Postdoctoral researcher: modelling of soil organic matter dynamics

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INRAE presentation

The French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment (INRAE) is a major player in research and innovation. It is a community of 12,000 people with 272 research, experimental research, and support units located in 18 regional centres throughout France. Internationally, INRAE is among the top research organisations in the agricultural and food sciences, plant and animal sciences, as well as in ecology and environmental science. It is the world’s leading research organisation specialising in agriculture, food and the environment. INRAE’s goal is to be a key player in the transitions necessary to address major global challenges. Faced with a growing world population, climate change, resource scarcity, and declining biodiversity, the Institute has a major role to play in building solutions and supporting the necessary acceleration of agricultural, food and environmental transitions.

Work environment, missions and activities

You will be welcomed in the Joint Research Unit Eco&Sols in Montpellier (France), which has 70 permanent staff from INRAE, IRD, Institut Agro Montpellier and Cirad. You will join the ALAMOD project, which aims to compare and improve models of carbon dynamics at the ecosystem level.

Your mission will be to evaluate and improve the STICS model in simulating the soil organic matter dynamics. STICS is a soil-crop model that simulates crop growth, as well as the water, carbon, and nitrogen balances at the plot level. It is being developed by a community of scientists from different disciplines.

You will be more specifically in charge of:

1. Evaluating the STICS model’s ability to simulate the long-term dynamics of soil organic matter (carbon and nitrogen stocks) in a variety of agricultural situations, soils and climates. You will use a dataset from long-term experiments, which is under development in the ALAMOD project, and you will also help to complete it.
2. Evaluating and improving the simulation of plant litter decomposition in the short and long term using the STICS model. You will modify and calibrate the decomposition module of STICS it to improve the model’s genericity and better account for certain situations (e.g. crop residues left on the soil surface, soil with a low mineral nitrogen availability, etc.). You will use a dataset gathering data on the decomposition of various plant litters under controlled (laboratory incubations) and field conditions. Modifications to the model formalisms will be carried out in collaboration with the IT pole of the STICS team.
3. Writing publications.

Training and skills

Desired knowledge: Soil-crop modelling and model calibration. Carbon and nitrogen biogeochemical cycles. Data processing and analysis.

Appreciated experience: Previous experience with the STICS model or an equivalent model is required. Proficiency in the R programming language and in handling large and varied datasets. Experience of using a software forge (GitHub, GitLab, etc.) and/or another programming language (Fortran, etc.) would be appreciated.

Skills: rigour and organisational skills, autonomy and initiative, ability to work in team

INRAE's life quality

By joining our teams, you benefit from (depending on the type of contract and its duration):

- up to 30 days of annual leave + 15 days "Reduction of Working Time" (for a full time);
- parenting support: CESU childcare, leisure services;
- skills development systems: training, career advise;
- social support: advice and listening, social assistance and loans;
- holiday and leisure services: holiday vouchers, accommodation at preferential rates;
- sports and cultural activities;
- collective catering.

How to apply

I send my CV and my motivation letter