Funded Ph.D. Graduate position in Modeling Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics following Land Conversion
Ph.D. graduate student assistantship in Terrestrial Ecosystem Modeling is available in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology at Iowa State University (https://www.clu-lab.com/).
We invite highly motivated graduate students interested in modeling representation and quantification of soil carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas fluxes following cropland conversion to CRP (Conservation Reserve Program) lands. The successful candidate will apply process-based modeling, data synthesis, and data-model integration to quantify variations in land-atmosphere greenhouse gas fluxes and predict climate mitigation potentials of various CRP enrollment mechanism designs. The student will work with the research team to integrate ground/satellite observations, experimental data, and socio-economic perspectives into a geospatial modeling framework. There are plenty of opportunities to work with a group of scientists with different expertise, including ecological modeling, soil science, biogeochemistry, and agricultural economics.
We expect flexible enrollment for new graduate students from as early as Summer 2022 to Fall 2022. The applicants should possess a degree in soil science, biogeochemistry, ecology, geography, earth system science, remote sensing, or related fields. Quantitative skills and experience in terrestrial ecosystem/land surface modeling, remote sensing, and geospatial and/or statistical analysis are preferred. Students can apply for this position through the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Graduate Program (https://eeb.iastate.edu/) or the Environmental Science Graduate Program (https://enscigrad.iastate.edu/) at Iowa State University (Fall admission is ongoing now. Please submit your application ASAP to ensure the Fellowship nomination). Detailed information on financial support can be referred to https://www.eeb.iastate.edu/financial-support. Please contact Dr. Chaoqun Lu (clu@iastate.edu) in advance for more details.
The required application documents include a cover letter (outlining their qualifications and research interest), a resume, transcripts, an English proficiency score (79-iBT, 550-PBT, 6.5-IELTS, or 53-PTE) for international applicants, and three reference letters.
Iowa State University is an AAU-member comprehensive, land grant, Carnegie Doctoral/Research Extensive University with over 36,000 students. The university is located in Ames (IA), only 35 miles north of Des Moines. Ames is one of the nation's most highly rated metropolitan areas of its size, and it is #33 on the Top 100 Best places to live in the US