Research Scientist

About the position

The primary purpose of the position is to lead research on air quality forecasting and various air quality modeling and its practical applications. The Research Scientist engages in projects on real-time air quality forecasting, data assimilation, and dust storm air quality forecasting, and emission modeling.

Responsibilities

• Conducts Advanced Research
• Develops and enhances air quality forecasting models to predict pollutant concentrations across various regions. This involves integrating meteorological data, emissions inventories, and chemical transport models to improve prediction accuracy; and
• Provide timely and reliable forecasts that inform public health advisories and policy decisions.
• Analyzes Emissions Data
• Analyzes emissions data from the official U.S. EPA's national emissions inventory (NEI) including various sources, such as transportation, industrial activities, and natural events (e.g., dust storm and fires), to understand their contributions to air quality. This analysis is conducted using advanced statistical methods and modeling techniques to identify trends, sources, and patterns of pollution.
• Develops and Implements Modeling Tools
• Creates and implements advanced tools and software for air quality modeling, including emissions processing systems and chemical transport models. This involves coding, testing, and validating models against observational data to ensure accuracy and reliability; and
• Enhance the technical capabilities of the research team and provide robust tools for forecasting and scenario analysis.
• Supports Principal Investigators
• Contributes to the preparation of research proposals and grant applications by providing technical expertise on air quality modeling and forecasting. This includes writing sections on methodology, expected outcomes, and the significance of the research; and
• Secure funding for ongoing and future projects and to support the principal investigators in achieving their research objectives.

Requirements

• Master's degree in related field
• Five (5) years or longer experiences in atmospheric sciences
• Knowledge of Fortran, Python, R program language skills

Nice-to-haves

• Knowledge of Community Multiscale Air Quality program (CMAQ), Sparse Matrix Operator Kerner Emissions program (SMOKE), Data Assimilation, and other modeling skillsets