Postdoctoral Research Associate

Working at Durham College  

A globally excellent centre of instructing and analysis excellence, a heat and pleasant place to work, a singular and historic setting – Durham is a college like no different.

As one of many UK’s main universities, Durham is an unimaginable place to outline your profession. The College is positioned inside a lovely historic metropolis, dwelling to a UNESCO World Heritage Website, and surrounded by beautiful countryside. Our proficient students and researchers from around the globe are tackling international points and making a distinction to folks’s lives.  

We imagine that inspiring our folks to do excellent issues at Durham permits Durham folks to do excellent issues on this planet. Being part of Durham is about extra than simply the success of the College, it’s additionally about contributing to the success of town, county and neighborhood.

Our College Technique is constructed on three pillars of analysis, training and wider scholar expertise, but additionally on our eager sense of neighborhood and of inspiring others to attain their potential. 

Our Objective and Values

We wish our College to be a spot the place folks might be free to be themselves, it doesn’t matter what their id or background. Collectively, we rejoice distinction, worth each other and are every accountable for creating an inclusive neighborhood that’s respectful and truthful for all.

Discover out extra about the advantages of working on the College and what it’s prefer to reside and work within the Durham space on our Why Durham? info web page.   

The Position and Division

Durham Earth Sciences is among the perfect UK Earth Science departments with an impressive status for excellence in instructing, analysis and each the satisfaction and employability of its college students. It’s recurrently ranked within the prime 5 of UK departments and is throughout the international prime 30.

The division has round 35 educational workers, 15 analysis workers, 50 postgraduate college students and 250 undergraduate college students. Its analysis covers a spectrum of Earth Science disciplines round 4 broad themes: Strong Earth; Local weather and Environmental Change; Geoenergy, Sources and Waste; Geohazards. The themes mirror our purpose to not solely undertake basic and intrinsically glorious analysis, but additionally analysis which is related to and which impacts society. We collaborate extensively, and inside Durham we work intently with each the Institute of Hazard, Danger and Resilience and the Durham Vitality Institute.

The Division is dedicated to offering the best stage of training to its college students, giving them the data, expertise and confidence to contribute positively to the world past Durham. We offer research-led instructing with a big proportion of sensible lessons and a deep dedication to field-based instructing. We recurrently obtain > 90% satisfaction scores on the annual Nationwide Pupil Survey and our college students are extremely wanted by a variety of employers.

The Division of Earth Sciences holds a departmental Bronze Athena SWAN award in recognition of its efforts to advertise gender equality and tackle challenges specific to the earth sciences. Extra info on the division, its analysis and its amenities might be discovered at https://www.dur.ac.uk/earth.sciences/

The Position

We invite functions for a Submit-doctoral analysis affiliate (PDRA) to affix the Division of Earth Sciences at Durham college. The function is to work with Prof Madeleine Humphreys (Durham) and Dr Kate Dobson (Strathclyde) on a undertaking funded by the European Analysis Council, “Storage and Eruption of Mushy Magma Techniques” (STEMMS). The place is mounted time period for 12 months.

The purpose of the general undertaking is to discover the hyperlinks between crystal mush textures, magmatic volatiles and the mobility of saved magmas throughout the crust. This place will use 3D picture processing of numerically simulated  to look at how crystal form modifications throughout impingement and progressive overgrowth of a crystal mush. The outcomes will likely be in comparison with pure examples of crystal mush textures and used to assist interpret crystal form and crystallisation setting in pure settings. The PDRA will likely be primarily based at Durham College however will even spend durations of time at Strathclyde. The PDRA will work with the PI and wider companions to interpret the outcomes and produce high-impact publications primarily based on their findings. The PDRA will be a part of the colourful volcanology group at Durham College and can additional profit from the Division’s mentoring programme for early profession researchers. The profitable candidate will likely be anticipated to contribute to the final actions of the volcanology group and take part actively within the mental lifetime of the division.

