Announcement of Opportunity

NCAS Weather

Research position intopollution transport

The new NERC strategy ‘Next generation science for planet earth’ identifies the quantification of how pollutants disperse in soil, water and air’ as a key science challenge. In response to this, NCAS Weather intends strengthening its research into pollution transport and its impacts. As part of this programme we are creating a position to further research into the regional and long-range transport of pollutants. This post will help deliver the NCAS Weather research strategy (available from It is envisaged that the post-holder will conduct a programme of research involving state-of-the art numerical models with close collaboration with the measurement community (in particular NCAS Composition). Of particular interest are the mechanisms whereby pollutants can be lifted above the local mixed layer and so create the conditions for long-range transport.

Funding is available to support a research fellowship post hosted at a NERC-eligible United Kingdom institution.

The initial period of funding is from 1stSeptember 2008 for 2½ years.

Applications are invited from eligible Principal Investigators to host and manage this research position within the NCAS Collaborative Centre framework.

Applications should be in the form of a two page proposalsetting out the research programme. Applicants should also explain why their institution is a suitable host for NCAS activities. A one page track record for the PI should also be included. Where a named researcher is identified in advance in the application, their CV may also be attached.

NCAS Weather will provide the research post with funds for travel and consumables but we would expect participation in major field campaigns to be funded from research grants.

The closing date for applications is 15 June 2008

Further enquiries about this opportunity can be made to Prof. Geraint Vaughan, NCAS Director for Weather Research. Email: , tel: 0161 306 3931.

Further information about NCAS.

The National Centre for Atmospheric Science is one of the Natural Environment Research Council's established collaborative centres. It exists to deliver NERC's core programme in atmospheric science and to provide national atmospheric science facilities for the benefit of the NERC and university atmospheric science communities. There are three science directorates: Climate, Composition and Weather. There are two technology divisions (Computer & Data Facilities and Observational Facilities) which provide facilities to NCAS and the wider atmospheric science community through four services and facilities: the Facility of Airborne Atmospheric Measurements (FAAM); the British Atmospheric Data Centre (BADC), the Universities' Facilities for Atmospheric Measurement (UFAM) and Computational and Modelling Services (CMS) for Atmospheric Science. NCAS staff are widely distributed across the UK, resident in at least 12 UK universities, and more are based at its facilities: BADC (Rutherford Appleton Lab, Oxford) and FAAM (CranfieldAirport and CranfieldUniversity). There are approximately 120 staff in total.

NCAS Weather carries out a programme of research into weather processes, including boundary-layer and urban meteorology, clouds and aerosols, mesoscale processes and severe storms, pollution transport and air quality. The programme involves the use of advanced numerical models (the Met Office Unified Model and Large Eddy Model, and the American WRF model) and the measurement infrastructure supported by NERC, seeking to exploit both theory and measurement to gain a better understanding of our meteorological environment. We also do some work in model and experimental development, and are in discussion with the Met Office on a joint programme of research.

NCAS Weather is currently distributed among five UK Universities: Manchester, Leeds, Reading, Southampton and Hertfordshire, and has nine research staff, including the Director.In the research area of pollution transport collaborative links with NCAS composition will be encouraged, as well as with UFAM and FAAM for planning field campaigns.