University of Birmingham Postdoctoral Recruitment: Health-Centred Net Zero Delivery
Postdoctoral Recruitment at the University of Birmingham
Health-Centred Net Zero Delivery
The University of Birmingham is recruiting several postdoctoral researchers for the Wellcome Trust project A Health-centred Systems Approach towards Net-Zero: Transforming Regional Climate Mitigation Policies (Heal-NZ). The project brings together 30 experts and government officials from the University of Birmingham, the University of Surrey, the University of York, the Clean Air Fund, the UK Department for Environment, the West Midlands Combined Authority, Birmingham City Council, and other organisations. With health as its central focus, the project will conduct integrated analysis of pathways for reducing carbon emissions and air pollutants, and design optimised regional policy options for achieving net zero emissions.
University of Birmingham
Part.01
Position Overview
Job description
Three postdoctoral research fellows are now being recruited. They will work respectively on emissions inventories, air quality observations, and net zero pathways. The positions are as follows:
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Research Fellow 1: Emission Inventory
Tutors: Professor Zongbo Shi and Dr. Yuli Shan
Job Description: This 2-year research fellow will develop greenhouse gas (GHG) and air pollutant emission inventories for the West Midlands region using local activity data. The post-holder will also be required to apply inversion modelling to estimate CO2 and air pollutant emissions based on observations. Future emissions will be simulated by considering policy interventions on top of the existing SSP scenarios.
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Research Fellow 2: Air Quality
Tutors: Professor Zongbo Shi and Dr. Suzanne Bartington
Job Description: This 3-year post will collect real-world air quality and greenhouse gas observational data to evaluate the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of climate mitigation actions in the West Midlands to support policy decisions.
3
Impact Research Fellow 3:
Net Zero and Air Quality
Tutors: Professor Zongbo Shi, Dr. Louise Reardon, and Dr. Suzanne Bartington
Job Description: This 3-year post will work closely with other researchers and stakeholders within the Heal-NZ project to apply air quality, machine learning and/or health economics models for improving understanding of the air quality and health impacts of Net Zero policies, and to translate the science evidence into policymaker-friendly reports and briefing documents. The post-holder may be seconded to regional and/or local authorities to support their policymaking processes.
Part.02
Recruitment Details
Recruitment details
1
Job responsibility
Responsibilities
1. Complete specific tasks within the project scope in line with the research objectives;
2. Collect data, analyse results, and publish outputs in the form of journal articles, reports, or policy briefs;
3. Participate in or lead the translation of project outcomes into impact;
4. Support and assist other team members in carrying out related research;
5. Contribute to subsequent project applications and related work.
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Application conditions
Candidate Requirements
1. A relevant educational background and a doctoral degree, or near completion of a doctoral degree, in a field related to the research area;
2. Strong independent data analysis skills and experience in acquiring, applying, and developing datasets;
3. Proficiency in relevant models, technologies, or methods, as well as the ability to learn or develop new models or methods. Examples include emissions accounting, inversion modelling, and integrated assessment models for climate change for Position 1; integrated air quality observations and advanced data processing, including machine learning, for Position 2; and air quality modelling, air pollution health impact modelling, and zero-emission policy analysis for Position 3;
4. More than three papers published in leading international journals;
5. Strong communication skills and proficiency in English as a working language.
Part.03
Mentor Team
Mentor team
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Professor Zongbo Shi
Zongbo Shi is a professor in the School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Birmingham. He is a Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy and a Fellow of the European Association of Geochemistry. His research focuses on air pollution, global biogeochemical cycles, and related fields, and he has published more than 160 SCI papers. He previously served as the overall coordinator of the UK-China major collaborative research programme on air pollution and human health in Chinese megacities. He currently leads two major projects funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council and one major Wellcome Trust project, with total funding exceeding GBP 5 million, and participates in several other major projects with total funding of GBP 10 million. He is currently chair of a review panel of the UK Natural Environment Research Council and an academic editor of Environmental Chemistry and PLOS ONE.
02
Associate Professor Yuli Shan
Yuli Shan is an associate professor in the School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Birmingham. He is a Highly Cited Researcher, a contributing author to the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report, and the first overseas executive council member of the Chinese Society for Input-Output and Big Data. He has received more than 20 academic honours, including Germany Green Talents and the Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self-Financed Students Abroad. He also serves as an editor for journals including Scientific Data, Journal of Cleaner Production, and Advances in Climate Change Research. His research combines natural and social sciences across multiple disciplines, with a long-term focus on carbon emission accounting, regional sustainable development, and climate change economics. His work has provided foundational data support for government management practices related to carbon peaking and carbon neutrality. He has published more than 100 SCI and SSCI papers in leading international and Chinese journals including CNS family journals, Science Bulletin, and National Science Review, with 18 papers selected as ESI Hot Papers and 24 as ESI Highly Cited Papers.
03
Associate Professor Suzanne Bartington
Suzanne Bartington is an associate professor at the Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, an Honorary Consultant in Public Health in the United Kingdom, and an adviser to the UKRI Clean Air Strategic Priorities Fund Expert Panel. Her research covers the health effects of environmental and indoor air quality, sustainable transport, and environmental public policy.
04
Associate Professor Louise Reardon
Louise Reardon is an associate professor in the School of Government at the University of Birmingham and co-chair of the World Conference on Transport Research Society special interest group on governance and decision-making processes. Her research focuses on multi-level governance and policy change evaluation, with particular attention to transport governance and wellbeing. She has published extensively in journals including Political Studies, Policy Studies, and Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, and serves on the editorial boards of Research in Transportation Business & Management and Local Government Studies.
Part.04
Recruitment Information
Recruitment information
University: University of Birmingham
Location: Birmingham, United Kingdom
Project title: A Health-centred Systems Approach towards Net-Zero: Transforming regional climate mitigation policies
Application deadline: 21 June 2023, 23:59 London time
Start date: October 2023
Application websites:
https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DAE231/research-fellow-1-heal-nz
https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DAE238/research-fellow-2-heal-nz
https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DAE359/research-fellow-impact-fellow-heal-nz
https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DAE372/project-manager-heal-nz
For more information, please contact:
Professor Zongbo Shi (z.shi@bham.ac.uk)
Associate Professor Yuli Shan (y.shan@bham.ac.uk)