'Join this group'
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(JOBS 1) Postdoctoral Scholars - all major areas – Scripps
Institution of Oceanography - University of California, San Diego
(UCSD) - La Jolla, CA (USA)
http://scripps.ucsd.edu/
The Scripps Institution of Oceanography invites applications for
several Institution-wide Post-Graduate Researcher (Postdoctoral
Scholar) positions in all major areas of research conducted at
Scripps, including physical, chemical and biological oceanography,
marine geology, geochemistry and geophysics, marine chemistry, marine
biology, marine biomedicine and ocean engineering. Specific areas of
research might include, but are not limited to, global climate
change, atmospheric chemistry, paleoclimate, large-scale ocean
circulation, coastal oceanography and mixing, air/sea interactions,
marine biodiversity, marine microbiology, marine genomics,
earthquakes, geomagnetism, geodynamics and planetary physics. A list
of Principal Investigators at Scripps may be found at http://
scripps.ucsd.edu/research/researchers.cfm.
Candidates should have a Ph.D. or should expect to complete their
degree requirements by March, 2007. Current and former Scripps Post-
Graduate Researchers are not eligible for these awards. Awards are
competitive with a major emphasis on potential for independent,
creative research. The positions are for one year, with renewal for a
second year by mutual agreement, and include a minimum annual salary
of $45,000, based on the University of California pay scale, plus
benefits. Review of applications will begin on January 3, 2007.
Applicants should fill out an online application form and upload a
CV, a one-page summary of the doctoral thesis, and a statement of
research interests (three page maximum) including potential PIs of
interest at https://www.sio.ucsd.edu/sec/apply/. Applicants should
also have two confidential letters of reference e-mailed to Marcelle
Hawkins at mjhawkins at ucsd.edu.
Written correspondence can be sent to: Chair, Scripps
Institutional Postdoctoral Awards Committee c/o Marcelle Hawkins,
Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San
Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC0208 La Jolla, CA 92093-0208
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(JOB 2) Executive Director, International Ocean Biogeographic
Information System - based at Rutgers - State University of New
Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ (USA)
http://iobis.org/news_items
The web-based, international Ocean Biogeographic Information
System (OBIS), http://iobis.org, seeks an Executive Director to
assume CEO responsibilities. OBIS is the global portal for data on
the distribution of all marine species, with regional nodes in a
dozen countries. The applicant must be highly organised, with
excellent communication (speaking, writing, and editorial) and
coordination skills. Proven ability to coordinate or manage complex
multi-partner projects and fluency in English is essential.
Requirements include, experience of ecology, oceanography,
biogeography, and/or taxonomy, several years research, education and/
or management experience, a Ph.D. or M.Sc., and awareness of web-
based information systems. See further details for applicants at
http://iobis.org/news_items, including contacts and deadlines.
********************
(JOB 3) Manager Climate Change Program - SGS North America - San
Francisco, CA (USA)
http://www.sgs.com/job_description.htm?
viewid=723&reference=10036230&checkSum=E4F2183AE2848ACDC1535DF01E4ADF69
SGS is seeking to recruit a dynamic and enthusiastic individual
to assist in the growth of its Climate Change verification program in
North America.
You will work closely with the regional and global management
team at a strategic level and will also undertake the detail driven
project management and auditing of new and existing clients.
You must have a degree or higher degree in engineering, natural
resource management or other appropriate discipline. Auditing/
consulting experience of Environmental Management Systems and/or
financial auditing is required.
You are self motivated and capable of effectively managing time
over a wide variety of activities.
You will join a global team in a highly dynamic market. The SGS
Climate Change Programme offers a range of services for mandatory and
voluntary reporting of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions: We are
accredited in the California Climate Action Registry, the Chicago
Climate Exchange, The EU Emission Trading Scheme (ETS), Joint
Implementation (JI) and the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).
Please send your resume to: Steve Johnson, Human Resource
Director, SGS North America steve.johnson at sgs.com
********************
(JOB 4) Faculty Position – Interdisciplinary Scientist - The Scripps
Institution of Oceanography (SIO) - University of California in San
Diego (USA)
http://sio.ucsd.edu/
The Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) at the University
of California in San Diego invites applications to fill one or more
positions at the Assistant, Associate (tenured) or Full Professor
(tenured) levels in fields related to the physical, chemical or
biological basis of natural and anthropogenic climate change. We seek
an interdisciplinary scientist and educator to establish a vigorous
research program and to provide intellectual leadership in climate
related issues to the broader Scripps community of scientists.
The successful candidate will be expected to teach graduate level
courses, both in the general area of climate sciences as well as in
specialized areas of research, and will be encouraged to participate
in undergraduate teaching at UCSD. The position requires a PhD degree
and a competitive record of publication consistent with opportunity,
as well as evidence of the ability to conduct and fund an active
research program and, for more senior candidates, of the ability to
mentor graduate students and junior colleagues.
