Post-Doctoral Research Positions

CIWRO Post-Doctoral Research Associate � TRACER-CUBIC Project

The Cooperative Institute for Severe and High-Impact Weather Research and Operations (CIWRO, formerly CIMMS) at The University of Oklahoma is currently seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate position for a project funded by the Department of Energy (DOE) in support of the TRacking Aerosol Convection interactions ExpeRiment (TRACER). The project focuses on Coastal Urban Boundary-layer Interactions with Convection (CUBIC). The Postdoctoral Research Associate will participate in and analyze data from boundary-layer profiling instruments deployed during TRACER-CUBIC. They will also conduct, analyze, and improve numerical model simulations with the NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) Warn-on-Forecast (WoF) prediction system. The position is based at CIWRO in Norman, Oklahoma within the National Weather Center.

Background:
CIWRO, NSSL, the School of Meteorology at the University of Oklahoma, and the broader research community at the National Weather Center (NWC) have long collaborated on pioneering research on mesoscale and boundary layer meteorology and severe storms and their impacts. The Boundary Layer Integrated Sensing and Simulation (BLISS) group at NWC is an example of this collaboration, and acts as an umbrella under which those with research interests in boundary layer meteorology can come together and collaborate. The DOE TRACER-CUBIC study is a collaborative project between scientists from OU’s School of Meteorology, the University of Wisconsin in Madison, and NOAA NSSL. The project provides funding to deploy three boundary-layer profiling systems in the Houston metro area during the Intensive Observation Period (IOP) of TRACER (June 1-Sept. 30, 2022). The three systems will be deployed along a transect perpendicular to the shoreline to investigate the evolution of the sea- breeze circulation and boundary-layer as it develops over and interacts with the Houston metro area. The observations will be supplemented by numerical experiments with the NSSL WoF system. Our goals are to improve understanding and representation of boundary-layer and convection processes in Earth system models through the integrated analysis of novel observations and numerical data sets.� The Postdoctoral Research Associate will participate in and analyze data from boundary-layer profiling instruments deployed during TRACER-CUBIC. They will also conduct, analyze, and improve numerical model simulations with the NOAA NSSL Warn-on-Forecast (WoF) prediction system. An ideal candidate will also take on some mentoring responsibilities of graduate research assistants who are members of the project team.

The duties of this position are:

Participate in the collection of data during the TRACER IOP
Process data collected by the boundary-layer profiling systems using existing and newly developed analysis software
Coordinate the setup of the WoF ensemble for CUBIC with the project team
Conduct sensitivity tests with different urban-canopy models
Conduct scientific analysis of TRACER– CUBIC observations and numerical model output
Explore collaborations with other research teams and labs (e.g., NCAR, NOAA, universities)
Write papers for the refereed literature, and present the results of findings at national and international meetings.

The minimum qualifications for this position are:

A Ph.D. in atmospheric science or related area
Background in boundary-layer meteorology
Strong programming/scripting (e.g., Python) skills
Excellent oral and written communication skills (including papers published in or submitted to refereed journals)
An ability to work both independently and cooperatively with others

Applicants should identify expertise within any of the following areas: observations and numerical models in analysis; urban circulations; sea breeze circulations; operating boundary-layer profilers; numerical weather forecast ensembles; mesoscale modeling; meteorological observation data set analysis; meteorological observation platforms; field deployments; ensemble data analysis; convection initiation; large eddy simulation

The beginning salary will be based on qualifications and experience, with benefits provided through the University of Oklahoma (https://hr.ou.edu/Employees). Normal working hours will be routinely observed with some occasional irregular hours during active field deployments. The position is funded for two years and the preferred start date is January 2022.

To apply for the position, please forward your resume, cover letter and list of three references to:

CIWRO Careers

University of Oklahoma CIWRO

120 David L. Boren Blvd., Suite 2100

Norman, OK 73072-7304

ciwro-careers@ou.edu

JOB REFERENCE: CUBIC Postdoc

The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity/Affirmative Action employer.

CIWRO Peter Lamb Postdoctoral Fellowship

The Cooperative Institute for Severe and High Impact Weather Research and Operations (CIWRO) has established the Peter Lamb Postdoctoral Fellowship that is offered annually. CIWRO is a research organization that promotes collaborative research between scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and a consortium of universities led by the University of Oklahoma (OU) on problems of mutual interest. CIWRO basic and applied research seeks to improve the basic understanding of mesoscale meteorology, weather radar and regional climate in order to help produce better forecasts and warnings that save lives and property and investigates the societal impacts of such phenomena. The recipient will be an OU employee but may choose to conduct her/his research at OU, Howard University, the Pennsylvania State University, Texas Tech University, or the University at Albany.

