Senior Research Associate in Vegetation and Fire Modelling

The role

The Postdoctoral Research Associate will work on the Copernicus Fire and Land-Atmosphere Modelling of Emissions (CoFLAME) project. CoFLAME will deliver scientific and technical advances to better account for interactions between wildfires and vegetation, improving estimates of wildfire emissions and natural CO₂ fluxes, while enhancing the forecasting of fire activity, fire probability, and fire spread.

At the University of Bristol, you will develop new theoretical and modelling frameworks to quantify vegetation recovery, mortality, and ecosystem legacy effects following fire. This work will combine data synthesis, model development, and analysis to deliver new process-orientated insights into post-fire ecosystem dynamics and the role of vegetation legacies in shaping land-atmosphere carbon exchange and ecosystem resilience under future climate change.

You will join the research lab of Professor Martin De Kauwe at the University of Bristol and will collaborate closely with an international team of researchers within the Copernicus Fire and Land-Atmosphere Modelling of Emissions (CoFLAME) project. Coordinated by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), the consortium brings together leading scientists from the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI), GEOVILLE, NILU (Norway), the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI), and the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA).

Hybrid working is available and can be discussed at interview.  This is a full-time (100%) position but appointment at 80% time would be considered.

What will you be doing?

You will contribute to the Copernicus Fire and Land-Atmosphere Modelling of Emissions (CoFLAME) project by developing and applying new approaches to represent how vegetation responds to and recovers from wildfire. Working at the interface of ecosystem science, Earth system modelling, and remote sensing, you will investigate the impacts of fire on vegetation structure, carbon cycling, and ecosystem recovery. The role will involve developing and testing new model representations of post-fire vegetation dynamics, analysing observational and satellite datasets, and collaborating with international partners to improve the representation of fire-vegetation interactions in next-generation land surface models and forecasting systems.

You should apply if

You have:

• A PhD (or soon to be awarded) in mathematics, vegetation modelling, physics, atmospheric science, or similar quantitative discipline.
• Significant experience in ecosystem, vegetation, land surface, or Earth system modelling, ideally with applications to wildfire, disturbance, or ecosystem recovery.
• Demonstrated programming/computing skills in a Unix/Linux environment.
• Strong research and publication track record (relative to career opportunity)
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively as part of a team and independently in a research environment.

Additional information

Contract type: Open-ended (fixed funding for 3 years)

Work pattern: Full-time (100%) position but appointment at 80% time would be considered.

This advert will close at 23:59 UK time on Thursday 5th November 2026

For informal queries please contact: Professor Martin De Kauwe, Professor of Global Change Ecology via email: m.dekauwe@bristol.ac.uk

Interviews will be held during week commencing 16th November 2026

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