Vacancy: Assessing Trace Gas Fluxes from Agricultural Systems

THE CALL IS OPEN - next cut-off 4th of August 2011 - 12.00 Milan Time

Located in Ispra (Italy), the Institute for Environment and Sustainability is one of the seven institutes that constitute the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission.

In line with the JRC mission, the aim of IES is to provide scientific and technical support to the European Union strategies for the protection of the environment contributing to a sustainable development. The IES works in close collaboration with official laboratories, research centres and industries of the EU's Member States, creating a bridge between the EU's policies and the European citizen.

The combination of complementary expertise in the fields of experimental sciences, modelling and remote sensing puts the IES in a strong position to contribute to the implementation of the European Research Area and to the achievement of a sustainable development.

Structured in six scientific Units (plus a new unit currently under construction), the Institute at present is engaged within seven main fields of activity:

- Sustainable Use of Natural Resources: Water, Soils, Forests

- Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development

- Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation

- Environmental Risks and Natural Hazards

- Sustainable transport and Air Quality

- Environmental Dimension of Development Co-operation

- Environmental Monitoring and Information Systems: GMES and INSPIRE

In order to increase and reinforce its capacity, and in order to encourage researchers to enhance their experience in an international, multicultural and multidisciplinary environment, the Institute for Environment and Sustainability is launching a call for interest for Grantholders for Doctoral, Post-doctoral and Senior Research Positions.

The grants aim to develop training and mobility opportunities for researchers throughout their careers.

We are committed to a strong policy of equal opportunities. We will not discriminate against researchers in any way on the basis of gender, age, ethnic, national or social origin, religion or belief, sexual orientation, language, disability, political opinion, social or economic condition.

Category 20 - PhD STUDENTS (12-36 months)
This category is intended for students who submit a proposal for doctoral studies related to a research area published in the Institute's call for interest for grantholders. Prior agreement to follow the research project must be obtained from the professor responsible for following the thesis at the student's university (not obligatory at the time of the application). The selected candidates must provide proof of enrolment in a university's doctoral studies programme before the grant may be awarded and will have no more than six months from the date of the Commission's offer of a grantholder contract to produce this proof of enrolment.

Category 30 - POST-DOC RESEARCHERS (12-36 months)
Researchers who hold a doctoral degree, have fulfilled all the obligations to obtain a PhD (certified by the their university) or have a minimum of 5 years' research experience after the first university degree giving access to doctoral studies (which may include periods of training such as a masters degree), in a field relevant to the IES's scientific activities.

Category 40 - SENIOR RESEARCHERS (3-24 months)
Any senior scientist with a proven reputation in a field of science relevant to the IES's scientific activities and who has a minimum of 10 years' research experience at post-doctoral level or a minimum of 15 years' research experience after the university degree giving access to doctoral studies (which may include periods of training such as a masters degree).

The call for interest will remain open throughout the year but the available positions will be published for a minimum of 4 weeks, according to the needs and the budget availability of the Institute. The cut-off date is clearly defined in the text of the call.

CONTRACT

The provisions of grantholder contracts and their particular terms and conditions (e.g. remuneration, taxation, social security, holiday entitlement, etc.) can be found in the Vademecum (EN - IT). The grants are governed by the Administrative rules applicable from 17 February 2010 to the recruitment of grantholders under national law contracts within the framework of the research programmes managed by the Joint Research Centre (Employment Contract under Italian Employment Law EN - IT).
Specific conditions: exceptional circumstances for derogation in the sequence of grantholder contracts (art.5 of Administrative rules).

HOW TO APPLY:

If you are interested in one of the projects published (see list below), please submit an on-line application before the closure of the call, specifying the number of the project you are interested in, the category of the grantholder, the duration and your possible starting date.

LIST OF AVAILABLE POSITIONS FOR CAT. 20  

H02. Climate Change and Air Quality Unit - 1 position 

LIST OF AVAILABLE POSITIONS FOR CAT. 30

H00. Office of the Director - 1 position 

• IES-2011-301103-Technologies for observation and monitoring the mitigation of diseases

H02. Climate Change and Air Quality Unit - 3 positions 

• IES-2011-301106-Assessing trace gas fluxes from agricultural systems
• IES-2011-301107-Air pollution monitoring with micro-sensors
• IES-2011-301123-Air Quality Modeling and Model Harmonization 

H03. Global Environment Monitoring Unit - 2 positions 

• IES-2011-301108-Assessment of biological processes and biodiversity value of protected areas in Africa, Caribbean and Pacific countries
• IES-2011-301122-Marine and Coastal Ecosystem Modeling 

H06. Spatial Data Infrastructures Unit - 2 positions 

• IES-2011-301113-Engineering innovative environmental services to support the development of a Digital Earth
• IES-2011-301121-Support the development of environmental information systems

H07. Land Management and Natural Hazards Unit - 1 position

• IES-2011-301115-Improving hydrological model input

H08. Sustainability Assessment - 1 position 

• IES-2011-301119-European Platform on Life Cycle Assessment
  

ACCOMODATION

The JRC Ispra site offers all Ispra site personnel and prospective personnel support to help them find accommodation. All new grantholders, regardless of nationality, have the possibility to request a furnished flat which they may rent for a period of maximum 12 months. The JRC Ispra manages some furnished flats located 5 minutes walk away from the JRC main entrance. They are intended to provide interim accommodation.

In case of selection, please visit the page Living and working in Ispra. A request for a flat does not guarantee that you will be allocated one. It is not uncommon that demand exceeds the number of available lodgings. In this case, the Office for Infratructure and Logistics in Brussels (OIB.OS.3) can propose further alternatives in the area.

IES Contact Information Point: jrc-ies-grantholders@ec.europa.eu