The International Affairs Unit announces its need to appoint one (1) researcher to work on the project:
"Exploring Solar Radiation Modification Impacts on Crop Productivity in Water-Scarce Arid Regions",
funded by the Degrees Initiative, for a duration of 12 months, with prof. Jawad Albakri according to the following requirements:
1. Academic Qualification
Master’s or PhD in one of the following fields:
Atmospheric and Climate Sciences, Meteorology, Hydrology, Land, Water and Environment, Water and Environmental Resources, Agricultural Sciences, Remote Sensing and Spatial Analysis, or any equivalent fields related to climate change, water resources, and agriculture.
2. Required Skills and Experience
Proficiency in English (reading, writing, and speaking), scientific writing skills, and familiarity with procedures for submitting research papers to peer-reviewed international journals.
Basic knowledge of atmospheric and climate data analysis, including downloading climate projections under different scenarios (e.g., RCP 4.5) from recognized global platforms (such as GeoMIP6), and using standard tools for processing such data.
Basic knowledge of agricultural simulation software (preferably AquaCrop), including input preparation, output interpretation, and data representation.
Basic knowledge of data visualization using any GIS software, with the ability to read and download maps.
General project coordination skills, preparing presentations, and drafting and formatting reports using existing templates or developing new ones based on previous reports.
Personal skills: teamwork, initiative, independent learning, professionalism, attention to detail, and effective communication.
Knowledge areas: climate change, water and agricultural resource challenges in Jordan, agricultural modeling, and agricultural water management.
Applications should be submitted within 10 days from the date of this announcement and sent via email on (efp@ju.edu.jo), accompanied by a detailed CV.
additional details:
Background
The University of Jordan, Jordan, the leading partner on the first ever DMF-funded project in Jordan, is seeking a full-time Researcher. The researcher will support the implementation of the project titled “Exploring Solar Radiation Modification Impacts on Crop Productivity in Water-Scarce Arid Regions: A Case Study of Jordan." The project investigates how Solar Radiation Modification (SRM) scenarios, derived from GeoMIP6 experiments, interact with agricultural water-management strategies under arid conditions. By combining downscaled SRM climate projections with AquaCrop simulations, the project aims to generate evidence on how temperature, precipitation, evapotranspiration, and compound drought conditions may influence crop yields and water use in Jordan's major agro-climatic regions. The findings will directly support national climate adaptation, drought-risk management, and water-policy planning.
Role of the Researcher
The Researcher will work with the project team on climate and crop-modelling activities across the defined work packages. Responsibilities include organizing and quality-checking historical meteorological datasets, preparing soil and land-use inputs, assisting in downscaling SRM and SSP climate projections, and supporting AquaCrop calibration and scenario simulations. The role also involves evaluating drought indices, analysing impacts on crop yields and water-use efficiency, preparing datasets for SRM–drought interactions, and contributing to policy-relevant outputs such as briefs, reports, and workshop materials. The researcher will additionally engage with national stakeholders—including the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, and NARC—to support knowledge transfer, strategy development, and capacity-building activities related to SRM impacts on agriculture and water resources.