Wurster Postdoctoral Science Fellow, Environmental Defense Fund, Inc., US

EDF fellowships provide high-quality experiences, including relevant projects and opportunities for networking, that form the foundation serious candidates need to pursue an environmental career.

Application Materials

Interested applicants should attach their cover letter, CV and copy of a relevant publication (can include a manuscript in prep or in review) to the EDF application. The cover letter (<1000 words) should describe how they might address the problem in the “Overall Function” listed above, and the types of data they would seek to explore (whether remotely-sensed data, atmospheric data, ground-based measurements, or other data), as well as their motivation for seeking this position and professional goals at EDF.

Location

Any EDF U.S. office location (Austin, TX; Boulder, CO; Boston, MA; New York, NY; Raleigh, NC; San Francisco, CA; Washington D.C.) or U.S. Remote. Fellow supervisor is in Texas and many team members are in Colorado and Washington, DC. Eligibility to work in the U.S. is required for the duration of the fellowship.

Term

This is a two-year fixed-term position, with full benefits and the possibility of extension.

Program/Department Overview

Science and Innovation (S&I) is the nexus of science at EDF, ensuring that the science that is the backbone for EDF policy positions is based on the best available information. S&I also drives innovation at EDF, seeking out emerging topics and exploring the science needed to underpin new solutions to environmental priorities. S&I provides programmatic support for all scientists at EDF and fosters relationships with scientists outside the organization. The S&I team works on projects across all EDF programs, translating basic and applied research in the natural and social sciences into actionable ideas to have impact on climate change priorities, air quality and health, and building resilient communities.

EDF is seeking a Postdoctoral Fellow to conduct research on the role of empirical greenhouse gas emissions data on driving mitigation rates. The Fellow will belong to a cohort of EDF post-docs that receive professional development training through mentoring and workshops, with an emphasis on sustainability leadership. This position is made possible by the EDF Founders’ Fund honoring the scientists who founded EDF, including Charles Wurster.

Overall Function

The Founders Postdoctoral Fellow will conduct research to explore evidence on the relative role of empirical greenhouse gas emissions data in driving mitigation rates, as opposed to indirectly estimated emissions data. For over three decades, countries have been required to report their inventories of greenhouse gas emissions to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Each nation has differing capabilities to do so, but most inventories are currently constructed from a combination of reported economic activity across sectors and emissions factors to estimate emissions at a national level. These inventories have been the basis of our knowledge about progress on emissions reductions but are not particularly actionable when it comes to informing decision makers about opportunities for reducing emissions at regional and local scales or monitoring progress on targets over time.  EDF has a proven track record of identifying opportunities for bringing empirical data to the table to help move actionable science forward in areas such as methane emissions and alternative fuels such as hydrogen. The Fellow will analyze new sources of remotely sensed data, as well as atmospheric and other observations to identify the potential for these data to produce more spatially and temporally constrained emissions inventories and the role that such data may play in accelerating climate action. This work will result in original publishable research, “in-house” analyses for use by other EDF staff, and other communications aimed at policy makers, journalists, and the public at large.

The Fellow will analyze the problem of actionable greenhouse gas inventories from the perspective of what will ultimately be of use to decision makers, whether corporations looking to reduce their emissions, regional or local governments seeking to track progress on climate goals, or markets seeking to understand progress on additionality and durability of carbon removals. The project will be developed in conjunction with other scientists at EDF including a senior scientist and our Chief Scientist, Steven Hamburg. The specific questions and goals are flexible and will be co-generated by the Fellow and a team of EDF scientists, taking into account the Fellow’s skillset and interest, and are not necessarily constrained to any particular emission source, geographic location, or scale. The Fellow will work within S&I and report to an Associate Chief Scientist.

Key Responsibilities

Tasks will include but are not limited to:

• Conduct research to identify existing and novel datasets that could be used to produce independent, actionable greenhouse gas emissions data at varying temporal and spatial scales that could drive accelerated greenhouse gas mitigation. The specific research question will be based on the Fellow’s expertise and EDF-identified priorities, however we hypothesize inclusion of empirical GHG measurements is likely to be most transformative.
• Evaluate the attributes and potential role of selected datasets to advance greenhouse gas mitigation relative to conventional datasets.
• Lead and participate in the preparation of manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals and, where appropriate, reports/fact sheets/blog posts for general audiences on the topic of focus.
• Become familiar with and keep up-to-date on the relevant scientific literature and policy contexts, and synthesize and disseminate that information for EDF scientists and specialists in environmental policy and law. The Fellow is also encouraged to pursue projects and collaborations in their own areas of interest.
• Represent EDF in external meetings with a high degree of professionalism.
• Support research teams with related projects as needed and potentially supervise intern(s) assigned to the project.
• Participate in advancing EDF’s organizational effectiveness and culture goals, so people from all backgrounds and experiences feel connected, included and empowered to address environmental and organizational challenges in ways that align with EDF values.
• This position may require work-related travel.

Qualifications

• A recent Ph.D. in atmospheric science, earth system science, or a relevant specialty in the natural sciences, engineering, or environmental studies suitable to examine data relevant to building novel approaches to greenhouse gas measurement and impact.
• Strong quantitative skills (statistical analysis and modeling) with proficiency in one or more of the following: statistical software R, Python, SQL databases (e.g. PostgreSQL, Google BigQuery) and SQL scripting, JavaScript programming.
• Spatial data analysis experience and skills using R or Python scripting (e.g. arcpy or open source equivalent), ArcPro/QGIS, Google Earth Engine, or similar are valuable, not required.
• A track record of relevant research including peer-reviewed publications (or manuscript currently under review) and presentations at scientific conferences.
• Demonstrated excellence in rigorous scientific analyses and in oral and written communication of scientific concepts to general audiences.
• Intellectual agility and comfort working in an inter-disciplinary setting and learning new skills (on-the-job training will be provided to familiarize the successful candidate with media, policy skills, and issues).
• Ability to work independently, using independent judgment to plan, prioritize, and organize a diverse workload in a fast-paced environment.
• An interest and commitment to solving environmental problems through collaborative projects based on rigorous science and solutions-focused advocacy.
• Willingness and ability to travel within the U.S.
• Demonstrate self-awareness, cultural competency and inclusivity, and ability to work with colleagues and stakeholders across all cultures and backgrounds.

Compensation

We offer a strong total rewards package encompassing competitive salary, robust benefits, and professional development opportunities consistent with a modern global organization. The annual salary for this role is $72,000.

Learn more about fellowships at EDF - http://www.edf.org/environmental-careers/fellowships