Postdoctoral Researcher – Solar Geoengineering

2 April 2024 - 31 May 2024

The postdoctoral fellow will participate in the Co-CREATE (Conditions for Responsible Research of SRM – Analysis, Co-Creation, and Ethos) EU-funded project on the governance of research into solar geoengineering, and will work in particular on the scientific and technical definition of potential field tests.

The postdoc position is funded at the Institut Pierre Simon Laplace (Paris) by the recently selected Horizon Europe project Co-CREATE. Co-CREATE will provide a framework for governance of potential future solar geoengineering outdoor experiments. The project is very interdisciplinary, covering both atmospheric and social science aspects of such experiments. The project provides an interdisciplinary platform for analysing all aspects of the hypothetical field experiments and their governance, a synthesis of which will be produced during workshops and a final conference bringing all the fields together. The project focus is on chosen case studies that will be explored in detail. Note that the project does not propose field experiments, but discusses the necessary governance framework should such experiments take place.

The tasks the postdoctoral fellow is expected to perform include:

• Preparing and writing a structured review on the current scientific and technical knowledge related to Solar Radiation Management (SRM) experiments that identifies key physical science parameters necessary for defining and monitoring experimental conditions in SRM field research
• Conducting research on technical parameters of experimental SRM field research and defining, where possible, quantitative, order-of-magnitude estimates and uncertainties for key parameters in particular experiment cases; presenting their work in articles, meetings, and international conferences and workshops; participating in dissemination activities.

The ideal candidate would have experience in climate/SRM modeling and also on observations/field measurements of clouds and aerosols as knowledge on these will be needed for discussing the monitoring of the field tests. Understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of the SRM discussion is of course an asset, but formal experience on social sciences etc. is not required.

Skills Required

PhD in atmospheric or environmental sciences, or a closely related field. Experience in field measurement campaigns and remote sensing would be an advantage. The ideal candidate would have experience in solar geoengineering research. Understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of the SRM discussion is of course an asset, but formal experience on social sciences and humanities is not required. Excellent written and oral communication skills in English are required, and French skills are an asset. Ability to analyse and interpret scientific literature and results and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a research team are essential. Commitment to high quality research and research integrity and ethics is fundamental.