POSTDOCTORAL ASSOCIATE, Nuclear Science and Engineering, to enhance understanding of the climactic effects of limited nuclear wars by studying the fundamentals of how large-scale fires are initiated by nuclear explosions, the probability of their occurring, and the expected soot loading produced by such fires. Responsibilities include carrying out literature reviews of existing work and identifying key disagreements and their origins; researching soot generation in limited nuclear wars, including through the use of code for modeling large-scale fires; validating findings against published research; analyzing data to reach novel conclusions; summarizing research results and present findings at lab meetings and externally to both technical and policy audiences; drafting at least one technical paper for submission to a peer-reviewed journal and one book chapter to summarize key findings for a policy audience; and performing other related duties as required, including work performed at lower levels, when necessary.

Job Requirements

REQUIRED: Ph.D. in a relevant quantitative technical discipline (i.e., physics, applied mathematics, engineering, environmental science); practical experience with coding and numerical modeling; proven ability to craft research agenda, review and analyze the existing literature, and synthesize research findings; and excellent command of written and spoken English, including the ability to structure complex technical documents and write clear and precise prose. PREFERRED: experience with modelling large-scale fires, knowledge of nuclear weapons and their effects, experience with knowledge transfer in a public-policy setting, and knowledge of the LaTeX typesetting language. Job #23813

Salary: $80,000/year

This is a full-time, one-year position that is renewable for up to one additional year pending satisfactory performance.

Will be expected to work in residence at MIT.