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Research: Regional atmospheric modeling from
paleoclimates to modern climates
The research focus in this project will be on regional, high-resolution
climate modeling. The objective will be to extend approaches for the
most recent decades (e.g., WRF model driven with reanalysis data) to the
paleoclimate perspective. By bridging between both time scales,
atmospheric model improvement on the one side, and a better
interpretation of climate proxies on the other (e.g., tree rings, marine
organisms, soils), should be the major motivation. Also, implementation
of specific atmospheric processes into the models through recent AI
algorithms will be explored in the model development space.
Teaching: The candidate will be responsible for
teaching atmosphere-based courses like climate data analysis, the
atmosphere in a paleoclimate context, and climate modeling. Classic
seminars on atmospheric science topics are also possible.
Contact: Thomas Mölg (thomas.moelg@fau.de)
Click here for further details about this project.
This position is based at the University of Bayreuth (UBT).
Research: Quantifying climate-driven extinction
risk in plants across time and space
This project aims to understand climate-driven plant extinctions in the
fossil record. We seek to identify the mechanisms shaping extinction
risk across space and time, focusing on range dynamics, environmental
change, and the temporal structure of climatic stressors. By integrating
fossil plant occurrences with trait data and paleoenvironmental
reconstructions, the project will quantify how functional traits,
spatial distributions, and rates of climatic change interact to shape
extinction selectivity through time. We will develop a rigorous
quantitative framework linking spatiotemporal fossil patterns to
trait-based and environmental predictors while explicitly addressing
dating uncertainty, taxonomic harmonization, and heterogeneous sampling.
The position will be based within a vibrant, internationally visible
research environment of the BayCEER at the University of Bayreuth,
closely connected to cutting-edge research in biogeography and ecosystem
modeling, and collaborate with researchers from University of Erlangen.
We seek an ambitious quantitative paleontologist, or an ecologist ready
to work with fossils, to advance integrative, high-impact research at
the ecology-paleontology interface.
Teaching: The candidate will contribute to teaching in
paleobiology and deep-time ecology and to developing a module on
Ecological Niche Modeling tailored to paleontological applications.
Depending on expertise and interests, the candidate is also expected to
support instruction in statistics, programming, and foundational
ecology. The teaching load is up to 5 SWS (Semesterwochenstunden),
corresponding to approximately 3-4 contact hours per week during the
semester. Contributions to broader program activities, such as
curriculum development, student mentoring, and collaborative teaching
initiatives, are encouraged and will be aligned with career stage. The
candidate will be based in Bayreuth, but must be willing to travel to
Erlangen on a regular basis.
Contact: Lisa Hülsmann (lisa.huelsmann@uni-bayreuth.de) and Manuel Steinbauer
(manuel.steinbauer@uni-bayreuth.de).
Click here for further details about this project.
Research: Quantification of the geochemical flux
exchange between crust and oceans in island arc settings
This project will develop an integrated framework to quantify elemental
fluxes associated with seawater interaction in heterogeneous oceanic
crust at submarine island arcs. Chemical exchange during mineral
dissolution and secondary phase formation exerts a key control on ocean
chemistry, yet most existing studies focus on mafic crust, despite the
compositional variability from felsic to mafic rocks in arc settings.
These environments commonly host hydrothermal systems driven by shallow
magmatic activity, which further modify crustal composition and fluid
chemistry. We will investigate fluxes of major elements abundant in
felsic rocks and seawater, including Si, Mg, Ca, C, and S, by combining
elemental concentrations and stable isotope data from altered and
unaltered rocks with reaction path and transport modelling. This
approach will enable quantification of elemental sources, sinks, and
pathways within the ocean-crust system.
Teaching: The candidate will be responsible for
supporting training in geochemistry, geochemical modelling, and
laboratory and field courses, as well as contributing to the development
of a new module in fluid transport modelling techniques.
Contact: Barbara Kleine-Marshall (barbara.kleine-marshall@fau.de).
Click here for further details about this project.
