[Plsgs] FW: URGENT: INRA seeks a talented postdoc on crop modeling

[Lambert, Georgina M - (glambert)]

On Behalf of Mike Ottman


-----Original Message-----
From: DSSAT - Crop Models and Applications [mailto:DSSAT at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Pierre MARTRE
Sent: Saturday, October 26, 2013 9:46 AM
To: DSSAT at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: URGENT: INRA seeks a talented postdoc on crop modeling

Dear Colleagues,

Please find below the description of a 24-months postdoctoral position to be opened in my group at INRA Clermont-Ferrand, France, to work on the AgMIP Wheat and MACSUR projects. I would greatly appreciate if you could forward this position in your group and networks.

This position is opened as part of the EU international mobility program Agreenskills and offers very attractive conditions in terms of salary (+60% salary compared with regular French junior researcher positions), hosting conditions, and training.

The application deadline on the Agreenskills website
(http://www.agreenskills.eu/) is _*15 Nov. 2013*_. If you are interested in this position, please contact me by email at <pierre.martre at clermont.inra.fr> before applying on Agreenskills web portal.  Please check the eligibility requirements in the attached position description before applying.

Best regards,

Pierre Martre.

PS: Apologies for cross-postings.
--

Laboratory Research Project Proposal

*Hosting organization*

Organization



INRA, National Institute for Agricultural Research

Research Unit



UMR1095 Genetic, Diversity and Ecophysiology of Cereals

Grain Integrative Biology group

Full Address



INRA -- UMR1095 GDEC

5 Chemin de Beaulieu

F 63 039 Clermont-Ferrand, Cedex 2

France

*Contact person*

Full name



Pierre Martre

Position



Research Director, Group Leader

Telephone



+33 473 624 351

Email address



pierre.martre at clermont.inra.fr <mailto:pierre.martre at clermont.inra.fr>

Mailing address



INRA -- UMR1095 GDEC

5 Chemin de Beaulieu

F 63 039 Clermont-Ferrand, Cedex 2

France

*The research proposal*

Short title of the proposal



Uncertainty of process-based wheat models under climate change

Long title of the proposal



Intercomparison and improvement of process-based wheat models in simulating development, growth and yield and grain protein formation under climate change.

Location



Clermont-Ferrand, France

Expected starting date



1 February 2014

Duration



24 months

Research proposal description



Process-based crop simulation models have become an important tool in assisting crop management, to estimate production potentials, to assess the impact of climate change and develop adaptation strategies, including traits. However, most wheat models have never been tested with field experiments of climate change scenario components or trait impacts as an adaptation option. The research project will focus on wheat model inter-comparison and improvement for assessing the impact of global changes on wheat productivity and environmental impacts. The successful candidate will work with AgMIP (www.agmip.org) wheat research team and project collaborators. AgMIP Wheat brings together the global wheat modelling and crop physiology community to improve wheat models for climate change impact and adaptation strategies. It aims to compare wheat models with a range of detailed field experimental data, identify shortcomings and develop new modelling routines to better simulate across wheat models the impact of high temperature, elevated atmospheric
CO_2 concentration, nitrogen management and their interactions with genotypes and traits (GxExM) on wheat yields. Duties of the incumbentinclude (i) run process-based wheat simulation models developed by the hosting INRA groups (SiriusQuality, STICS) following AgMIP protocols; (ii) lead large scale data analysis; (iii) develop and implement algorithms for wheat response to extreme temperatures; (iv) lead high impact paper writing. In particular, the successful candidate will exploit recent results of the AgMIP Wheat Pilot Project (Asseng et al., Nature Climate Change 3:827-832) to quantify the uncertainty and error of wheat models in simulating soil and crop nitrogen dynamics and grain protein formation under climate change. The ability of improved wheat models to simulate seasonal variability and mid-term trends in development, growth, and yield and grain protein formation will then be quantified using experimental results from wheat breeding programs and long term agronomic experiments, and sensitivity of analyses to impact factors.

Keywords



Adaptation, Climate change, Interactions, Model improvement, Model inter-comparison, Nitrogen, Seasonal variability, Traits, Uncertainty, Wheat.

