College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences
Marie Sklodowska Curie ITN: Early Stage Researcher: Multiscale variability of coupled systems
CriticalEarth: Multiscale Critical Transitions in the Earth System
The post
The College of Engineering, Mathematics & Physical Sciences wishes to recruit a Graduate Research Assistant Early Stage Researcher to support the work of Professor Peter Ashwin at our Exeter campus. This 3 year EU Horizon 2020 Marie Sklodowska Curie Innovative Training Network funded post is available starting September 2021 (earlier by negotiation) for three years.. The post includes a PhD programme within the College.
The successful applicant will work on a project entitled “Multiscale variability of coupled systems” as part of the Marie Curie ITN project called CriticalEarth: Multiscale Critical Transitions in the Earth System (Grant Agreement No 956170).
The post will undertake mathematical research to classify bifurcations of relaxation attractors in multiscale systems.
It is well established from climate records that variability is present over a wide range of timescales, and that there are many mechanistic processes that contribute to this variability. For example, the Atlantic Multidecadal Variability (AMV) is a pattern of internal climate variability that generates fluctuations of heat transport in the north Atlantic over timescales of 10-100 years, driven by interactions between convection and stratification [Francombe et al (2010) J Climate 23:3626]. Over longer timescales this may interact with changes in large-scale flow patterns such as the AMOC which is believed to be in a regime of bistability, and/or sea-ice behaviour. An important question is whether these modes of variability can be independently predictively modelled or whether their interaction is dynamically indecomposable. This relates to the nature of the coupling, the timescale separation between these subsystems and the timescale of interest. What happens when the timescales start to overlap relates to the rate-dependent tipping but this will take a more general approach. This theoretical project aims to develop novel methods to understand multiple timescale conceptual models, where multiple processes operate at different timescales; these may or may not have multistability. These methods will be tested on coupled models of climate processes.
Your research will be supervised by Professor Peter Ashwin. As part of your role you will be expected to spend a period of 3 months on secondment to each of the University of Utrecht and the Free University of Berlin.
About you
The successful applicant will be able to present information on research progress and outcomes, communicate complex information, orally, in writing and electronically and prepare proposals and applications to external bodies.
Applicants will be educated to first or masters degree level or possess an equivalent qualification/experience in a related field of study or equivalent experience and be able to demonstrate sufficient knowledge in the discipline and of research methods and techniques to work within established research programmes. Applicants will be able to demonstrate the skills needed to undertake research in the mathematics of dynamical systems and application to Earth System modelling.
Applicants must be eligible to be appointed as an Early Stage Researcher in the UK under the EC Horizon 2020 Marie-Sklodowska Curie Action, Innovative Training Networks (ITN) Scheme. Therefore, at the time of recruitment, the candidate should;
Please ensure you read the Job Description and Person Specification for full details of this role by clicking on the attachment above.
The University of Exeter is a Russell Group university in the top 200 of universities worldwide. We combine world-class teaching with world-class research, and have achieved a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework Award 2017. We have over 22,000 students and 4600 staff from 180 different countries and have been rated the WhatUni2017 International Student Choice. Our research focuses on some of the most fundamental issues facing humankind today, with 98% of our research rated as being of international quality in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework. We encourage proactive engagement with industry, business and community partners to enhance the impact of research and education and improve the employability of our students.
What we can offer you
For further information please contact Professor Peter Ashwin, e-mail p.ashwin@ex.ac.uk or telephone (01392) 725225.
Salary will be on a spot salary in the range £27,511 up to £34,804 per annum on Grade E subject to knowledge, skills and experience. In addition, allowances are payable in line with the Marie Curie Horizon 2020 requirements for Early Stage Researchers as follows: a Marie Curie allowance of up to £2940 per annum and a mobility allowance of £5075 per annum. Salary and allowance will be paid in pounds sterling. The successful applicant will be enrolled on a PhD and will use the research undertaken as part of their studies.
The closing date for completed applications is 24th January 2021. Interviews are expected to take place by end February 2021.