Research: Investigating changes in Alpine
hydrology and their impact on Earth System spheres using a distributed,
physically-based hydrological modelling approach
This project aims to develop novel modelling approaches that integrate
hydrological shifts observed in the Alpine hydrosphere with changes in
the atmosphere, cryosphere, geosphere, and biosphere. Building upon
results from the SEHAG research unit (https://sehag.ku.de/en/welcome/), we will investigate
evidence of the coupled and intertwined responses of Alpine geosystems
to climate change. Since the uncertainties inherent in cascaded
modelling pose significant challenges for interdisciplinary integration,
we will apply advanced model reduction techniques and surrogate models
to accelerate Bayesian parameter inference, enabling the identification
of key transitions within Earth systems, specifically focusing on Alpine
catchments.
Teaching: The candidate will be responsible for
supporting training in hydrological and hydrogeological modelling, water
quality, and the development of a new module in Soil Science focusing on
the critical zone.
Contact: Gabriele Chiogna (gabriele.chiogna@fau.de).
Click here for further details about this project.
Research: Integrating life and Earth system data
through Bayesian phylogenetics
This project will develop approaches to combining evidence across life
and Earth systems using statistical phylogenetics as a framework.
Evidence of long-term evolutionary processes can come from molecular
sequence data, morphology, or fossil occurrences. Meanwhile, evidence of
other Earth system processes can come from paleoclimate reconstructions
or geochemical proxies. The uncertainties associated with divergent data
sources are complex and pose challenges for their integration. We will
apply new Bayesian phylodynamic models and explore strategies for
propagating uncertainties across spheres, with a view to identifying key
transitions in Earth systems through empirical case studies.
Teaching: The candidate will be responsible for
supporting training in statistics, programming, and the development of a
new module in Earth Systems Data Science, together with the Department
of Data Science at FAU.
Contact: Rachel Warnock (rachel.warnock@fau.de).
Click here for further details about this project.
Research: Training the next generation of Earth
system scientists for global collaboration
This project will develop a research agenda that conceptualizes science
diplomacy as a core competency of Earth system science. The project
should investigate how scientific knowledge related to different Earth
system spheres circulates across national, institutional, and cultural
boundaries and how international cooperation shapes responses to global
environmental challenges and is shaped by them. Particular attention
should be given to Africa–Europe collaborations, including
questions of equitable partnership, capacity strengthening, data access,
and co-production of knowledge in areas such as climate adaptation,
environmental monitoring, land-use change, animal tracking, or
transboundary resource management. The aim is to explore how scientific
collaboration can address geopolitical tensions and build trust across
both national and disciplinary borders.
Teaching: The candidate will be responsible for
supporting training in science diplomacy, science communication and
Science and Technology Studies and the development of the Science
Diplomacy Lab located at the Chair of Science, Technology and Gender
Studies at FAU. The Science Diplomacy Lab is an initiative in the making
that aims to serve as a platform for training, research, and
international engagement, linking Earth system science with diplomacy,
policy processes, and equitable global partnerships.
Contact: Contact: Maria Rentetzi (maria.rentetzi@fau.de).
Click here for further details about this project.
Role description: We are seeking a Program
Coordinator to lead administrative and student support aspects of the
MSc program. The applicant will be responsible for managing the project
budget, supporting the student admissions process, and providing
students with administrative support. This position is 50% E13.
Contact: Rachel Warnock (rachel.warnock@fau.de, program speaker) and Barbara
Kleine-Marshall (barbara.kleine-marshall@fau.de, program
co-speaker).
Click here for further details about this position.
For your application, please send a single PDF to es-master@fau.de. The subject of the email should refer to the individual project/position you are applying to.
For post docs, the PDF should comprise:
For the program coordinator, the PDF should comprise:
Deadline for applications: 09.04.26. Interviews will take place soon after this via Zoom.
We welcome applications from people regardless of their gender, nationality, ethnic or social background, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, and other identities. Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU) is actively seeking to increase the representation of women in research and teaching and therefore strongly encourages women to apply for these positions.
For general enquiries contact es-master@fau.de.