9 Collaborative Postdoctoral, PhD and MSc Positions Available - Adaptive Management of Green Stormwater
Adaptive Management of Green Stormwater Infrastructure to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Urban Watersheds
We invite applications for two postdoctoral fellow (PDF), five PhD and two MSc positions to participate in a collaborative research project to assemble and propose solution options for urban green stormwater management (SWM) infrastructure that optimize the reduction of greenhouse gases (GHGs; CO2, CH4, and N2O). The project aims to quantify the landscape-scale drivers and processes within stormwater ponds (SWPs) and bioretention systems (BRSs) that control GHG exchanges. The resulting knowledge will be integrated into robust representations of SWPs and BRSs in coupled hydrology-biogeochemistry models to analyze the responses of urban GHG emissions and nutrients export to the implementation and management of green SWM infrastructure.
The main supervisor for each position is listed in parentheses; however, each position will have an interdisciplinary supervisory team consisting of multiple project team members.
Instructions for applying can be found below.
PDF-1 will use statistical predictors including land use/land cover, climate variables, event characteristics, and system design to identify drivers of GHG emissions from green SWM infrastructure. (Elodie Passeport, University of Toronto)
PDF-2 will use biogeochemical modeling to predict GHG emissions from green SWM systems and propose solution options for municipal and regional climate action. (Philippe Van Cappellen, University of Waterloo.
PhD-1 will quantify GHG emissions from green SWM infrastructure using existing GHG emission data plus field monitoring of GHG fluxes at SWP and BRS sites with fixed and floating chambers. (Fereidoun Rezanezhad, University of Waterloo)
PhD-2 will focus on processes controlling the organic and inorganic carbon cycles in SWM systems to identify external and internal sources and sequestration pathways for GHG emission reduction. (Scott Smith, Wilfrid Laurier University)
PhD-3 will generate mass balances of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in SWM infrastructure to assess trade-offs between GHG reduction and water quality protection. (Philippe Van Cappellen, University of Waterloo)
PhD-4 will simulate and analyze management scenarios with variable SWM configurations
and hydroclimatic conditions in urban watersheds to optimize the reduction of GHG emissions at the watershed scale. (Andrea Brookfield, University of Waterloo.
PhD-5 will test the full-scale feasibility of geochemical interventions in SWPs and BRSs that increase carbon sequestration in green SWM infrastructure. (Bahram Gharabaghi, University of Guelph)
MSc-1 will determine the rates of carbon sequestration in green SWM systems with the focus on CO2 saturation and carbonate mineral sequestration potential. (Fereidoun Rezanezhad, University of Waterloo)
MSc-2 will simulate and analyze the vulnerability of GHG emissions from SWM infrastructure to changes in urban watershed hydrology including more extreme flooding and drought events. (Andrea Brookfield, University of Waterloo)
The PDFs and students will work closely together within a highly interdisciplinary team of researchers from University of Waterloo, Wilfrid Laurier University, University of Toronto and University of Guelph. The research team will regularly interact with scientists, practitioners, decision-makers, and public participants from stakeholder organizations, including Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), City of Kitchener, Ontario Clean Water Agency (OCWA), Muslim Families, and Crozier & Associates Consulting Engineers.
Applicants must have (or expect to soon complete) a degree relevant to the position applied for. Preference will be given to candidates with strong quantitative skills and demonstrated experience in one or more of the following or closely related areas: biogeochemistry, aquatic chemistry, hydrology, soil science, and environmental modeling and risk assessment. There will be flexibility in locations of the positions. Exceptional candidates who prefer to undertake a Master’s degree in one of the PhD topics above will be considered.
Please submit your application package electronically as a single pdf file to Anita Ghosh (a9ghosh@uwaterloo.ca). In your email, include “Missions_yourname” in the subject line. Your applications should contain:
- Which PDF, PhD-# or MSc-# position(s) you wish to be considered for
- A letter explaining your motivation to apply
- Curriculum vitae
- Copy of transcripts (unofficial transcripts will be accepted at the application stage)
Closing date: Applications will be reviewed as they are received. Preference will be given to applications submitted before June 1, 2023.
We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those individuals selected for an interview will be contacted.
The partnering universities in this project are committed to implementing the Calls to Action framed by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. We regard equity, diversity, and
inclusion (EDI) as an integral part of academic excellence. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here. In particular, we encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible/racialized minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities.
If you have any questions regarding the application process, eligibility, or a request for accommodation during the selection process, please contact a9ghosh@uwaterloo.ca.
MSc and PhD Opportunities - Can-Peat: Canada's peatlands as nature-based solution
MSc and PhD Opportunities at the University of Waterloo
We invite applications for one MSc and one PhD positions to participate in a recently funded collaborative research project called “Can-Peat: Canada’s peatlands as nature-based solutions to climate change”. The main goal of the Can-Peat project is to quantify the potential of peatland management in Canada to contribute to climate change mitigation as a nature-based solution. The Can-Peat project objectives are to create a Canadian peatland research network to advance models of peatland carbon cycling from site to national-scale and develop a decision-support framework for peatland management. The students will be guided by a team of researchers from the University of Waterloo and collaborators from partners in governments, industries, and conservation organizations.