Key tasks:

• To conduct particular person and collaborative analysis tasks below the path of the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder. Specifically:
• To develop or refine numerical algorithms to simulate crystal overgrowth.
• To analyse incremental form improvement throughout impingement and progressive overgrowth below completely different simulated situations
• To synthesise and analyse outcomes and evaluate with traits of pure techniques
• To grasp and convey materials of a specialist or extremely technical nature to the group or group of individuals by way of displays and discussions that results in the presentation of analysis papers in conferences and publications.
• To organize and ship displays on analysis outputs/actions to audiences which can embody: analysis sponsors, educational and non-academic audiences.
• To publish prime quality outputs, together with papers for submission to see reviewed journals and papers for presentation at conferences and workshops below the path of the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder.
• To help with the event of analysis targets and proposals.
• To work with the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder and different colleagues within the analysis group, as applicable, to establish areas for analysis, develop new analysis strategies and lengthen the analysis portfolio. 
• To take care of issues which will have an effect on the achievement of analysis targets and deadlines by discussing with the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder and providing artistic or modern options.
• To liaise with analysis colleagues and make inner and exterior contacts to develop data and understanding to kind relationships for future analysis collaboration.
• To plan and handle personal analysis exercise, analysis sources in collaboration with others and contribute to the planning of analysis tasks.
• To contribute to fostering a collegial and respectful working setting which is inclusive and welcoming and the place everyone seems to be handled pretty with dignity and respect.
• To interact in wider citizenship to assist the division and wider self-discipline.
• To interact in persevering with skilled improvement by participation within the undergraduate or postgraduate instructing programmes or by membership of departmental committees, and so on. and by attending related coaching and improvement programs.   

The submit is mounted time period for 12 months. The analysis undertaking funding is from ERC and is accessible for the fixed-term interval solely. 

The post-holder is employed to work on a analysis undertaking which will likely be led by one other colleague. While which means that the post-holder won’t be finishing up impartial analysis in his/her personal proper, the expectation is that they are going to contribute to the development of the undertaking, by way of the event of their very own analysis concepts/adaptation and improvement of analysis protocols.

Profitable candidates will be in submit as quickly as potential.

Working at Durham 

A aggressive wage is just one a part of the numerous implausible advantages you’ll obtain should you be a part of the College: additionally, you will obtain entry to the next implausible advantages:

• 30 Days annual go away per 12 months along with 8 public holidays and 4 customary days per 12 months – a complete of 42 days per 12 months. 
• The College closes between Christmas and New Yr.
• We provide a beneficiant pension scheme, As a brand new member of workers you can be routinely enrolled  into the College Superannuation Scheme (USS).
• Regardless of the way you journey to work, we have now you coated.  We have now parking throughout campus, a cycle to work scheme which lets you purchase a motorcycle and low cost with native bus and practice firms.
• There’s a real dedication to creating our colleagues professionally and personally.  There’s a complete vary of improvement programs, apprenticeships and entry to {qualifications} and routes to develop your profession within the College.  All workers have devoted annual time to focus on their private improvement alternatives.
• Plenty of assist for well being and wellbeing together with discounted membership for our state-of-the-art sport and fitness center amenities and entry to a 24-7 Worker Help Programme.
• On web site nursery is accessible and youngsters’s golf equipment in the summertime holidays.
• Household pleasant insurance policies, together with maternity and adoption go away, that are among the many most beneficiant within the increased training sector (and sure above and past many employers).
• The chance to participate in workers volunteering actions to make a distinction in the local people.
• Reductions can be found by way of our advantages portal together with; cash off at supermarkets, excessive road retailers, IT merchandise resembling Apple, the cinema and days out at numerous sights.
• A wage sacrifice scheme can also be obtainable that can assist you make the most of tax financial savings on advantages.
• If you’re transferring to Durham, we can assist with elimination prices and we have now a devoted group who can assist you with the practicalities resembling home searching and faculties.  When you want a visa, we cowl most visa prices and supply an curiosity free mortgage scheme to pay for dependant visas.

Durham College is dedicated to equality, range and inclusion

Equality, range, and inclusion (EDI) are a key element of the College’s Technique and a central a part of all the pieces we do.  We additionally reside by our Objective and Values  and our Workers Code of Conduct.   At Durham we actively work in direction of offering an setting the place our workers and college students can examine, work and reside in a neighborhood which is supportive and inclusive. It’s necessary to us that each one colleagues undertake actions which might be aligned to each our values and dedication to EDI. 

We welcome and encourage functions from those that are at present under-represented in our work drive, together with folks with disabilities and from racially minoritised ethnic teams.

