Our research group is recruiting postdocs and students at all levels (depending on funding availability). Please email questions regarding research topics and the admission process to oliver.sonnentag@umontreal.ca.
Research topics with a strong field research component will require some wilderness outdoor experience (remoteness of the sites!) as frequent travelling and extended stays at the research sites will be required. And if you are lucky the north will show its most beautiful side.
A fully funded 4-year PhD positions is open immediately in the Atmosbios Lab, based in the Département de géographie at Université de Montréal, under the supervision of Drs. Oliver Sonnentag and Kyle Arndt (Woodwell Climate Research Center).
Start of the PhD program at the Université de Montréal is May or September 2023. We are looking for a talented student with interests in ecosystem greenhouse gas balance, soil biogeochemistry, peatland ecology, and Canada’s northern permafrost region. The project will focus on the use of eddy covariance techniques to assess the greenhouse gas and energy balances of northern permafrost peatlands affected by wildfire. Field research will be conducted in the southern Northwest Territories (Scotty Creek, destroyed by a late-season wildfire in October 2022, scheduled to be rebuild in March 2023), supported by the Woodwell Climate Research Center through the Permafrost Pathways project. The project will also be part of Can-Peat; a Canada-wide network for understanding the future carbon balance of peatlands. There is flexibility, and it is encouraged, for the students to focus on specific aspects of interest under the overarching themes
Applicants are expected to hold, or soon complete, an MSc degree (or equivalent) in atmospheric sciences, physical geography, soil science, environmental science, or similar fields. Previous experience with eddy covariance instrumentation and data handling is favourable. Proficiency in spoken and written English is needed, and, ideally, some French language skills for the position at Université de Montréal. The Atmosbios Lab and the Woodwell Climate Research Center are committed to the principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion. We welcome people of any ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or ability to contact us about the positions.
Full funding for the PhD students is available through Graduate Research Assistant Fellowships. Funding is also available to cover costs for skills workshops, national and international scientific conferences, and field gear. Additional stipends and scholarships are available to apply for from both institutional and national sources, including recruitment awards for students with high GPAs.
For further information and to apply, please send a letter of interest to oliver.sonnentag@umontreal.ca (Atmosbios Lab) and karndt@woodwellclimate.org (Woodwell Climate Research Center). Include resume/CV describing your skills and education, university transcripts and names of two referees. Positions will remain open until filled.