Weather and Climate Research in the Latest GMAO Reanalyses

The NASA Postdoctoral Program at ORAU offers a post-doctoral opportunity in Weather and Climate Research, focusing on evaluating new Earth System reanalyses. Applicants must have a Ph.D. in climate science or a related field, with strong data analysis and programming skills. The position is located in Greenbelt, MD, and involves analyzing large datasets in high-performance computing. Applications are due by July 1, 2025.
Organization

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Reference Code

0297-NPP-JUL25-GSFC-EarthSci

How To Apply

All applications must be submitted in Zintellect

Please visit the NASA Postdoctoral Program website for application instructions and requirements: How to Apply | NASA Postdoctoral Program (orau.org)

A complete application to the NASA Postdoctoral Program includes:
• Research proposal
• Three letters of recommendation
• Official doctoral transcript documents

Application Deadline

7/1/2025 6:00:59 PM Eastern Time Zone

Description

About the NASA Postdoctoral Program

The NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) offers unique research opportunities to highly-talented scientists to engage in ongoing NASA research projects at a NASA Center, NASA Headquarters, or at a NASA-affiliated research institute. These one- to three-year fellowships are competitive and are designed to advance NASA’s missions in space science, Earth science, aeronautics, space operations, exploration systems, and astrobiology.

Description:

This opportunity is closed to applicants who are Senior Fellows (5-years or more past PhD).

The GMAO is in the process of releasing a new reanalysis, and expecting development and release of MERRA-3 within a few years. This post-doctoral opportunity will be focused on evaluating the new reanalyses in the context of critical weather and climate physical processes represented in the Earth System reanalysis. Potential research topics to be considered in this position:
• Earth Energy Imbalance - The influence of observations in the water and energy budgets
• Regional closure of the water and energy cycles
• Developing quantitative uncertainty, through the analysis ensemble spread
• Use of reanalysis in applied science sectors (e.g., Energy, Agriculture)

The research will require analysis of large data sets in NASA high performance computing.

Field of Science: Earth Science

Advisors:

Amal EL Akkraouri

amal.elakkraoui@nasa.gov

301.614.5500

Michael Bosilovich

Michael.G.Bosilovich@nasa.gov

(301) 614-6147

Questions about this opportunity? Please email npp@orau.org

Qualifications

Potential candidates should have a Ph.D. in climate science or a related field, including other desirable qualifications:

Strong data analysis skills, including experience working with large climate datasets.

Programming experience, particularly in Python, and proficiency with UNIX platforms. Matlab, IDL and/or GrADS use are favorable. as well.

Experience with peer review publications is strongly encouraged (e.g. publishing ones PhD dissertation)

Point of Contact

Mikeala

Eligibility Requirements
• Citizenship: LPR or U.S. Citizen
• Degree: Doctoral Degree.