Applications must include a 3-4 page novel proposal developed by the applicant that addresses at least one of the CIWRO research themes: 1) weather radar and observations research and development; 2) mesoscale and storm-scale modeling research and development; 3) forecast applications improvements research and development; 4) subseasonal to seasonal (S2S) prediction for extreme weather events; and 5) social and socioeconomic impacts of high-impact weather systems. Applicants are highly encouraged to contact a CIWRO scientist at OU or a scientist at one of the consortium partners to receive guidance when drafting a research proposal. The CIWRO website https://ciwro.ou.edu/past-present-future-research.php?research_type=present has more information on projects underway within these research themes as well as contact information for CIWRO scientists and consortium partners working on these themes.

Terms of appointment are for one (1) year, renewable for a second year subject to satisfactory performance. An annual salary of $60,000 and research budget of $5,000 per year is included in the award, along with a modest relocation stipend. Successful applicants must have obtained a Ph.D. within the last five years; proof of a Ph.D. is required before assuming the post-doctoral position, but those in the final stages of Ph.D. dissertation completion are encouraged to apply provided a finish date before July 31, 2022 is anticipated.

Applicants are asked to submit electronically: (1) a curriculum vitae; (2) a list of all products (e.g., papers, patents, technology transfers, licensed software, etc.) generated over the course of their career; (3) a cover letter which includes the expected start date and any non-standard resources that might be needed to complete the proposed work; (4) a brief proposal (no more than 4 pages, double-spaced, excluding the list of references and figures) describing the work to be pursued during a 2-year tenure with CIWRO; and (5) a list of three references. In addition, applicants should request that their referees directly send their reference letters to CIWRO at the email address listed below.

To receive full consideration, applications and supporting material should be received prior to January 31, 2022. All materials should be sent electronically to:

Cooperative Institute for Severe and High Impact Weather Research and Operations (CIWRO)

The University of Oklahoma

120 David L. Boren Blvd, Norman, OK, 73072

CIWRO-careers@ou.edu

ATTN: Peter Lamb Postdoctoral Fellowship

CIWRO Post-Doctoral Research Associate � TWIEP PostDoc

The Cooperative Institute for Severe and High-Impact Weather Research and Operations (CIWRO), formerly CIMMS, at the University of Oklahoma currently is seeking a research associate to collaborate with scientists in the National Severe Storms Laboratory’s (NSSL) Warning Research & Development Division on NOAA’s Tornado Warning Improvement and Extension Program (TWIEP). The incumbent will use already created data sets to investigate tornadic thunderstorms in order to improve our understanding of such storms and develop short-term warning guidance for tornadoes. As a CIWRO post-doctoral research associate, you will bring your meteorological expertise and technical capabilities to assist CIWRO and NSSL researchers in one of the following areas:

Development of a rotating storms and tornado risk climatology using a large, gridded radar data set and its derivatives;
Applying novel segmentation and labeling techniques to radar data images to investigate tornadic thunderstorms;
Develop machine learning, including deep learning, models for radar data images to investigate tornadic thunderstorms and develop short-term, probabilistic tornado warning guidance.

�The minimum qualifications for the position are:

PhD in Meteorology or related area;
Experience with scientific programming on UNIX/Linux systems using a high-level language (e.g., C++, Python, Java).

When applying, please specify the project area in which you have the highest interest. Applicants should identify expertise with any of the following areas: weather radar data and principles; severe local storms and their attendant hazards; statistics; data science; machine learning; supercomputer and/or cloud computing environments. Strong oral and written communication skills are needed for the position, including the ability to present research to various audiences and collaborate on reports and publications.

Normal working hours will be observed except for occasional irregular hours during data collection, warning/forecast experiments, or workshops conducted at remote sites. Supervision will be provided by CIWRO staff. Technical oversight will be provided by CIWRO staff, NSSL scientists, and NSSL management. This is a non-supervisory position. The incumbent will work under general supervision but is expected to determine action to be taken in handling all but unusual situations.

Incumbents will have opportunities to receive training and gain expertise in the latest radar and other remote sensing technology, and, as needed by the position’s technical requirements, technical skills related to programming and machine learning. Incumbents will also have opportunities for career development through resources provided by the University; more information may be found at https://hr.ou.edu/Employees/Career-Development.

The salary for this position is $58,000 per year, and includes University benefits. Information on benefits may be found at https://hr.ou.edu/. The position will be located in Norman, OK (https://www.normanok.gov/about-norman) at the National Weather Center (https://www.ou.edu/nwc).