Frontier Research Program for Global Change
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Announcement of Five Faculty Research Positions:
The International Arctic Research Center (IARC) at University of Alaska Fairbanks invites applications for five fully-funded research faculty positions. The IARC seeks senior and young scientists with a strong research interest in high-latitude air-sea-ice interactions in the context of global climate change. The successful candidates should hold Ph.D. degrees in oceanography, meteorology or other related fields.
The International Arctic Research Center (IARC) was established on the campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks as a direct outcome of the recent US-Japan Common Agenda for Cooperation in Global Perspective ("Common Agenda") to accommodate research directed at an understanding the role of the arctic region in global change. The first program to be funded at the IARC is the Frontier Research Program for Global Change ("Frontier Research Program"), a 20-year program divided into two terms with the first 10-year term starting on October 1, 1998. The objective of the Arctic component of the Frontier Research Program is to understand climate variability and predictability over the arctic region, with a strong emphasis on an interdisciplinary approach to study individual processes occurring in the atmosphere, ocean, land, and cryosphere. Toward this goal, the University of Alaska Fairbanks is looking for qualified researchers in the following areas:
(1) Coupled sea ice-ocean system;
- Sea ice modeling,
- Modeling of the Arctic Ocean
Several key processes will be investigated including; sea ice dynamics and thermodynamics, deep water formation, intermediate water formation, and shelf-deep ocean interactions.
(2) Dynamic meteorology and radiation;
- Coupled dynamic-energetics
- Coupled cloud-ice process
Process studies will include dynamics of the polar low, roles of arctic haze, radiation balances, and smaller-scale cloud-precipitation systems. A particular focus will be given to coupling of these processes.
(3) Climate variability in the coupled air-ice-ocean system;
- Climate data-model synthesis
Coupling of ice-ocean models and atmospheric models will be one of the most important subjects addressed at the IARC. Climate data will be analyzed to describe climate change and coupling within and between the Arctic and subarctic regions during the past 100 years, and data assimilation methods to combine the data and the models may be useful tools to describe and understand the past climatic change.
The IARC welcomes a range of applications from senior faculty through promising post-doctoral researchers. Important factors are vision, communication skills, leadership abilities and willingness to participate in team efforts in these research areas. The successful applicants will be faculty members of the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Nine or eleven month salaries, fully funded by Japan, will be tailored to the researchers' needs and commensurate with their qualifications and experience. Application for extramural funding will be encouraged. Initial appointments are expected to be for five years, subject to an annual review. The starting date is negotiable but the IARC hopes to fill all positions in 1998.
Complete applications should include a letter of interest from the applicant, a statement of research interest and its relevance to global climate change, current vita/resume, and three letters of reference (or the names, addresses telephone/fax numbers, and e-mail addresses of three persons willing to write letters of reference). Address applications to the International Arctic Research Center, P.O. Box 757560, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska 99775-7560. Questions or requests for further information related to the IARC should be directed to Dr. Ted DeLaca; 907/474-7314, fnted [at] uaf.edu, and additional information about the IARC science plan, existing and developing facilities, and relevant UAF expertise can be obtained at http://www.iarc.uaf.edu. Additional information regarding the Frontier Program may be found at http://www.frontier.esto.or.jp or contact Professor Ikeda at mikeda [at] ees.hokudai.ac.jp.
The University of Alaska Fairbanks is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.