NOAA Climate and Global Change Postdoctoral Fellowship Program

Application Deadline: 15 January 2009

The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) announces the 2009 recruitment for the NOAA Climate and Global Change Postdoctoral Fellowship Program. UCAR manages this NOAA-sponsored program, which pairs recently graduated postdoctorates with host scientists at U.S. institutions to work in an area of mutual interest. The objective of this program is to help create the next generation of researchers needed for climate studies. It endeavors to attract recent PhD's in sciences that address studies of relevance to the NOAA Climate and Global Change Program (refer to NOAA's Web site at: www.climate.noaa.gov.

The NOAA Climate and Global Change Program seeks to provide an effective national climate service based on the development and application of global and regional climate forecast information. The Program focuses on observing, understanding, modeling, and predicting the climate system on seasonal to centennial time scales. Specific research foci include:

• Understanding and predicting both changes in, and regional manifestations of, large-scale patterns of climate variability such as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), Pacific Decadal Variability (PDV) Tropical Atlantic Variability (TAV), and global monsoon systems.
• Observing and modeling ocean, atmosphere, land and cryosphere in order to characterize the coupled processes that give rise to climate variability.
• Determining the impacts of radiatively important trace gases and aerosols on global climate change, including the modeling of the biogeochemical processes that cycle these constituents throughout the earth system.
• Documenting and analyzing past climate change -- including abrupt climate change -- in order to understand the full range of natural variability in the earth system, thus resulting in more accurate climate predictions.
• Assessing the role of polar regions in global climate variability and change, with special reference to the International Polar Year (2007-2009).

Applications are solicited from qualified postdoctoral candidates. Preference is given to those who have held a PhD for no more than five years. Awardees must change institutions in the absence of compelling circumstances. A clear indication of the scientific areas to be pursued and goals is particularly important. A steering committee, broadly representing the skills and interests covered by this program, selects the fellows and recommends appointments with U.S. Agencies and institutions. Please refer to the details on the selection criteria used by the steering committee in making these awards. The Web site also includes a list of all present and past appointees to this program.

Advanced contact with a potential host is strongly encouraged. Searchable database for potential hosts. An applicant may wish to suggest more than one host institution since the committee takes an active role in distributing fellowships among institutions. In the case of specific laboratory needs, a letter should accompany the application from the specific institution willing to provide the resources. Interested host scientists are required to submit letters of intent (two-page limit) and vitae's to help the committee in the match-making process. They should be from an institution other than candidate's PhD institution. Hosts are expected to mentor the fellow, provide a reasonable office environment, a workstation and any other unique research costs associated with this fellowship.

How to Apply

Please refer to the details on tips for applying.

There is no application form. Qualified scientists are encouraged to apply by sending the following materials to the UCAR / Visiting Scientist Programs:

• A cover letter stating the name of this program.
• Curriculum vitae with a list of publications.
• Names and addresses of at least four professional references. Applicants are responsible for contacting referees to have letters sent to UCAR/VSP by the application deadline. One letter must be from thesis advisor, but not from a potential host, and letters from more than one institution are encouraged. Referees should be directed to the online reference requirements.
• PhD dissertation abstract, including title of dissertation.
• Proposed project description. Description must be titled, not to exceed five pages including figures and appendices, (minimum 12 pt. type size). Proposals must be specific and describe an actual research project. Applicants are encouraged to seek help from mentors in writing the project description.
• Statement of relevance to the NOAA Climate and Global Change Program as defined above (one-page limit).

Interested Hosts should Send:

• One or two-page letter of intent to host a specific fellow or describing the type of background preferred.
• Curriculum Vitae with a list of publications (two-page limit).
• A list of current and pending research support.

To be included in the Searchable Database for potential hosts, please fill out the host submission form.

The program offers two-year postdoctoral fellowships, reviewed annually. Fellows receive a fixed annual salary. UCAR benefits include health and dental insurance, paid time off, paid holidays, mandatory participation in a retirement fund (TIAA/CREF), and life insurance. A relocation allowance is provided as well as an allowance for scientific travel and other support costs.

Application deadline: 15 January 2009. Appointments will be announced in early spring 2009. Applications must be submitted in electronic form and preferably in portable document format (pdf), via e-mail attachments send to vspapply@ucar.edu Reference letters should also be sent electronically, but we will accept hard copies or faxes. If unable to send electronically, please mail to address listed below:

Send applications and recommendation letters to:

UCAR / Visiting Scientist Programs
P.O. Box 3000
Boulder, CO 80307-3000, USA

For further information please call (303) 497-8649 or send e-mail to vspapply@ucar.edu. UCAR is an EO/AAE who values and encourages diversity in the workplace. The NOAA Climate Program Office (Chester J. Koblinsky, Director) sponsors this program.

NOAA Climate and Global Change Postdoctoral Fellowship Poster
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