We are seeking a Ph.D. level Graduate Research Assistant to statistically downscale climate change projections and to use these projections to simulate forest dynamics in our New England study region. This position will require expertise, or the potential to develop expertise, in R/Python, Bayesian statistics and running simulation models in a Linux-based high performance computing environment.
This position is part of a large interdisciplinary project at the University of Vermont that is supported by Vermont EPSCoR through a NSF Track 1 award, Basin Resilience to Extreme Events. This project is focused on understanding the linkages among the Lake Champlain Basins landscape, watershed and lake, and potential responses of this coupled natural and human system to climate change and extreme weather events. Some benefits to working on a large, interdisciplinary project like this include a community of faculty, GRAs and Postdocs working towards similar goals, dedicated administrative and technical support, and professional development activities This position requires an undergraduate or Masters degree in a quantitative, computational or ecological field, coursework in statistics, and facility with a programming language. The position is available June 2017, has an annual stipend of $27,000, health insurance, and a tuition scholarship. The grant guarantees full GRA support through May 31, 2021 and there is the potential for support beyond this date. The student will be primarily supervised by Prof. Brian Beckage, Ph.D., Department of Plant Biology, at the University of Vermont. Questions can be directed to Arne Bomblies ([email protected]). To apply: please send CV, names and contact information for three references, and a cover letter outlining research interests, expertise and availability to [email protected] and reference Position ID GRA#008.
