OCE Postdoctoral Fellowship - Trees Ice Rocks and Water - an elemental analysis of past climate

Applications are invited for a three year OCE Postdoctoral Fellowship to investigate how much information on climate variability can be extracted from tree rings. The position will be based at CSIRO Forest Biosciences laboratories in Tasmania.

The successful applicant will be a plant physiologist with experience in wood anatomy and the physiology of wood development.  They will have an aptitude for software and algorithm development, with experience in modelling biological processes related to cambial development. The key responsibility of this position is to conduct research on dendroclimatology, utilising several long-lived species growing in Australia.  The position will involve using detailed, high-resolution measurements of tree cross sections to extract climate signals from wood anatomical variation.  The position will then utilise the understanding from these studies to construct process-based models of wood formation.  Extracted signals will be compared with ice-core chronologies from the Law Dome site at Antarctica (CRC Antarctic).

The Fellow will be motivated to understand the physiology of wood growth and the ability to interpret wood variation within an environmental / ecological context.  The Fellow's unique contribution to the broader research effort will be to build from current software development to devise algorithms and write code to allow prediction of annual ring structure based on climate variability and a detailed knowledge of cambial physiology. The Fellow will spend a significant fraction of time conducting an independent research program in line with these broad goals, and will also have the opportunity to participate in the planning and development of new wood formation models in related species.

Candidates should have obtained a PhD in plant science, forestry or a related field and on commencement of the Fellowship, have a maximum three years relevant work experience since conferral of their doctorate. Experience with time-series analysis and software development is essential.  

Description of the Research/Business Group

Based at Sandy Bay, Tasmania, the OCE Postdoctoral Fellow will join a team of scientists seeking to understand the interrelationships between tree, wood, climate and genetic variability across a wide range of forest types, both commercial and natural.  The fellow will interact with CSIRO teams in Melbourne, utilising state-of-the-art wood analysis technologies such as SilviScan and Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIR).  The successful candidate will also interact closely with research staff at Monash University, working in the area of dendrochronology, and the University of Tasmania in the area of climate reconstruction from Antarctic ice cores. 

The Position

The position will be within a multi-disciplinary team based at the CSIRO Laboratories in Sandy Bay (Hobart), Tasmania, Australia.

There are four main parts to the project:

1. Identification of appropriate tree species and sites for analysis, together with the collation of existing data sets.  This will involve literature review and database construction, as well as detailed interaction with other dendrochonological researchers within Australia
2. Sampling of sites and the analysis of wood cores using traditional dendrochronological techniques, together with new, high resolution wood measurement technologies and construction of chronologies covering the past 100 years exploring the climate signal existing in long-lived trees.
3. Working with other researchers with related climate-proxies (eg Antarctic ice cores) to identify whether common signals exist among different records.
4. Build process-based models of annual ring structure, and report findings in the scientific literature

In addition the candidate will be given the opportunity to develop a related research effort within the broader guidelines of the SAFER theme, within CSIRO Forest Biosciences.

Key relationships

The OCE Postdoctoral Fellowship will be located in Sandy Bay (Hobart), Tasmania. The Fellow will report to Geoff Downes and will also work closely with other scientists within CSIRO Forest Biosciences and our national and international partners.

Key result areas

The OCE Post-Doctoral Fellow will:  

1. Contribute to the CSIRO Forest Biosciences SAFER theme.
2. Develop innovative concepts and tools for the analysis of tree ring series, organisation and manipulation of tree ring information.
3. Extend current research on process-based modelling of tree growth and wood formation as a consequence of environmental variability.
4. Report results in oral and written form and write reports and papers for peer-reviewed journals
5. Contribute to the effective functioning of a research team and help meet the CSIRO organisational objectives.

Applicants must address the selection criteria.  Applicants that do not address the selection criteria will not be considered.  To assist you prepare your application please read the information available at "Guidelines for Applicants"

Essential:

1. PhD or will shortly satisfy the requirements for a PhD degree in plant science, forestry or related disciplines.
2. Experience in cambial or tree physiology, and process-based modelling
3. Experience in writing software and the ability to communicate results orally and in writing.
4. Ability to contribute new ideas and expertise to CSIRO Forest Biosciences SAFER theme
5. Evidence of good communication skills, both written and oral  

Desirable:

1. Demonstrated ability to work in a team
2. Demonstrated ability to help and motivate others
3. Experience in Dendrochronology or dendroclimatology

Commencement possible within 6 months of acceptance of Fellowship

**Note that to be eligible for consideration for appointment to a Post Doctoral fellowship within CSIRO an applicant’s total relevant work experience, on completion of the fellowship at CSIRO, must not exceed six full-time equivalent years since confirmation of their doctorate.

Applications

Before you apply ensure that your documents are in Text, MS Word or PDF. Ensure your file is not larger than 1MB in PDF format, or 2MB for all other formats.  

CSIRO prefers applications be lodged online via this careers site.

You are required to include two documents:(1) A document Addressing the "Selection Criteria" and

(2) A "Resume or CV" including the names of at least two referees.

Note:  Applications that do not address the selection criteria will not be considered.

If you experience difficulties applying online call 1300 301 509 and someone will be able to assist you. Outside business hours please email: csiro-careers@csiro.au

If you are unable to lodge your application online, please fax your application (quoting reference number 2008/372) to +61 2 6246 4455  or alternatively post to:

CSIRO Careers Online

PO Box 225

DICKSON ACT 2602

Contact: Should you require more information on this position please contact Geoff Downes at Geoff.Downes @csiro.au

Please do not email your application directly to Geoff. Applications received via this method will not be considered. Please use the 'Apply Now' link.