Applications are invited for a PhD position to work in the ITARS project, a Marie Curie Initial Training Network (ITN) within the FP7 programme. ITARS (Initial Training for Atmospheric Remote Sensing) focuses on the synergistic application of high-end ground-based remote-sensing instrumentation that has the potential to substantially contribute to an improved understanding of aerosols, clouds, and aerosol-cloud interaction processes and their role for both climate and weather. The 11 PhD projects developed within this European network will focus on high-end ground-based remote-sensing instrumentation, synergistic observations and/or mathematical methods.

National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics will host ESR1 "Modification of aerosol optical properties due to humidity from lidar and microwave radiometer".

 

•research and training in an exciting European network (see www.itars.net for details);

•3 years of theoretical (University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics) and practical (National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics) training in active and passive remote sensing;

•a highly competitive gross monthly allowance (approx. €2679/month, depending on family status - more than attractive for someone leaving in Romania);

•secondments to our academic (University of Cologne, Germany) and industrial (Raymetrics, Greece) partners;

•excellent career-development opportunities.

We seek excellent candidates

•which may not have resided or carried out their main activity in Romania for more than 12 months in the last 3 years (short stays such as holidays are not taken into account);

•with an MSc degree (or equivalent) in Physics, Engineering or Environmental science and in the first 4 years (full-time equivalent) of their research careers;

•having good computer programming skills and knowledge of English;

 

Short description of the PhD project (ESR1)

The focus of this project is on aerosols direct effect and its dependence on relative humidity due to hygroscopic growth. The ESR will combine multi-wavelength and depolarization lidar to assess the correlation between aerosol optical parameters and relative humidity for various types of local and long-range transported aerosols from long-term measurements. For humidity measurements, microwave radiometer observations will be used and compared with the lidar water vapor, within the collaboration with the University of Cologne. The work includes technical improvement (in collaboration with Raymetrics S.A., Greece) of the multiwavelength Raman lidar depolarization and water vapor channels for quantitative retrievals, as well as data analysis using HYSPLIT backtrajectory analysis. Measurements will be taken at the Romanian Atmospheric 3D research Observatory (RADO), GAW regional station.

 

Applications for ITARS PhD positions will be received and processed in an homogeneous way for the entire network. Therefore, applications should be sent toThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it." target="_blank"> This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., preferably as a single pdf-document. Please state “ITARS application” and the position number(s) (ESR1) in the e-mail subject line. Candidates who wish to apply for more than one position should send a combined application, providing a ranking of their preference.

Your application should contain:

•Cover letter outlining the motivation and qualification for the project position(s); more than one project can be named;

•Curriculum vitae (CV);

•List of publications (if available);

•Copies of university degree(s) and school certificates;

•Letters of reference (optional)

 

Application Deadline: Review of applications begins on 1st of July, 2012, and will continue until the positions are filled.

 

Interview Period: Candidates pre-selected (based on documents provided) will be invited for a short interview early September 2012

 

Starting of Work: from October 2012 onward