Postdoctoral Fellow: Leveraging Remote Sensing Information to support ecosystem restoration and recovery
Background
Ecosystem Restoration (ER) is important to reverse biodiversity loss and is a critical element of nature-based solutions (NBS) for climate change mitigation and adaptation, food security, and disaster risk reduction. ER investments must be data-driven, requiring historical information on ecosystem disturbance and degradation, to enable planning of interventions, which are then monitored for their impact.
This 20-month MITACS funded PDF position will conduct applied research in the application of remote sensing data to support ER. The postdoc will work closely with industry partner Hatfield Consultants (Vancouver) and international partners in Europe.
The post doctoral fellow will participate in the development and evaluation of remote sensing approaches to assess ER at demonstration sites in Canada and internationally. The successful applicant will develop and apply algorithms targeting remote sensed essential biodiversity variables (RS-EBV) products applicable to forest and wetland biomes. The project will assess how RS-EBVs can be used to assess recovery following a disturbance, including natural or active ER processes. Challenges include how to differentiate recovery signals from other dynamic processes (e.g., meteorological conditions, seasonal conditions, climate long-term variability, human actions).
The PDF will contribute to project related reporting, produce publications, and presentations in international workshops/conferences. A key component of the position will be to collaborate as a member of the multidisciplinary team and the RS-EBV community of practice including the European Space Agency. Successful applicants should:
- Hold a Relevant PhD (e.g., remote sensing, computer science, computer vision, data science, or forestry with a strong technical background) and an interest in the forest sector.
- Strong programming skills in Python or similar and using cloud computing.
- Documented track-record in publishing high-quality scientific papers within the field of the position.
- Have excellent oral and written communication skills with a strong publication record.
Details
The candidate will be based at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver, Canada under the supervision of Professor Nicholas Coops. Applicants should send a letter explaining their motivation and relevant skill set, a CV and the names of three references to nicholas.coops@ubc.ca
The deadline for sending in applications is July 15th 2022 but we will consider applications until the position is filled. The expected start date would be in October 1st 2022. The position is for a fixed length of 20 months.
Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person.
