Research Associate: Soil NOx Emissions Modeling & Fieldwork

Introduction

Nitrogen oxides (NOx = NO + NO2) play a major role in the atmospheric chemistry controlling climate and air pollution. Understanding NOx emissions both now and into the future is therefore essential if we are to tackle major environmental challenges. Although atmospheric NOx emissions are currently dominated by anthropogenic combustion, recent work has suggested heavily fertilised agricultural soils are likely a significantly underestimated source.

This project brings together experts in biogeochemistry and atmospheric chemistry to address this key uncertainty, through the combination of experiments and modelling to develop a process-based model parameterisation for agricultural soil NOx emissions.

Soil NOx emissions vary nonlinearly with agricultural management, soil conditions, and meteorology, but current models fail to capture observed NOx emission variability. This project aims to use the most comprehensive dataset to date, including the use of NOx isotopic signatures of biogeochemical processes, to challenge and improve our process-based understanding of soil nitrification and denitrification.

The successful candidate will:

• Use existing biogeochemical models and datasets to investigate NOx emission controls and identify model failures.
• Direct targeted field and laboratory scale experiments at the Warwick Crop Centre to provide data capable of improving model representations.
• Iteratively test and refine model process representations to ultimately support global emission inventories and environmental policy.

Candidates should have experience with biogeochemical or atmospheric chemistry models and possess advanced computer programming skills. The post will be located in the Wolfson Atmospheric Chemistry Laboratories at the University of York and will work closely with biogeochemists in the Environmental Process Laboratory at the University of Warwick. The highly interdisciplinary and collaborative nature of this project means experience of working across multiple research groups is highly desirable, and the ability to engage with biogeochemists and interpret experimental soil datasets would be an advantage.

York’s Chemistry department is internationally renowned and holds an Athena SWAN Gold Award. We are committed to a supportive, egalitarian, and family-friendly working environment. For more information, visit our website.

• Duration: 1st October 2026 – 31st July 2029 (extension possible).
• Interview Date: TBC
• Informal Enquiries:
  Contact Jenny Hudson-bell at