Early Career Researchers

Serve on the AIMES Land Data Assimilation Working Group Steering Committee

The AIMES Working Group on Land Data Assimilation is seeking up to two early career scientists to join its steering committee. Selected individuals will help lead and support activities of the Land DA Community, and will co-develop resources and initiatives specifically for Early Career Researchers (ECRs). ECRs are defined as individuals currently pursuing a doctoral degree or within 10 years of completing their PhD.

The goal of this working group is to bring together a community of data assimilation scientists working with land surface models to share the latest tools and techniques to better quantify and constrain uncertainty in carbon-climate and land-atmosphere feedbacks and promote the use of these methods to the wider modeling community. The current focus of the working group is to build a land data assimilation community within which we can share knowledge and collaborate on synergistic activities to overcome land data assimilation related challenges. Activities to date have included: an annual virtual workshop on the technical challenges of implementing land DA systems, town halls on topics of interest, agenda-setting review papers, and the initiation of the Calibrated Land Model Intercomparison Project (CalLMIP).

We are seeking up to two highly-motivated individuals to serve in this volunteer position with a specific interest in fostering and supporting international collaboration to promote knowledge exchange across all groups working in land data assimilation and build a community of practice and collaboration in land DA particularly for addressing the technical challenges associated with implementing land DA systems. Ideal candidates will have familiarity with international scientific networks, expertise in land data assimilation, and expertise in some or all of the following: land surface and Earth system modeling, Earth system observations, or related fields. Ideal candidates should also have an interest in bringing together a community of data assimilation scientists to go beyond the remit of a single modeling group or institution.

The general tasks of the steering committee are as follows:

Advise and work with the steering committee to provide scientific guidance and oversee the development, planning and implementation of working group activities.
Lead the development of ECR-related activities and resources within the Land DA Community, with the support of the other WG members. This could include developing an ECR network, organizing specific DA related training sessions, or organizing professional development sessions.
Actively engage as liaisons with other international scientific programmes and ECR networks to promote land DA science, ensure collaboration, and identify synergies on different aspects of Earth system research.
Contribute as needed to funding acquisition efforts for working group-initiated activities, such as workshops.
Attend and actively participate in four (one-hour) virtual steering committee meetings annually.

How to Apply

Two committee positions are available with an anticipated start date following the approval of the position. When selected, the new SSC members will then receive a formal appointment letter. The period of service is for 2-3 years depending on early career status.

Self-nominations should include:

Completing the application form including a statement of interest outlining what you hope to achieve in this position
Brief CV (2 pages maximum)
To learn more about AIMES Working Group on Land DA, including the steering committee, mission, and activities: visit www.aimesproject.org/ldawg. Further inquiries can be addressed to the current steering committee leads.

Apply here

Deadlines

Self-Nominations

Statements of interest should be received electronically by August 18, 2025.

Acceptance Notification

Notification of acceptance will be made by September 1, 2025.

If you have trouble accessing the form, please email aimes[at]futureearth.org.