Hydrodynamics of surface-aquifer water flow hot spots

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INRAE presentation

INRAE, the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment, is a public research organization bringing together 12,000 employees across 272 units in 18 centers across France. As the world’s leading institute specializing in agriculture, food, and the environment, INRAE plays a key role in supporting the necessary transitions to address global challenges.

Faced with population growth, food security challenges, climate change, resource depletion, and biodiversity loss, INRAE is committed to developing scientific solutions and supporting the evolution of agricultural, food, and environmental practices.

Work environment, missions and activities

Nature and purpose of the research project to be developed and related activities
Aquifers are strategic reservoirs of which the functioning could be partly controlled through hydraulic infrastructures that are, more generally speaking, part of surface-aquifer exchange hot spots marked by substantial, spatially concentrated transfers of water. Characterising the functioning of such hot spots, which is necessary for sizing hydraulic facilities for example, remains a scientific challenge due to the heterogeneity that cannot be observed directly. You could propose to develop hydrogeophysical approaches that benefit from multi-physical approaches (electric, electromagnetic, mechanic) used in a multi-temporal context. Thanks to the petrophysical relationships linking the physical observations to the hydraulic variables and the constraints caused by the hydrodynamic functioning of the environment, you will seek to improve the characterisation.

Nature and purpose of the teaching project
The lecturer-researchers within the Joint Research Unit lead numerous courses at Avignon University: Earth and Water degrees, Physics degree, the work-study course for Water Professions, as well as the HSE (Hydrogeology, Soil and Environment) Master’s. You will have teaching responsibilities and will provide lessons (modelling of water transfers, geophysics) in the various fields and lead the development of a module in hydrogeophysics that could supplement and renew current courses. In the event of the creation in the short term of a Master’s in Physics co-accredited with EICANM, teaching numerical models and inverse methods applied to geophysics could also be considered.

Funding and related resources
ANR Package : €200 000
INRAE Package : €160 000
Total : €360 000

Field trips and working outdoors. Teaching at Avignon University.

Training and skills

PhD in hydrogeology, soil physics or geophysics with a few years’ postdoctoral experience, and the possibility of validating an Accreditation for Supervising Research (HDR) during the 3-year contract. Experience in numerical modelling and hydrogeophysics would be an asset.

INRAE's life quality

By joining our teams, you benefit from:

- 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.

International scientists, please visit your guide to facilitate your arrival and stay at INRAE.

Type of contract

Tenure-Track Junior Professor Chair enables recruitment of scientists based on a research and teaching project that lasts three years. At the end of this period, and following an assessment of your scientific achievements and professional capabilities, you may obtain a full-tenure position as Research Director (DR2).

A research and teaching agreement will specify the path you will follow towards full-tenure and enable you to acquire the qualifications necessary to become a full-tenure Research Director in your field.

You have until April 12, 2024 to submit your application. Only candidates previously selected on file by the selection committee will be invited to the hearing.