Job Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences - Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Predictability of Extreme weather events-1,0 fte

Title: Predictability of Extremes in Dynamical Systems Models for the Midlatitude Atmospheric Circulation.

The fellow will be supervised by Professor Henk Broer (Groningen) and Doctor Mark Holland (Exeter). Activities will include developing and applying statistical methods to quantify the predictability of extremes in low dimensional dynamical models (like the Henon maps and the Lorenz system). Close collaboration is expected with the Dublin and Exeter teams, as well as with members of three National Weather Services (UK MetOffice, Dutch KNMI and Irish Met Eireann) supported by a programme of international visits and seminars. The post is based in Johann Bernoulli Institute for Mathematics and Computer Science at Groningen University, in particular the Research Programme Dynamical Systems and Mathematical Physics. Ample experience exists in the theory of Dynamical Systems and in applications on Climate Variability.

We wish to recruit an enthusiastic mathematician/scientist to engage in the PREDEX project supported by the Complexity-NET European network.

Applicants must hold a PhD, or have equivalent research experience, in a mathematical or physical science discipline (e.g. dynamical systems, atmospheric physics, applied statistics, numerical modelling).
Experience in numerical and/or statistical programming (e.g. Fortran, C, R) is essential. Some knowledge of dynamical meteorology and/or climate science would be advantageous. Successful candidates will have demonstrated a potential to carry out creative and independent research, and to publish in the peer-reviewed literature.

The starting gross salary will be between € 2,379 and € 3,755 monthly (scale 10) depending on knowledge, skills and experience.

This full-time post is available from 1 January 2011 on a fixed term basis until 31 December 2012.

PREDEX (PREDictability of EXtreme weather events) aims to develop and apply new methods for quantifying the predictability of extreme events in complex systems, adopting an interdisciplinary combination of ideas from dynamical systems, statistics, meteorology and atmospheric physics.

PREDEX involves collaboration between three research groups:
- the Exeter Climate Systems research centre at University of Exeter (UK)
- the Meteorology & Climate Center at University College Dublin (IE)
- the Dynamical Systems Group at University of Groningen (NL).

Prof H.W. Broer (for informal enquiries)
h.w.broer@rug.nl
Complexity-NET European network