Review of applications will begin December 21, 2006 and will
continue until positions are filled. Applicants should send a letter
including descriptions of their teaching experience, research
interests, a list of publications, and the names of at least five
potential referees to: Chair, Climate Sciences Search Committee,
Department of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of
California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla CA 92093-0208 USA.
********************
(JOB 5) Post-Doc - Pyrogenic Aerosol Emission Modelling within the
"European Integrated Project on Aerosol-Cloud-Climate and Air Quality
Interactions" (EUCAARI) - Biogeochemistry Department - Max Planck
Institute for Chemistry – Mainz (Germany)
Project Task: Size-resolved particle emissions of pyrogenic
aerosols A state-of-the-art dynamic emissions model for pyrogenic
aerosols will be developed for use in regional and global models.
This work will start with an integration and synthesis of the
available data from field studies and lab experiments on the
formation of aerosols during open vegetation burning and biofuel use.
This information will then be used to drive local emission models
that take into account the different emissions characteristics of the
various combustion phases, and the spatio-temporal distribution of
these emissions within a fire event. Regional upscaling will involve
consideration of land cover/fuel types, fire weather, and fire
management. Application of remote sensing information will then allow
both the development of emission climatologies using historical
satellite data, and chemical weather forecasting.
EUCAARI is a highly interdisciplinary and international project
involving over 40 major atmospheric research institutions across
Europe as well as partners from around the world (coordinator: M.
Kulmala, Helsinki). It addresses aerosol properties, interactions,
and effects relevant for climate and public health, and it comprises
laboratory experiments, ground-based and airborne field measurements,
remote sensing, and environmental modelling activities.
Contact: Dr. Ulrich Pöschl and Prof. Meinrat O. Andreae, Max
Planck Institute for Chemistry, Biogeochemistry Department, J.J.-
Becherweg 27/29, D-55128 Mainz, Germany, Tel: +49-6131-305-422, Fax:
+49-6131-305-487 Email: poeschl at mpch-mainz.mpg.de Web: www.mpch-
mainz.mpg.de/~poeschl
********************
(JOB 6) Post-Doc - Ocean, Atmosphere and Climate dynamics -
Department of Geology and Geophysics - Yale University, New Haven, CT
(USA)
http://www.geology.yale.edu, http://earth.geology.yale.edu/~avf5/
A new postdoctoral position in Ocean, Atmosphere and Climate
dynamics is available at Yale University, Department of Geology and
Geophysics
Particular fields of research include tropical ocean-atmosphere
interactions, ENSO modeling, decadal climate variability, oceanic
circulation and the role of ocean in climate, physical oceanography,
paleoclimate and climate change. The work will involve a combination
of numerical modeling, analyses of proxy, observational and/or GCM
data, and analytical approaches. Collaboration with scientists of
GFDL, in Princeton NJ, is expected. A Ph.D. in physical oceanography,
atmospheric sciences or related disciplines is required. Familiarity
with oceanic and/or atmospheric general circulation models is a big
plus. Funding is currently available for two years but may be
extended in future. The review of applications will begin immediately
and will continue until the position is filled. To apply email your
CV, a brief statement of interest, names of three referees and one
reprint to: alexey.fedorov at yale.edu (preferable) or send it to this
address: Professor Alexey Fedorov, ATTN: Postdoctoral search,
Department of Geology and Geophysics, Yale University, KGL, P.O. Box
208109, New Haven, CT 06520
********************
(JOB 7) Asst. Prof. tenure-track - Applied Climatologist -
Meteorology Dept. – Florida State University – Tallahassee, FL (USA)
The Meteorology Department at the Florida State University (FSU)
plans to hire an Applied Climatologist as a tenure earning Assistant
Professor in Meteorology. The successful candidate will be
associated with the FSU Center for Ocean-Atmospheric Prediction
Studies (COAPS, http://www.coaps.fsu.edu) and the Department of
Meteorology (http://www.met.fsu.edu). COAPS is a member of the
Southeast Climate Consortium (SECC; http://secc.coaps.fsu.edu)
composed of research scientists from the University of Miami,
University of Florida, University of Georgia, Auburn University, and
University of Alabama at Huntsville. Research focus is on the impact
of climate variability in Alabama, Georgia, and Florida for
Agriculture, Forestry and Hydrology. SECC also has a NOAA Regional
Integrated Sciences and Assessments (RISA) program for the Southeast.
The successful candidate will be expected to collaborate with
SECC scientists and as well as to perform applied research in other
regions and in other climate variability influenced applied sectors.
Inquiries about the position may be addressed to the director of
COAPS, Dr. Eric Chassignet, at echassignet at coaps.fsu.edu.
