[Coral-List] PhD student position in coral paleoclimatology

[Thomas Felis]

Department of Geosciences
MARUM-Center for Marine Environmental Sciences
University of Bremen, Germany

PhD student position in coral paleoclimatology
- under the condition of job release -

The Department of Geosciences/MARUM at the University of Bremen 
(Germany) has an opening for a PhD student position within the project 
“Control of seasonality and interannual to centennial climate in the 
Caribbean during the Holocene ¯ Combining coral records, stalagmite 
records and climate models (CaribClim)”. The joint project is funded by 
the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) within the framework of 
the new DFG Priority Program “Integrated Analysis of Interglacial Climate 
Dynamics (INTERDYNAMIK)” (SPP 1266).

CaribClim aims at identifying the forcing mechanisms of seasonality and 
interannual to centennial climate variability in the Caribbean region during 
the Holocene by analysing corals and stalagmites in combination with 
climate model simulations. The approach will quantify the natural range 
of climate variability on these timescales, and will unravel the role of the 
El Niño-Southern Oscillation, the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, the 
North Atlantic Oscillation and variations in insolation and Atlantic 
thermohaline circulation in the climate changes observed in the marine 
and terrestrial archives.

The PhD candidate will work on fossil corals from Bonaire (Netherlands 
Antilles). The work will include diagenetic investigations, microsampling 
and geochemical analyses (oxygen isotopes, Sr/Ca). The aim is the 
reconstruction of seasonality and interannual climate variability for time 
intervals during the Holocene. The PhD project involves strong 
collaboration with PhD students from institutions in Heidelberg 
(stalagmites) and Bremerhaven (climate models).

Highly motivated students with interest/background in paleoceanography 
or paleoclimatology are strongly encouraged to apply. An academic 
qualification comparable to a German Diplom degree (e.g., a Master's 
degree including a written thesis) in a related discipline is required. Good 
English language skills are required. PhD students are requested to 
attend summerschools and to carry out part of their work at partner 
institutions.

Salary will be according to the German civil service remuneration system 
E13 TV-L/2. The appointment is initially for two years with possible 
extension to three years.

As the University of Bremen intends to increase the proportion of female 
employees in science, women are particularly encouraged to apply.

In case of equal personal aptitudes and qualification disabled persons will 
be given priority.

For further information please contact Dr. Thomas Felis
(tfelis at uni-bremen.de).

Please submit your application, together with a detailed curriculum vitae, 
copies of certificates, a letter outlining specific interest in this project and 
relevant experience and contact details of two referees, under the 
reference number A 122/07 to

Dr. Thomas Felis (tfelis at uni-bremen.de)
Department of Geosciences
University of Bremen
P.O. Box 33 04 40.
28334 Bremen
Germany

Applications in pdf format via email are preferred. Evaluation of 
applications will start immediately and will continue until the position is 
filled.

We would be very grateful, if you could submit your application 
documents as copies (no folders), we can not send your documents back 
because of cost reasons; after the application process the documents will 
be destroyed.