Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center
University of Maryland College Park
We are seeking two highly motivated postdoctoral researchers to support the model system
development and forecast applications. The research focus of the postdocs will be on coupling
regional Earth system models, including climate, hydrology, and agroecosystem processes, and
understanding various interactions and feedbacks among these processes, evaluating model
performance and predictive skills, and integrating agricultural decision support tools. The
postdocs will also be actively involved with the overall project integration of the research,
extension and education activities among an interdisciplinary team. Salary is commensurate with
experience and University benefits will be included.
The key responsibilities of the postdocs include: 1) Research on the development, evaluation,
and application of an advanced dynamic climate-hydrology-crop modeling and decision support
system. This will involve calibrating, testing, and analyzing a suite of component models,
coupling them into a fully integrated system, conducting system forecasts, and linking with
decision support tools. The postdocs will collaborate with a large team of scientists on these
tasks and be encouraged and supported in conducting and publishing research on crop (food and
energy), water, and climate modeling and real-world applications. 2) Coordination of project-
wide activities such as organizing program meetings and conferences, composing meeting
agendas and discussion summaries, compiling material for semi-annual and annual reports, and
coordinating workflow among various model development, forecasting and, application
components. Through these coordination activities (representing an anticipated 10% of the total
work) the postdoc will gain hands-on experience in managing a large, interdisciplinary research
project and in transforming research into solutions to real-world problems.
Applicants should have a recent Ph.D. (within 5 years) in agricultural, hydrologic, atmospheric
or climate sciences, and a strong background in model development and application. They must
have experience and skill in programming (particularly Fortran), as well as analytical abilities in
model evaluation and climate-hydrology-crop interactions. Applicants should also have an
interest and willingness to take responsibility for some project management activities. Excellent
spoken and written English is required.
The appointment of these postdoc positions are initially for two years and renewable depending
on performance and funding availability.
To apply:
Interested applicants should submit a cover letter, CV, and contact information for three
references to Professor Xin-Zhong Liang at xliang@umd.edu. This position is available
immediately, and applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
