Postdoctoral Position in Trace Metal Biogeochemistry Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
A two year Postdoctoral Fellowship is available at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center to study the mercury biogeochemistry as part the METAALICUS project. The Mercury Experiment to Assess Atmospheric Loading in Canada and the United States (METAALICUS) project is a whole-watershed Hg loading experiment being conducted in Lake 658 at the Experimental Lakes Area (ELA) in northwestern Ontario. The METAALCUS team, a multidisciplinary team of researchers from the U.S. and Canada, designed the study to test the response of ecosystems to changing mercury deposition. The L658 watershed, labeled over the last 7 years with atmospherically-relevant loads of traceable, enriched stable Hg isotopes, provides a one-of-a-kind chance to study the fate of Hg in watersheds and aquatic ecosystems. The Postdoctoral Fellow will be expected to develop and lead a project on the complexation and bioavailability of Hg within the L658 ecosystem, with a focus on the interactions between mercury and dissolved organic matter. Broad opportunities exist to examine the biogeochemical controls on retention and transport in the L658 watershed, to study the bioavailability of Hg in the L658 system for methylation, and/or to study microbial mercury uptake mechanisms. A Ph.D. in biogeochemistry or a related field (e.g. Microbial Ecology, Environmental Chemistry) is required. Research experience in either 1) the biogeochemistry of DOC and/or trace metals or 2) the uptake of trace metals by microorganisms is required. Analytical and field experience is preferred. The available position is funded through a 3 year grant from the NSF to A. Heyes and C. Gilmour. Smithsonian Postdoctoral Fellows receive an annual stipend of $42,000 plus health benefits and limited relocation expenses. Start date is as soon as is possible, with the hope that the Fellow would be in place for the 2009 field season. This position will be based at SERC but will involve significant travel to the Experimental Lakes Area (ELA) during the field season. Please provide a CV and a statement of your research interests, including a brief statement of your potential research direction. For non-US citizens, please include citizenship, country of Permanent Residence, date and place of birth, type of Visa if currently in the U.S., and length of time on current visa. The Smithsonian Institution is an equal opportunity employer. Please email materials along with contact information for three references to: Dr. Cynthia Gilmour Smithsonian Environmental Research Center [email protected] and Dr. Andrew Heyes Chesapeake Biological Laboratory U. Maryland [email protected]
