2003 NOAA Postdoctoral Program in Climate and Global Change
For more information on the NOAA
Postdoctoral Program visit:
http://www.vsp.ucar.edu
For more information on the NOAA
Climate and Global Change Program visit:
http://www.ogp.noaa.gov/
The deadline for applications is 15
January 2003
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The University Corporation for
Atmospheric Research (UCAR) announces the
continuation of the NOAA Postdoctoral
Program in Climate and Global
Change. UCAR manages this
NOAA-sponsored program, which pairs recently
graduated postdoctorates with host
scientists at U.S. institutions to
work in an area of mutual
interest. The objective of this program is to
help create the next generation of
researchers needed for climate
studies. It endeavors to attract
recent PhDs in sciences that address
studies of relevance to the NOAA
Climate and Global Change Program.
Refer to NOAA's Web site at:
http://www.ogp.noaa.gov
The NOAA Climate and Global Change
Program seeks to provide an effective
national climate service based on the
development and application of
global and regional climate forecast
information. The Program focuses
on observing, understanding, modeling,
and predicting the climate system
on seasonal-to-centennial time scales
and assessing the regionally
specific socioeconomic consequences of
climate variability. Specific
research foci include:
* Understanding and predicting both
changes in, and regional
manifestations of, large-scale patterns
of variability such as the El
Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the
North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO),
the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO),
and the monsoon systems of North
and South America.
* Observing and modeling ocean,
atmosphere, land and cryosphere in order
to characterize the coupled processes
that give rise to climate
variability.
* Determining the impacts of
radiatively important trace gases and
aerosols on global climate change,
including the modeling of the
biogeochemical processes that cycle
these constituents throughout the
earth system.
* Documenting and analyzing past
climate change in order to understand
the full range of natural variability
in the earth system, thus
resulting in more accurate climate
predictions.
* Improving our understanding of how
humans adapt to climate, which
includes the social and economic
responses to both current climate
variability and potential long-term
changes in climate, as well as the
potential use of climate information to
improve human welfare.
* Analyzing and modeling
hydrometeorological processes such as soil
moisture, rain, snow, vegetation,
frozen ground and runoff generation.
Applications are solicited from
qualified postdoctoral candidates.
Preference is given to those who have
held a PhD for no more than five
years. Awardees must change
institutions in the absence of compelling
circumstances. A clear indication of
the scientific areas to be pursued
and goals is particularly
important. A steering committee, broadly
representing the skills and interests
covered by this program, selects
the fellows and recommends appointments
with U.S. agencies and
institutions. The selection criteria
used by the steering committee in
making these awards may be found on the
internet at:
http://www.vsp.ucar.edu
Please refer to the selection criteria
for more details. The Web site
also includes a list of all present and
past appointees to this program.
Advanced contact with potential hosts
is encouraged. An applicant may
wish to suggest more than one host
institution, because the committee
takes an active role in distributing
fellowships among institutions. In
the case of specific laboratory needs,
a letter should accompany the
application from the specific institute
willing to provide the
resources. Interested host scientists
are required to submit letters of
intent (two-page limit) and vitaes to
help the committee in the
match-making process. They should be
from an institution other than the
candidate's PhD institution.
Hosts are expected to mentor the fellow,
provide a reasonable office environment,
a workstation and any other
unique research costs associated with
this fellowship.
How to apply:
There is no application form. Qualified
scientists are encouraged to
apply by sending the following
materials to the UCAR Visiting Scientist
Programs:
* A cover letter stating the name of
this program.
* Curriculum vitae with a list of
publications.
* Names and contact information of at
least four professional
references. Applicants are responsible
for contacting referees to have
letters sent to UCAR/VSP by the
application deadline. One letter must be
from thesis advisor, but not from a
potential host, and letters from
more than one institution are
encouraged. Referees should be directed to
online reference requirements located
at:
http://www.vsp.ucar.edu/CGCref_req.html
* PhD thesis abstract, including title
of thesis.
* Proposed project description.
Description must be titled, not to
exceed five pages including figures and
appendices, (minimum 12 pt. type
size). Proposals must describe an
actual research project, and explain
why the proposed host institution is
best to meet their research goals.
Applicants are encouraged to seek help
from mentors in writing the
project description.
* Statement of relevance to the NOAA
Climate and Global Change Program
(one-page limit).
Interested hosts should send:
* One or two-page letter of
intent to host a specific fellow or
describing the type of background
preferred.
* Curriculum vitae with a list of
publications (two-page limit).
* A list of current and pending
research support.
The program offers two-year
postdoctoral fellowships, reviewed
annually. Fellows receive a fixed
annual salary. UCAR benefits include
health and dental insurance, sick and
annual leave, paid holidays,
mandatory participation in a retirement
fund (TIAA/CREF), and life
insurance. A relocation allowance
is provided as well as an allowance
for scientific travel and other support
costs.
The deadline for applications is 15
January 2003. Appointments will be
announced in early spring 2003.
Send applications to:
UCAR / Visiting Scientist Programs
P.O. Box 3000
Boulder, CO 80307-3000 USA.
For further information please call
303-497-8649, send
e-mail to: [email protected]
or visit web site: http://www.vsp.ucar.edu
The NOAA Office of Global Programs (Kenneth
A. Mooney, Acting Director)
sponsors this program.
UCAR is an Equal
Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer.