CSIRO Postdoctoral Fellowship in Underground Hydrogen Storage
- Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
- Location: Melbourne, Australia
- Job Number: 7118033 (Ref #: cj_90767)
- Posting Date: Dec 13, 2022
- Application Deadline: Open Until Filled
Job Description
Acknowledgement of Country
CSIRO acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land, sea and waters, of the area that we live and work on across Australia. We acknowledge their continuing connection to their culture and pay our respects to their Elders past and present. View our vision towards reconciliation
The Opportunity
- Do you have a PhD in applied mathematics, engineering or physics?
- Keen to be involved in developing innovative approaches to manipulate the microbial effects on subsurface hydrogen storage?
- Join the CSIRO Energy team for this exciting 3-year postdoctoral role
CSIRO Early Research Career (CERC) Postdoctoral Fellowships provide opportunities to scientists and engineers who have completed their doctorate and have less than three years of relevant postdoctoral work experience. These fellowships aim to develop the next generation of future leaders of the innovation system.
The CERC Fellow will develop innovative approaches to manipulate the microbial effects on subsurface hydrogen storage. The first part of this will involve developing theoretical frameworks for modelling microbial interactions in porous media and implementing these equations to create a software tool that can adequately represent the hydrogen storage operation. This will involve the fellow in regular discussions with experimentalists and theorists within the team and give opportunity for fresh thinking about the modelling process.
In the second part the CERC Fellow will closely interact with the team around the design of further experiments to test the environmental sensitivities of microbial response and will use the results of these experiments to benchmark the model just developed. Here there may be an additional opportunity to propose designs for early-stage field trials of small-scale hydrogen storage.
In the third part, the CERC Fellow will use the earlier results to propose and test site selection criteria for underground hydrogen storage operations and propose ways to optimize the microbial response to stored hydrogen. The CERC Fellow should then be able to make a key contribution to the implementation of a field-scale pilot for underground hydrogen storage, in collaboration with industry partners, government agencies, and other researchers.
Your duties will include:
- Developing theoretical models for biogeochemical interactions with hydrogen, and benchmarking numerical implementations against experimental results.
- Collaborating with experimental teams to devise key experiments that test the sensitivities of biogeochemical processes to environmental factors.
- Proposing ways in which the subsurface environment can be manipulated to optimize the performance of underground hydrogen storage.
- Contributing to client projects investigating the feasibility of underground hydrogen storage in specific locations such as depleted gas fields.
Location: Clayton North, Victoria
Salary: AU$92k - AU$101k plus up to 15.4% superannuation
Tenure: Specified term of 3 years
Reference: 90767
To be considered you will need:
- A doctorate (or will shortly satisfy the requirements of a PhD) in a relevant discipline area, such as applied mathematics, engineering or physics. Please note: To be eligible for this role you must have no more than 3 years (or full-time equivalent) of postdoctoral research experience.
- Experience with analytical and numerical solutions of partial differential equations.
- Experience with scientific programming in C, C++, python or similar languages.
- Experience with large-scale simulations of coupled physical processes.
- High level written and oral communication skills with the ability to represent the research team effectively internally and externally, including the presentation of research outcomes at national and international conferences.
For full details about this role please view the Position Description
Eligibility
Applications for this position are open to Australian/New Zealand Citizens, Australian Permanent Residents and Australian Temporary Residents currently residing in Australia. Appointment to this role is subject to provision of a national police check and may be subject to other security/medical/character requirements.
Flexible Working Arrangements
We work flexibly at CSIRO, offering a range of options for how, when and where you work.
Diversity and Inclusion
We are working hard to recruit people representing the diversity across our society, and ensure that all our people feel supported to do their best work and feel empowered to let their ideas flourish.
About CSIRO
At CSIRO Australia's national science agency, we solve the greatest challenges through innovative science and technology. We put the safety and wellbeing of our people above all else and earn trust everywhere because we only deal in facts. We collaborate widely and generously and deliver solutions with real impact.
Join us and start creating tomorrow today!
How to Apply
Please apply on-line and provide a cover letter and CV that best demonstrate your motivation and ability to meet the requirements of this role.
Applications Close
31 January 2023, 11:00pm AEDT
We’re working hard to build a safe and welcoming culture where people can bring their whole selves to work. Valuing and enabling difference empowers our people, unlocking their potential to innovate and shape the future for our customers, all Australians and the world. We do the extraordinary every day. We innovate for tomorrow and help improve today. We're the people that stay awake solving the world’s big questions. This is true of our science and of our people. Our mission is to create benefit for Australia through impactful science and innovation but we know that that's not possible without an inclusive and diverse culture. We're working hard to recruit diverse people and ensure all our people feel supported to do their best work and empowered to let their ideas flourish.