Job Posting Title:

CRESSLE Postdoctoral Fellow

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Hiring Department:

John A and Katherine G Jackson School of Geosciences

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Position Open To:

All Applicants

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Weekly Scheduled Hours:

40

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FLSA Status:

Exempt

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Earliest Start Date:

Immediately

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Position Duration:

Expected to Continue Until May 31, 2026

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Location:

UT MAIN CAMPUS

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Job Details:

General Notes

The Environmental Science Institute at The University of Texas at Austin is seeking applicants for its 2024-2025 Project CRESSLE Postdoctoral Fellows Program. We seek to hire three creative, enterprising and community-engaged postdoctoral scholars who will conduct independent research on topics focused on community resilience and sustainability. Postdoctoral Fellows will engage with geoscience researchers (faculty, students) and Austin community members. We welcome applicants with research interests across geosciences and related environmental disciplines, and we are particularly interested in applicants who address issues of environmental justice and who have demonstrated the ability or potential to engage with communities for translational science results. We seek individuals who have technical expertise in one or more of the following topics: computational modeling, geospatial analysis, field observations, laboratory analysis, and the alignment of scientific data with social indicators of resilience.

Postdoctoral Fellows will participate in the NSF-supported Project CRESSLE , Community Resilience integrated into an Earth System Science Learning Ecosystem , which partners UT researchers and underserved communities from Austin neighborhoods to develop community-based participatory research projects. Project selection and co-design of research will be based on input from research theme cohorts (UT geoscience researchers, Postdoctoral Fellows, Austin community members, community organizations, and other stakeholders) and an analysis of issues of greatest community need. Participatory research projects will be developed across three research themes:

• Water Resources : Projects will address water-quality and water quantity resilience challenges that may disproportionately affect underserved communities in Austin. These challenges include impacts on the Colorado River and local watersheds by activities of upstream and local users from rapid urbanization, aging municipal infrastructure, and climate change, using biogeochemical and/or hydrological observations and modeling.

• Climate Extremes : Projects will focus on two key climate challenges faced by urban communities - extreme heat and extreme precipitation/flooding. This includes assessing the exposure of climate impacts as a function of atmospheric forcing, geography and landcover; assessing social vulnerability to understand how the same forcing can have disproportionate impacts across urban areas; and investigating solutions by aligning downscaled geophysical data and social indicators of resilience.

• Communities & Landscapes : Projects will address resilience challenges as it relates to land-use dynamics, civic green space quality and capacity for ecosystem services, and soil quality for urban gardens and other urban sustainability practices and processes.  Geoscience approaches will involve geospatial and remote sensing analysis, and geochemical analyses of water and soil. These data will be used, in collaboration with analyses of social dynamics, to study landscape changes, water quality, and soil quality.

The assignment is expected to last two years. The assignment will be for one year at an annual salary of $65,000 or $5,417 per month, plus health care and other benefits. The assignment can be renewed for a second year based on funding and performance. There will also be research funds available through Project CRESSLE for each of the three theme groups. The start date is flexible and can be as early as December 1, 2023. The expected start date is March 1, 2024, and dates as late as July 1, 2024, can be considered.

Applications must be submitted via Workday and only complete applications will be considered starting with the application review on July 1, 2023.

Purpose

The goal of Project CRESSLE is to partner university researchers with underserved communities in Austin to assess community needs, and create a community of practice that will design and implement community-driven research projects addressing community resilience and sustainability challenges. The CRESSLE Postdoctoral Fellow will 1) conduct scientific analysis to address issues of community resilience around one of the three research themes listed above; and 2) engage in the Project CRESSLE Community of Practice.

Responsibilities

• Conduct scientific analysis and engage in participatory research to address issues of community resilience around one of the three research themes (water resources, climate extremes & resilience, and communities & landscapes) as described in detail above.

• Engage in the Project CRESSLE Community of Practice that partners university researchers, community organizations and other stakeholders.

• Lead writing of peer-reviewed publications and present findings at scientific conferences.

• Contribute scientific expertise across project activities led by other project team members.

• Contribute to mentorship of a graduate students.

Required Qualifications

Ph.D. in geosciences and related environmental disciplines and a research interest on issues of environmental justice. Demonstrated ability or potential to engage with communities for translational science results. Applicants must complete a Ph.D. before starting and PhD must not have been received more than three years before start date.

Preferred Qualifications

Technical expertise in one or more of the following topics: computational modeling, geospatial analysis, field observations, laboratory work, and the alignment of scientific data with social indicators of resilience.

Salary Range

$65,000

Working Conditions

• May work around standard office conditions.

• Repetitive use of keyboard at a workstation.

• Some travel to local communities.

• Occasional weekend, overtime and evening work to meet deadlines.

Required Materials

• Cover letter: A letter of interest in the position.

• Statement of Research: A document outlining research achievements and current research interests (400-500 words). Include previous and/or potential contributions to community-based participatory research.

• CV: A current CV that includes education and employment history, publications, and awards. Must include month and year that Ph.D. was awarded or the expected completion date.

• Contact information for 3 academic references.

Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers: You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications. Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section; you will be able to multi-select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded.  Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.

Important for Current university employees and contingent workers: As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs. If you are a current University employee, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply. This information will be pulled in to your application. The application is one page and you will be prompted to upload your resume. In addition, you must respond to the application questions presented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) that were noted above.

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Employment Eligibility:

Please make sure you meet all the required qualifications and you can perform all of the essential functions with or without a reasonable accommodation.

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Retirement Plan Eligibility:

The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length. This position has the option to elect the Optional Retirement Program (ORP) instead of TRS, subject to the position being 40 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.

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Background Checks:

A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.

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Equal Opportunity Employer:

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer , complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

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Pay Transparency:

The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.

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Employment Eligibility Verification:

If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form.  You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States.  Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment.  Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.

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E-Verify:

The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university’s company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is 854197. For more information about E-Verify, please see the following:

• E-Verify Poster (English) [PDF]
• E-Verify Poster (Spanish) [PDF]
• Right To Work Poster (English) [PDF]
• Right To Work Poster (Spanish) [PDF]

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Compliance:

Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031 .

The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.