Call for applications: AIMES Scientific Steering Committee

Analysis, Integration and Modelling of the Earth System (AIMES), a global research project of Future Earth, is calling for applications from experienced researchers to serve on its Scientific Steering Committee (SSC). Terms will begin in April 2018, and the application deadline is 16 February 2018.

AIMES is currently in a period of revitalisation following the launch of AIMES 2.0 in 2017. It has also established a new International Project Office (IPO) based at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies at Columbia University. AIMES 2.0 will prioritise the understanding and modeling of human-environment interactions in the Anthropocene. Central to this idea is that the future climate challenges human society faces are not primarily environmental but societal challenges, and human activities are an intrinsic component of the Earth system. From this perspective, AIMES 2.0 will take a complex systems approach to climate challenges with the development of integrated socio-environmental models. AIMES 2.0 builds on a history of developing innovative methodologies for Earth system modeling and policy-relevant research and will continue to do so through additional themes involving land use change, tipping points and carbon-climate feedbacks.

SSC members will have the opportunity to guide the development, planning and implementation of AIMES activities. SSC members normally serve for a period of three years, with the potential for renewing annually up to three additional years. SSC members are expected to meet annually for a two-day meeting.

AIMES welcomes applications for SSC membership from highly motivated and qualified scientists with a clear commitment to the goals of AIMES. The project is also seeking applicants that will fulfill a balance in disciplines, nationalities, gender and career stages to its current SSC members. In particular, AIMES seek scientists interested in cooperating across disciplines with research goals and interests that encompass both the natural and social sciences, and the project encourages early career scientists to apply.

SSC tasks include:

• Meet once a year to provide guidance and oversite on AIMES activities;
• Provide scientific guidance and oversee the development, planning and implementation of AIMES activities;
• Respond to the needs of the Earth system modeling community to facilitate and foster international research collaborations;
• Encourage the promotion and wide awareness of AIMES within relevant scientific communities;
• Solicit financial support when necessary from national governments and regional and international funding agencies for AIMES research and activities;
• Maintain communication over the course of the year with the IPO and co-chairs to advise and oversee the implementation of activities.

Applicants will be considered by the co-chairs of the SSC and in consultation with the entire SSC. Selected candidates are then recommended to Future Earth for final approval.

To apply:

Please provide the following items by email to the executive officer, Hannah Liddy:

• Your CV
• A statement outlining your goals and plans for AIMES as an SSC member (max. 1 page)