Institute of Geological Sciences
Starting Date: April 1
Duration: Fully-funded for 4 years
Tasks
As a key member of our research team, your primary role will involve conducting fundamental research, data acquisition, and analysis using advanced imaging techniques. We offer flexibility in how you achieve the project's goals, allowing you to tailor your focus based on your skills and interests. Your responsibilities will include:
- Obtaining high-resolution data from sediment cores.
- Running laboratory incubation experiments to understand the stability of sedimentary signals.
- Participating in fieldwork.
- Applying advanced data science approaches, including supervised and unsupervised pixel clustering and neural networks, to discover unique “fingerprints” of past cold and warm climates.
The project is organized into three main work packages that will guide you from initial data acquisition to final fingerprinting. A research assistant will support you with imaging methods and/or data science.
Requirements
We are seeking a highly motivated and inquisitive candidate with a Master's degree in Earth Sciences or a related field. We encourage applications from individuals with diverse academic backgrounds, including experience in:
- Biogeochemistry
- Limnology
- Sedimentology
- Environmental research
- Ecology
- Hydrology
- Data science
- Image processing
While experience in data science is a plus, a genuine passion for hands-on analytical work, fieldwork, and a willingness to learn advanced data science techniques are most important. We value strong analytical skills and a collaborative spirit.
Your Profile
You are an independent, curious, creative, and ambitious team player who enjoys interdisciplinary science, learning, and mastering new skills. You possess:
- Interest or experience in advanced imaging techniques.
- Interest or experience in data science.
- Strong ability to work independently and tackle research problems while collaborating effectively within a team.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.
We are committed to enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusiveness in geology and particularly encourage applications from underrepresented groups.
We Offer
- An exciting, interdisciplinary project focused on bridging paleoclimatology and cutting-edge data science, hosted at the Institute of Geological Sciences and the Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research at the University of Bern.
- A stimulating and supportive research environment that actively promotes multi-dimensional diversity.
- Access to state-of-the-art laboratory facilities at the University of Bern, including XRF, µXRF, HSI, and collaboration with MARUM, University of Bremen MSI.
- Opportunities for international collaborations, conference participation, and workshops.
- Professional and personal development through specialized training in data science.
- A supportive framework tailored for PhD student success, including guidance from a research assistant on methods, alongside independent projects to ensure reproducibility and generalizability of datasets.
- Integration into the Sedimentary Geochemistry unit of the Institute of Geological Sciences. For more information, please visit: Sedimentary Geochemistry Research.
- Enrollment in the renowned OCCR climate sciences graduate school.
- A competitive SNSF-funded PhD student salary starting at approximately 50,000 CHF gross annually for up to 4 years.
Apply online using the form below. Please note that only applications matching the job profile will be considered.