Post-Doctoral Research Assistant in Agricultural Peat Biogeochemistry Fixed Term

Overview

Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) is a distinctive, unique institution, rooted in the Liverpool City Region and with a global presence. Our students and staff, past, present, and future, are the beating heart of our city and can be found in every corner of every industry and community. We couldn’t exist anywhere else and have shaped the city in which we belong. Working with the people of Liverpool to improve lives and support communities is at the heart of why we were founded and why we exist today.

Role overview

This role will support the delivery of the EU Horizon Project: PalusDemos (with a primary focus on WP2: Identifying best practices to transition from degraded peat soils to wet agriculture and WP3: Improving Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) methods and tools, though other roles will also be involved); https://palusdemos.org/. This project focuses on the development and assessment of paludiculture/wetter farming in order to deliver more sustainable agriculture on peatlands. The role holder will undertake and aid in the coordination of field-based studies on GHG emissions, soil physiochemistry and fluvial emissions from rewetted agricultural peatlands in the northwest of the UK. There may also be opportunities for lab and ex-situ experimental designs. The role holder will have scope to develop novel research areas linked to optimising approaches towards agricultural productivity whilst minimising emissions and pollutants. The role-holder will also collaborate with EU partners (primarily in Ireland and the Netherlands). Specifically, in the collation and larger-scale analysis of data and continuous, close collaboration to achieve wider goals of establishing successful methods, deriving regional emission factors, gaining data on the natural capital benefits of rewetting, best practice for farmers under wetter farming conditions and the social and economic consequences of shifting practice.

Responsibilities

• Focus on environmental monitoring elements and methods development for monitoring, including field-based studies and data analysis.
• Coordinate and collaborate on data collation, larger-scale analysis, and reporting to achieve project goals.
• Engage with lab work, experimental designs (including potential ex-situ work) as part of the project.
• Collaborate with EU partners and local NGO and government stakeholders.
• Draft papers and relevant reports for publication; contribute to dissemination and workforce development activities.
• Support broader WP activities (policy, socioeconomics, agricultural science) as required by the project.

Qualifications and experience

• Experience in environmental monitoring and methods development; ability to implement field and lab activities.
• Data analysis skills and experience with drafting reports and scientific papers.
• Interest in agri-environmental policy, socioeconomics, agricultural/crop science, and education and awareness related to wetter farming and peatland management.
• Ability to collaborate with multiple partners, including EU counterparts and stakeholders.
• Willingness to travel and work in field settings within the UK and with EU partners as required.

Benefits

We offer an excellent benefits package including generous annual leave entitlement, pension scheme, induction and development support as well as family-friendly policies.

Equality and inclusion

LJMU is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applicants from all backgrounds and communities irrespective of age, transgender status, disability, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity and religion or belief. All our appointments are made on merit.