Doctoral Graduate Research Assistant

Organisation/Company University of Exeter Department Human Resources Research Field Geography Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Country United Kingdom Application Deadline 30 Sep 2025 – 11:59 (Europe/Guernsey) Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 36.5 Offer Starting Date 1 Jan 2026 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Other EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

This new full-time post is available from January 1st 2026 on a fixed term basis until 1st January 2029.

The University wishes to recruit a Graduate Research Assistant (PhD studentship) to support the work of Professor Lina Mercado. This European Council funded PhD studentship is available from 01/01/2026 until 01/01/2029. The successful applicant will be in charge of modelling the response of European forests to heatwaves as part the FutureForests Doctoral Network, an EU-funded Marie Skłodowska-Curie’s Actions (MSCA) initiative.

FutureForests Doctoral Network aims to train 15 next generation scientists in assessing the impacts of global change on European forests utilising a unique network of European flagship field forest facilities covering the dominant forest types and regions (dry Mediterranean, temperate and boreal) in Europe. FutureForests connects nine manipulation facilities for addressing emerging research questions and engages >20 academic and associated partners (NGOs, Industry & Government organizations) for delivering an interdisciplinary, integrated and transferable career skills programme.

Individual projects within FutureForests programme maps into four key interrelated science objectives with a focus on assessing responses of 1) tree functional processes including leaf metabolism, growth, C and water relations, 2) soil processes including nutrient cycling and soil organic matter dynamics, 3) impacts of global change on biodiversity and tree vulnerability to pest and diseases, and, 4) advancing modelling of forest responses to climate extremes and fire risk reduction. FutureForests combines excellent training for doctoral researchers, diverse supervisions and international mobility for impactful research to benefit society and the economy and to inform forest policies under the EU Green Deal and international climate mitigation efforts (Paris Climate Agreement, 2015). FutureForests is to provide next generation scientists with skills and knowledge “most wanted” in academic and non-academic employability sectors.

This specific Doctoral Graduate Researcher Assistant position focuses on simulating heatwaves in European forests. The work will capitalize on the new generation of plant hydraulic representation within land surface models that now exists, whichhave only been tested for tropical forests. Given the recent increase of heatwaves and the variety of drought manipulation experiments in European forests, there is now a unique opportunity to test and inform these models using this new data.

Key objectives of this PhD studentship are 1) to use observations from soil and atmospheric drought manipulation experiments from different European forest types to improve representation of European forest responses to recurrent droughts (soil and atmospheric) within the Land Surface model (LSM) of an Earth System Model (ESM), and 2) Use the improved model to simulate impacts of recent heat waves on European forests; and alternative ecosystem level observations, of carbon and water exchange between the forest and the atmosphere, during these events to evaluate model improvements.

Applicants will be educated to first degree level or possess an equivalent qualification/experience in a related field of study or equivalent experience and be able to demonstrate sufficient knowledge in the discipline and of research methods and techniques to work within established research programmes. Applicants will be able to :

• Learn to run the Joint UK land Environment Simulator (JULES), land surface model of the UK Earth System model and understand the representation of vegetation carbon and water cycles within the model
• Use Unix and Fortran and also either R or Python for data analysis and JULES model output
• Understand state of the art representations of plant hydraulics and heat stress within vegetation in land surface models
• Prepare JULE simulations at experimental sites from FutureForests
• Use experimental site observations to improve and evaluate JULES
• Perform region wide JULES simulations
• Write 3 articles/chapters and introduction for PhD completion

Research Field Geography Years of Research Experience 1 – 4

Additional Information

What we can offer you

• Freedom (and the support) to pursue your intellectual interests and to work creatively across disciplines to produce internationally exciting research;
• Support teams that understand the University wide research and teaching goals and partner with our academics accordingly
• An Innovation, Impact and Business directorate that works closely with our academics providing specialist support for external engagement and development
• Our Exeter Academic initiative supporting high performing academics to achieve their potential and develop their career
• A beautiful campus set in the heart of stunning Devon

Specific to FutureForest studentships:

• Full employment contract with competitive salary for three years.
• Mobility allowance (~£5800/year), and family allowance if applicable (~£4090/year) adjusted for the cost of living in the host country (in this case UK). Values subject to exchange rate when appointment is made.
• Access to state-of-the-art forest manipulation facilities, laboratories and expert supervision.
• International secondments and training events and networking with 14 fellow PhD students from FutureForests.
• The University pay scale will be subject to a cost of living review each year, but you will not receive annual increments.