Research Fellow, MaREI Centre, Environmental Research Institute & School of Engineering

Applications are invited for the post of Research Fellow in Agriculture, Forestry and Land Use (AFOLU) to join the MaREI Centre in University College Cork (UCC), based at the Environmental Research Institute, Lee Rd, Cork. 

 

MaREI is a key research centre within UCC’s Environmental Research Institute (ERI), which is an internationally recognised Institute for environmental research dedicated to the understanding and protection of our natural environment and to developing innovative technologies, tools and services to facilitate a transformation to a zero carbon and resource efficient society. The MaREI Centre is an SFI funded research centre headquartered in the ERI and includes 13 other Universities and Third Level Institutes from across Ireland, has 50 industrial partners and has accumulated research funding of approximately €60m. It combines the expertise of a wide range of research groups and industry partners, with the shared mission of solving the main scientific, technical and socio-economic challenges across the climate, energy and marine spaces.

UCC is seeking to appoint a Research Fellow to support the development, writing and production of Ireland’s first Five Year Assessment Report (5YAR) on Climate Change. The report will provide an authoritative assessment of our understanding of climate change in an Irish context, linked EU and global analysis and to provide summary information which can inform decision making on climate actions. It will serve to identify research gaps to inform future research investment needs and priority research issues. It is envisaged that this process will contribute to the development of national assessment and analysis capacity. It should also enhance engagement with similar developments at European and international levels and establish a structure and process to develop future reports.

The report will be provided in a series of four thematic volumes with an overarching synthesis report. Three of the four volumes will reflect the structures used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in providing its large-scale assessment report in addressing fundamental scientific understanding, mitigation of climate change and adaptation to climate change. The fourth volume will focus on the opportunities and realising the benefits of the required transition and transformation arising from climate change. The report’s structure is as follows:

 

• Vol. 1: Science: Ireland in a changing world

• Vol. 2: Achieving climate neutrality by 2050

• Vol. 3: Being prepared for Ireland’s future climate

• Vol. 4: Realising the benefits of transition and transformation

 

Each volume will be published as individual components of the 5YAR. The completion of the 5YAR will be signalled by publication of a short synthesis report that integrates key messages from the material in the underlying volumes. The writing process will be led by a team of at least 8 leading academics with at least two academics leading on the production of each of the component volumes. The synthesis report will be provided by the full team. The report will be focused on outcomes from research in Ireland and Europe and build on material provided by the IPCC during its 6th Assessment cycle.

By collating the latest available scientific evidence on climate science, mitigation and adaption specific to Ireland, this report can provide Ireland with the necessary evidence to deliver on the new ambition to transition to a climate resilient and climate neutral economy by the year 2050. Interaction will be a key component of this project as selected scientific experts will collate the science and write the reports which will be overseen and reviewed by experts based in State Agencies and Department Officials.

Funding has been provided by the Environmental Protection Agency to MaREI to lead the writing of Volume 2, “Achieving climate neutrality by 2050”. The successful candidate will work with Prof. Brian Ó Gallachóir and Dr. Paul Deane, Academic Lead Authors for Volume 2, to research and deliver this volume of the report in collaboration with other contributing authors. The candidate will have the opportunity to inform policy decisions with a particular focus on the role that Agriculture, Forestry and Land Use will play in the delivering Ireland’s 2050 climate mitigation objectives. In addition, the Research Fellow will consider Ireland specific and global GHG emissions pathways to 2050 and to 2100 by exploring costs and benefits of sectoral emissions pathways, uncertainties related to achieving the national 2050 climate objective and identifying gaps in knowledge that need to be addressed. The ideal candidate will have a PhD in a discipline related to climate mitigation, such as agricultural science, economics, engineering, or a related field, relevant postdoctoral experience, a track record of strong peer reviewed journal publications, and a proficiency and appetite for mitigation analysis and policy-relevant, multi-disciplinary research.  The Research Fellow will have experience in climate mitigation analysis with a developed understanding of the state-of-the-art current research. Proven experience with agricultural, forestry or land use modelling and climate policy analysis will be a strong advantage. Very strong written and spoken communication skills, including fluency in English, is an essential requirement.