POST-DOCTORAL POSITION IN LAND SURFACE MODELING, LSCE, Gif-sur-Yvette

 The modeling group of LSCE (mixed unit CNRS-CEA-UVSQ, www.lsce.ipsl.fr/) is looking for a post-doctoral  researcher interested in land surface modeling. This post-doc is available for a fixed-term period of 24 months, ending mid-2016.

The research will contribute to the modeling exercise of the ANR (French National Science Foundation) SECPRIME² (

http://marseco.fr/secprime/) managed by Catherine Fernandez, IMBE, Marseille. The project aims at better understanding how precipitation changes could modify the carbon dynamic of a Mediterranean ecosystem and in particular the carbon balance and partition between primary (growth) and secondary (defense) metabolites of a Quercus pubescens forest located at the Observatoire de Haute Provence (OHP), France. The post-doctoral researcher will be in charge of incorporating the observed effects on litter chemical composition in the land surface model ORCHIDEE developed at the Institut Pierre Simon Laplace (IPSL) and to run simulations in order to quantify the impacts of the observed changes on the heterotrophic respiration at a local and regional scale (Mediterranean Basin). The activities will be mainly located at LSCE (CEA, Orme des Merisiers, Gif/Yvette, France) on the plateau of Saclay, approximately 25 km south-west of Paris, with some travels to Marseille and to the study site OHP in the South-East of France. The person recruited will be part of the Terrestrial Biosphere Team of the LSCE, gathering ORCHIDEE users and developers working on various subjects such as carbon or nitrogen cycle, forest management, hydrology, etc. Strong and regular interactions with the IMBE at Marseille will be also needed.

The candidate must have of a PhD in biogeochemistry (preferably with an experience in land surface modeling) and not more than 3 years of experience in research subsequent to the thesis. A good knowledge in biogeochemistry of soil is indispensable and experience in land surface modeling is desirable but not essential. Knowledge of French is desirable but not essential. The candidate will be employed for a limited period of 24 months by the CNRS (net monthly salary between 1916 and 2407 €). The

 deadline for application is 1st of February 2014, the position starting from 1st of April 2014 and no later than 1st of July 2014.  

A curriculum vitae, a letter of intent and names, addresses and telephone number of at least two references must be sent electronically to:

Juliette Lathière (juliette.lathiere@lsce.ipsl.fr, Tel: +33169089118), Christophe Boissard(christophe.boissard@lsce.ipsl.fr, Tel: +33169089983) and Bertrand Guenet (bertrand.guenet@lsce.ipsl.fr, Tel: +33169085320).