Salary and start-up costs are nationally competitive.
Please send by February 1st, 2007, a comprehensive C.V., a
statement of research interest, and the names and addresses of at
least three scientific references by email to mslaton at coaps.fsu.edu
or snail mail to: Ms. Slaton, Florida State University, COAPS,
Tallahassee, FL 32306-2840.
********************
(JOB 8) Asst. Prof. tenure-track - Earth Systems Ecology - Penn State
University, University Park, PA (USA)
We are interested in candidates whose research seeks to elucidate
the interactions among organisms, ecosystems and earth processes and
who will strengthen ties between the life and earth sciences and
catalyze interdisciplinary research at Penn State. Exemplary
candidates at a higher rank will be considered.
The successful candidate will have strengths in ecology and earth
processes. This could include study of interactions between
ecosystems and climate, humans and the environment, land cover and
biogeochemical cycling, landscape ecology, paleoecology, and regional
or global ecology. The primary appointment of the Earth Systems
Ecologist will be in one of the Departments of Geography,
Meteorology, or Geosciences in the College of Earth and Mineral
Sciences. The college is committed to fostering interdisciplinary
research and education, and to a broad search for outstanding
candidates. Excellence in teaching, research, and service is
expected, as is the development of an extramurally funded research
program. Position provides exceptional opportunities for candidates
to participate in interdisciplinary research and teaching programs in
the Interdepartmental Graduate Program in Ecology and the Earth and
Environmental Systems Institute.
Applicants should submit: 1) a letter describing their research
and teaching plans and how these would contribute to education and
research on ecosystems as part of the earth system, and to the
integration of the ecological and earth sciences; 2) a complete
curriculum vitae; 3) up to three reprints; and 4) names and addresses
(including e-mail and fax) of four referees.
Review of applications will begin February 1, 2007 but
applications will be accepted until the position is filled. This
position is co-funded by Penn State's Institutes of the Environment.
Apply: Dr. Alan H. Taylor, Chair, Search Committee, Department of
Geography, 302 Walker Building, University Park, PA 16802 Phone:
(814) 865-3433; Fax: (814) 863-7943; E-mail: aht1 at psu.edu.
********************
(Job 9) Post-Doc - Modeller - Univ Catholique de Louvain (Belgium)
www.astr.ucl.ac.be
The Institut d'Astronomie et de Géophysique Georges Lemaître
(www.astr.ucl.ac.be) of the Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL),
Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium invites applications for a postdoctoral
research position.
The successful candidate is expected to optimize the new version
of the Louvain-la-Neuve sea-ice model (LIM) using data assimilation
techniques. This work will be done in close collaboration with the
Centre for Systems Engineering and Applied Mechanics of UCL within
the research project "Second-generation model of the ice-ocean
system" (SLIM; www.astr.ucl.ac.be/SLIM).
The position is for 2 years and is available immediately.
Applicants should have a recent Ph.D. in meteorology, oceanography,
marine glaciology or a related discipline. A strong working knowledge
of assimilation techniques, especially Kalman filters, is absolutely
required.
Applications, including a detailed curriculum vitae, a letter
describing relevant experience and research interests, reprints of
the most representative publications, and the names and addresses of
two academic referees, should be sent as soon as possible to: Prof.
Thierry Fichefet, Université Catholique de Louvain, Institut
d'Astronomie et de Géophysique Georges Lemaître, 2, Chemin du
Cyclotron, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve
Belgium For further information, contact Prof. Thiery Fichefet
(phone: +32-10-473295; e-mail: fichefet at astr.ucl.ac.be).
**************************************************
This newsletter has been developed by C. Susan Weiler to distribute
information of potential interest to recent PhDs engaged in
interdisciplinary aquatic science or climate-change research, and to
build an international sense of community among recent grads. It
provides an international forum for the exchange of information and
opinions regarding research, professional and social issues. The
views and opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the
funding agencies or sponsoring societies. Dr. Weiler reserves the
right to edit or reject material submitted to the list.
Please submit announcements of interest to recent PhDs to
phd at whitman.edu. Send a short message in the body of an e-mail
message, and link to any appropriate websites. Do not send attachments.
Moving? Send address changes to dialog at whitman.edu or
disccrs at whitman.edu
**********
C. Susan Weiler, Ph.D.
Office for Earth System Studies Tel: 509-527-5948
Whitman College Fax: 509-527-5961
Walla Walla, WA 99362
weiler at whitman.edu
Programs for Recent PhDs http://aslo.org/phd.html
DISCCRS poster http://www.aslo.org/phd/disccrsposter.pdf
Workshop Report, Meeting the Needs of
Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Graduates in a
Changing Global Environment
http://marcus.whitman.edu/~weilercs/biocomplexity/
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