You probably have taken a profession break or durations of go away which will have impacted on the quantity and recency of your analysis outputs and different actions, resembling maternity, adoption or parental go away, you might want to disclose this in your software. The choice committee will take this into consideration when evaluating your software.

The College has been awarded the Incapacity Assured Employer standing. If you’re a candidate with a incapacity, we’re dedicated to making sure truthful therapy all through the recruitment course of. We are going to make changes to assist the interview course of wherever it’s affordable to take action and, the place profitable, affordable changes will likely be made to assist folks inside their function. 

Contact Data 

Division contact for academic-related enquiries 

For casual enquiries please contact Prof Madeleine Humphreys ([email protected] ). All enquiries will likely be handled within the strictest confidence. 

Contact info for technical difficulties when submitting your software 

When you encounter technical difficulties when utilizing the net software kind, we want you ship enquiries by e-mail.  Please ship your title together with a temporary description of the issue you’re experiencing to [email protected]  

Alternatively, you might name 0191 334 6801 from the UK, or +44 191 334 6801 from exterior the UK. This quantity operates in the course of the hours of 09.00 and 17.00 Monday to Friday, UK time.  We are going to usually reply inside one working day (Monday to Friday, excluding UK public holidays).  

Apply  

To progress to the evaluation stage, candidates should proof every of the important standards required for the function within the individual specification beneath. It is going to be on the discretion of the recruiting panel as to whether or not they will even think about any fascinating standards, however we’d urge candidates to offer proof for all standards.  

Whereas some standards will likely be thought of on the shortlisting stage, different standards could also be thought of later within the evaluation course of, resembling questions at interview.  

Submitting your software 

We want to obtain functions on-line.   We are going to replace you about your software at numerous factors all through the choice course of, by way of automated emails from our e-recruitment system. Please examine your spam/junk folder periodically to be sure you haven’t missed any of our updates.

What to Submit 

All candidates are requested to submit: 

1.     A CV and;

2.     A canopy letter which particulars explicitly how your expertise, expertise, and achievements in assembly (or have the potential to satisfy) every of the standards set out beneath. Candidates won’t be shortlisted if they can’t show that they meet all important standards (i.e. these are obligatory for the submit).

Subsequent Steps 

Brief-listed candidates will likely be invited to a digital interview, doubtless throughout early April 2024.

Within the occasion that you’re unable to attend in individual on the date supplied, it will not be potential to give you an interview on an alternate date. 

Please notice that in submitting your software Durham College will likely be processing your information. We’d ask you to contemplate the related College Privateness Assertion https://www.durham.ac.uk/about-us/governance/information-governance/privacy-notices/privacy-notices/job-applicants/ which supplies info on the collation, storing and use of information.   

When appointing to this function the College should be certain that it meets any relevant immigration necessities, together with wage thresholds that are relevant to some visas.

Particular person Specification 

Important Standards:

{Qualifications}

1.     A superb first diploma in Earth Sciences, Engineering, Physics or a associated topic.

2.     A PhD (or be near submission) in Earth Sciences, Engineering, Physics or a associated topic.

Expertise

3.     Expertise with 3D picture processing utilizing Avizo or equal software program .

4.     An curiosity in Earth Science associated issues, related to (for instance) grain packings and/or magmatism.

5.     Demonstrable capability to put in writing materials of a top quality commensurate with publication in extremely ranked journals.

6.     A observe file of presenting analysis at conferences, symposia, or conferences, commensurate with profession stage, and talent to speak complicated info to specialists and throughout the wider educational neighborhood. 

Expertise

7.     Demonstrable capability to work cooperatively as a part of a group, together with taking part in analysis conferences.

8.     Means to work independently on personal initiative and to strict deadlines.

9.     Wonderful interpersonal and communication expertise, together with written and spoken English.

10.  Enthusiasm and private initiative for analysis.

Fascinating Standards 

Expertise

11.  Sturdy publication file in peer-reviewed journals, commensurate with stage of profession.

12.  Expertise in optical or SEM microscopy, working with igneous rocks or rock textures.

Expertise

13.  Means to put in writing or develop algorithms inside Avizo.

14.  Understanding of improvement of igneous rock textures or cumulate processes.

15.  Demonstrable capability to plan and handle impartial analysis.