Post-Doctoral Research Assistant (PDRA) in Holocene Vegetation Modelling

University of Reading - School of Archaeology Geography & Environmental Science

Placed On: 10th October 2025
Closes: 28th November 2025
Job Ref: SRF50267/R

The closing date for applications is 23.59 on 28th November 2025

Interview date: to be confirmed

This post is for a fixed-term period of up to 18 months.

By reference to the applicable SOC code for this role, sponsorship may be possible under the Skilled Worker Route. Applicants wishing to consider the SWR must ensure that they are able to meet the points requirement before applying. There is further information about this on the UK Visas and Immigration Website.

The University of Reading is seeking to recruit a PDRA in Holocene Vegetation Modelling to apply an eco-evolutionary optimality model of gross primary production to understand how climate changes during the Holocene have affected vegetation properties, and how these changes in turn have affected the isotopic composition of speleothem records. The PDRA will be involved in the design and analysis of model experiments to test explicit hypotheses about the isotopic response to climate and vegetation changes in the past. This work will contribute to two major projects, an international project led by the University of Reading on the development of eco-evolutionary optimality approaches to modelling vegetation and a NERC funded project led by the University of Northumbria "When and Why does it Rain in the Desert". The postholder will be based in Reading and will be part of a team of early career scientists there.

You will have:

• A PhD in a relevant subject by the start date of the appointment
• Good programming skills (r, Fortran, Python)
• Familiarity with eco-evolutionary optimality approaches to modelling vegetation
• Experience with working with large data sets and climate model outputs
• Analytical skills, including experience with multivariate analysis, time-series, and geospatial statistics
• Previous research experience and publication record
• Ability to use own initiative and plan, manage and prioritise workload effectively to meet varied and strict project delivery deadlines

Contact details:

Contact Name: Sandy P. Harrison
Contact Job: Supervisor
Contact Email address: s.p.harrison@reading.ac.uk

The University is committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce, supports the gender equality Athena SWAN Charter and the Race Equality Charter, and champions LGBT+ equality. Applications for job-share, part-time and flexible working arrangements are welcomed and will be considered in line with business needs.