Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Senior Research Scientist in Climate Change Data Integration, Dissemination, and Informatics at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

posted on KDnuggets

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Purpose 
The Climate Change Science Institute (CCSI -climatechangescience.ornl.gov/) and National Center for Computational Science (NCCS - computing.ornl.gov/nccs.shtml) at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (Lab) have an opening for a senior research scientist in data integration, dissemination, and informatics (DIDI). 

Institutes and centers bring together expert researchers and tools from across the Lab to focus on complex and novel interdisciplinary research projects. The CCSI focus is on Earth system modeling; terrestrial ecosystem sciences; environmental data management; and impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability research. The NCCS focus is on using novel and state-of-the-art computer and computational approaches to help researchers deliver new scientific knowledge in a range of scientific areas including climate. The CCSI and NCCS collaborate closely on research to better understand the climate system and the implications of climate change. 

The current DIDI mission is ensuring that researchers addressing climate change and its effects can readily discover and use data. The CCSI curates more than 10,000 diverse environmental and climate data sets and many tools for their management, navigation, and analysis, including atmospheric radiation measurements about cloud formation and its influence on heat transfer; carbon dioxide and other atmospheric trace gases of interest to climate studies, and a broad range of biogeochemical data. These data are regularly used by world-class researchers and cited in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's assessment reports. The DIDI effort optimizes strategies for proactively supporting integrated experiment-observation-modeling (MODEX) research and for coping with the variety, velocity, and volume of big data that climate and environmental sciences generate. 

We are looking for a nationally and internationally recognized thought leader to help lead and grow the DIDI research efforts. This person will help us solve the "big data" problem associated with studying the climate system and how natural and human systems influence and are impacted by a changing climate. A key focus will be identifying, accessing, and using data in novel ways to address some of the most pressing challenges facing humankind. The successful candidate will be able to draw upon the substantial expertise and tools available at the CCSI, NCCS, and the Lab; including one of the fastest and most capable supercomputers in the world; world-class climate, population, and urban dynamic models; sophisticated data management and visualization tools; and an exceptional collaborative research environment. 

Major Duties/Responsibilities 

The successful candidate will lead DIDI research projects and staff that advance the use of data, informatics, data architectures, and computational approaches to better understand and solve climate-related challenges facing humankind. The candidate will develop data infrastructure and capabilities to support the full data lifecycle of how models, experiments, and observations are integrated together to advance climate science; ensure that these systems complement existing and emerging community data activities and requirements; and anticipate innovative community data tools needed by the climate research community. 

The research will also explore opportunities for linking DIDI research to model development and analysis efforts associated with the Department of Energy Office of Science's next generation, exascale climate model development project called the Accelerated Climate Model for Energy. This model will produce enormous amounts of data and information at scales useful for regional to local decision-making. A strong focus for both CCSI and NCCS is improving our understanding of how urban ecosystems impact the climate system and are influenced by a changing climate since urban areas have such a significant impact on energy and water use and the production of greenhouse gases. Thus, we are particularly interested in candidates that have experience and interest in growing the data, informatics, and computational approach associated with this important research area. Candidates with background or interest in research at the energy-water nexus are also of strong interest. Responsibilities will include development of new research proposals, communication with research sponsors, execution of research tasks, supervision of support staff, and communication of research outcomes via publications and professional presentations. 

Qualifications Required 
  • Ph.D. in data, informatics, or computational science and relative domain (e.g., climate, environmental, etc.) with strong computational and data backgrounds.
  • Research experience in optimizing the use of big data, data mining, data visualization data architectures, and computational approaches in novels ways to better understand and solve climate-related challenges facing humankind.
  • Track record of research excellence as measured by research grants, peer-reviewed publications, and service to the DIDI research community
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills
  • Ability to lead and work effectively with interdisciplinary research teams
  • Eligibility to work in the United States

 
Preferred Qualifications: 
  • +10 years beyond PhD
  • Experience with stakeholder engagement and science communication
  • Demonstrated success mentoring early career researchers
  • Project management experience
  • Interest and experience in using data to better understand how urban ecosystems impact the climate system and are influenced by a changing climate, the energy-water nexus, and preparing society for and improving resiliency to extreme events

 
_Contact_:
For more information please contact our recruiter, Julianna Presley, atpresleyj@ornl.gov or apply online at www.ornl.gov/ornl/careers -Reference NB50526657. 
 

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