Subjects of the research proposal



Climate change

Deadline for application



15 November 2013

**

*Required disciplinary skills of the hosted fellow*

- Applied life sciences and biotechnology / Agriculture related to crop production, soil biology and cultivation, applied plant biology

- Environmental Sciences / Global Changes

- Life Sciences / Ecology, environment / Bioclimatology

- Life Sciences / Agricultural sciences / Agronomy

*Expertise and competences*//

A PhD in plant ecophysiology or modelling or a closely related field is required. Experience with crop modelling and with R programming and object oriented programming (e.g. Java, C++, or C#) are required.
Organizational skills and ability to work in a collaborative and multidisciplinary environment are essential. Good oral and written English skills are also required.

**

*Hosting conditions and research facilities*

The incumbent will be based in INRA Clermont-Ferrand
(http://www4.clermont.inra.fr/umr1095/big/) and will receive strong scientific and technicalsupport from the AgroClim INRA Unit (Avignon) and the STICS Export Working Group(http://www7.avignon.inra.fr/agroclim_stics_eng). The host Research Unit have made practical arrangements that will ensure successful implementation and management of the project. Dr. P. Martre will supervise the research project. The leader of the AgMIP Wheat team, Prof. Dr. F. Ewert (University of Bonn) and Prof. Dr. S. Asseng (University of Florida), have been involved in the definition of objectives of the fellow's research project, which guarantee its integration in the overall project of the group. They have expressed their agreement to future cooperation and their support to this research proposal. The host Research Unit and Research Group will provide the researcher with all the needed theoretical or methodological information which may help the implementation of the research project. Questions related to the applicant project will be discussed frequently on the regular project and team meetings where the fellow will present his/her work. The host institute has drawn up its own Chart for doctoral candidates and postdoctoral fellows, which was designed to specify the conditions for the hosting and integration of doctoral candidates and postdoctoral fellows within INRA in terms of their recruitment, positioning in host units and training, and the publication and valorisation of research results. As the host Research Unit regularly recruit research staff from foreign countries, the Human Resources service has set up a full set of simple procedures to ensure an efficient preparation, smooth arrival and settle in. After the contract being approved by all parties, the future grant holder will obtain Medical insurance, as well as liability insurance. The Human Resources service will provide the fellow with the necessary assistance, regarding local administration, residency permit application, social security card, accommodation, helping with school and childcare arrangements if needed, etc.

**

*Financial resources*

Financial resources for the research project



The research project of the fellow will be financed by INRA thanks to the support of the Environment and Agronomy (EA) division and the meta-program on Forestry and Agriculture Adaptation to Climate Change
(ACCAF) in the frame of AgMIP program and MACSUR knowledge hub of the FACCE JPI. Additional resources will be provided by the recently funded
FP7 KBEE project Whealbi.

Financial resources for the salary of the hosted fellow



Funded by the Environment & Agronomy Division, INRA.

Estimated gross salary for the hosted fellow



Basic gross salary (a): 3537.47 EUR/month

Mobility allowance (b): 1280 EUR/month

Total gross salary ((a)+(b)): 4817.47 EUR/month//

*Ethical issues and limitations*

None

*Proposal for web announcement*

INRA seeks a post-doctoral fellowto work on project related to wheat model intercomparison and improvement within The Agricultural Model Inter-comparison and Improvement Project. Duties include running models following AgMIP protocols; leading large scale data analysis; leading high impact paper writing.

*Eligibility requirements*

Applicant researchers must fulfil the following eligibility criteria:

*Holding a PhD (or PhD will have been awarded by mobility start date);

*Having a maximum of 10 year research experience (after Master's degree, i.e. the title giving access to PhD);

*Not having spent more than 12 months in France within the last 3 years immediately prior to the expected date of recruitment ;

*Being able to write and speak fluent English or French;

*At least 1 publication in an inter-disciplinary or specialised peer-reviewed journal;

*Having 1 publication in an inter-disciplinary or specialised peer-reviewed journal per 2 years of post-doctorate period (patents count as publications) taking into account the breaks;

*Your research project is relevant to AgreenSkills fields of interest and must be compliant with the opinion 24 of the European Group of Ethics in Science and New Technologies.

*The mobility period should last at least 12 months and up to 24 months.