MSc student will assemble a dataset of peatland physical, hydrological, and biogeochemical properties (including experimental data and field observations) from the selected study sites in the compilation of peatland datasets proposed in Can-Peat project. MSc student will use a robust machine learning model using the data to identify key environmental drivers and predict future changes in greenhouse gas emission rates under future climate scenarios. The goal will be to establish how peatlands in different regions are expected to respond to changing anthropogenic disturbances and climate warming to better understand the peatland carbon and greenhouse gas exchange and the resilience of their carbon source/sink function to disturbance.
PhD student will develop the reactive transport sub-models that evaluate the biogeochemical transformations of carbon and nutrients in peatlands under examples of anthropogenic disturbances and climatic scenarios to estimate the changes in carbon stocks and budgets for the future peatland ecosystems carbon balances. The outputs of these sub-models will be incorporated into the Canadian Model for Peatlands, to improve regional to national estimates of Net ecosystem exchange and carbon emissions into the Canadian Model for Peatlands frameworks for application at multiple scales and for spatially-referenced and spatially-explicit modelling approaches.
Applicants must have (or expect to soon complete) a degree in biogeochemistry, hydrology, soil science or a related field. Preference will be given to candidates with strong quantitative skills and demonstrated experience in one or more of the following areas: terrestrial biogeochemistry, environmental engineering, reactive transport modeling, and environmental climate change impact analysis. MSc student position can be created in lieu of a PhD position for exceptional candidates who prefer to undertake a Master’s degree.
If you have any questions regarding the application process and, eligibility, or a request for accommodation during the selection process, please contact Dr. Fereidoun Rezanezhad (frezanez@uwaterloo.ca) and Dr. Philippe Van Cappellen (pvc@uwaterloo.ca). Please submit your application package electronically as a single pdf file to Dr. Fereidoun Rezanezhad (frezanez@uwaterloo.ca). In your application email, please include “Can-Peat-MSc or PhD#_yourname” in the subject line and attach a single PDF file that contains:
- Your motivation for applying to the position and your research interests
- Curriculum vitae
- Copy of transcript(s) (unofficial transcripts will be accepted at the application stage)
- Contact information for up to 3 references
Closing date: Applications will be reviewed as they are received. The positions will remain open until filled. We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those individuals selected for an interview will be contacted.
The University is committed to implementing the Calls to Action framed by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. We acknowledge that we live and work on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples. The University of Waterloo is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes ten kilometers on each side of the Grand River.
The University of Waterloo regards equity and diversity as an integral part of academic excellence and is committed to accessibility for all employees. As such, we encourage applications from women, persons with disabilities, Indigenous peoples (First Nations, Metis and Inuit), Black and members of racialized groups, individuals in the LGBTQ2+ communities, and contribute to the further diversification of ideas.
Modeling of the winter carbon losses in cold region wetland ecosystems under current and future climates
A postdoctoral Fellow (PDF) position is available to participate in a research project to evaluate the impact of winter warming mitigation in controlling carbon losses from pan-Canadian wetland and permafrost ecosystems. The goal of this project is to advance the fundamental, process-based understanding of the function of soil biogeochemical processes in cold region environments during the fall-winter and winter-spring transitions and during the non-growing season (NGS) by creating the foundation for the predictive modelling of winter carbon losses in cold region wetland and permafrost ecosystems under current and future climates. The main tasks of the PDF will be developing reactive transport and bioenergetic models to simulate the biogeochemical transformations of carbon and nutrients under winter warming scenarios to quantify future northern wetland and permafrost ecosystems carbon balances during the period of NGS respiration.
Applicants must have a PhD in a relevant natural science or engineering field, and have a track record of research productivity, including peer-reviewed publications. Preference will be given to candidates with demonstrated skills and experience in numerical mathematical modeling, programming and numerical analysis in soil biogeochemistry and reactive transport modeling. The PDF will work within a multidisciplinary team with significant strengths in ecohydrology, environmental-(bio)geochemistry, microbiology, chemistry, hydrogeology and high-performance computing. Funding for the positions is available for up to two years. For further information regarding this position, or to submit an application, please contact Dr. Fereidoun Rezanezhad (frezanez@uwaterloo.ca).
Application Instructions
In your application email, please include “PDF-ACCS-YourName” in the subject line and attach a single file that contains:
- A cover letter stating your motivation for applying to this position and your research interests
- Curriculum vitae
- Copy of unofficial transcripts
- Contact information for up to 3 references
Closing date: Applications will be reviewed as they are received. The positions will remain open until filled. We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those individuals selected for an interview will be contacted.