Research Fellow in Ocean Renewable Energy Modelling – Bangor University

Applications are invited for a fixed-term (41 months), full-time, research fellow to develop models of ocean renewable energy resource characterization, working in the School of Ocean Sciences at Bangor University, on the £7M Smart Efficiency Energy Centre (SEEC) project.

The scheme has been part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Government. EU Funds: Investing in Wales.

Duties will include:

• Development and validation of a suite of ocean models applied to ocean renewable energy resource assessment and characterization over a range of spatial and temporal scales.
• Integrating the developed ocean models with in situ and remote sensing data.
• Development of research ideas relating to ocean renewable energy.
• Leading the design and publication of scientific outputs in the peer-reviewed literature.
• Leading the development of external research grant applications.
• Attending and possibly convening sessions at national and international meetings, and developing and presenting scientific outputs.
• You will be expected to work closely with colleagues investigating energy resources in related research fields.

Candidates should be educated to PhD standard (or equivalent) in an area of ocean modelling, applied mathematics, physics, computing or engineering and have previous experience of developing computer models and performing ocean renewable energy research.

The successful candidate will be expected to commence 1 November 2019 or as soon as possible thereafter and the post is available until 30/03/2023.

Applications will only be accepted via our on-line recruitment website, jobs.bangor.ac.uk. However, in cases of access issues due to disability, paper application forms are available by telephoning 01248 383865.

Closing date for applications: 21 August 2019.

Informal enquiries can be made by contacting Dr Simon Neill (SEEC Director), email s.p.neill@bangor.ac.uk

Overview

The College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering at Bangor University consists of three academic schools: the School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, the School of Natural Sciences, and the School of Ocean Sciences. The college has a wide range of research and teaching facilities including: large, modern, well equipped teaching and research laboratories; a £3.5 million seagoing research vessel and three smaller inshore vessels; a Natural History Museum with extensive invertebrate and vertebrate collections; a research farm; the BioComposites Centre; Treborth Botanic Garden; Environment Centre for Wales, and extensive marine and freshwater aquaria.

The School of Ocean Sciences (SOS) is one of the largest university marine science departments in Europe. It is a multi-disciplinary department located on the shores of the Menai Strait, North Wales, UK. SOS has a rich history and international reputation for measuring and simulating oceanographic conditions, with expertise on turbulence, waves and tidal flows, including the application of 3D dynamically coupled wave-tide modelling. SOS has excellent new research laboratories (Marine Centre Wales), access to high performance computing facilities, and runs its own shelf sea research vessel (the 35 m RV Prince Madog), which is fully supported by a range of seagoing equipment (e.g. multibeam, wave buoys and acoustic Doppler current profilers) and a dedicated team of seagoing technicians. SOS has strong links with the ocean renewable energy industry through several structural fund and UK research council projects.

The Project

The Smart Efficient Energy Centre (SEEC) is a £7M European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) project administered through the Welsh European Funding Office (WEFO). The key objective of SEEC is to increase the success of Bangor University in attracting competitive and private research funding in low carbon energy research, thereby enhancing specialist research capacity.

SEEC is an interdisciplinary data, modelling, and knowledge resource that utilises a new cyberinfrastructure to develop new smart sensor networks, data design and control, and diagnostic/prognostic models, to reduce engineering uncertainties and increase resource efficiencies in low carbon electricity generation (nuclear, ocean renewable, offshore wind) and utilisation (building materials and structures).

The cyberinfrastructure will facilitate advanced data analytics and improved modelling that will be applied to several areas of the energy sector: (i) increasing the efficiency of energy conversion in the nuclear, ocean renewable and offshore wind sectors, (ii) improving the use of energy-efficient materials for more efficient energy utilisation in buildings.

By addressing priorities in big data science in low carbon energy that are identified at European, UK and Wales levels, the SEEC cyberinfrastructure will provide researchers with a resource and capability that will significantly enhance opportunities for building research networks and for future funding.

The SEEC cyberinfrastructure will be an innovative resource that:

• improves the connectivity of big data for the energy sectors
• optimises the value of expensive, multi-parameter, multi-sensor data
• facilitates rapid analysis of large multi-parameter energy datasets to develop diagnostic operational models to reduce risk and uncertainty
• develops prognostic models to generate insights and solutions for increased energy efficiency and improved strategic planning.

SEEC’s cyberinfrastructure will address big data issues that are generic across the low carbon energy sector. The core research will address challenges that are common to many areas of the energy sector, while developing solutions that will then be applied to specific sectors – nuclear, ocean/offshore wind energy, energy utilisation. SEEC will deliver a step-change in energy big data science, add value to a Sustainable Energy Catapult in North Wales, and further the ambition to make Wales a world-leader in the science needed to underpin improved energy efficiency in a low carbon economy.

Purpose of the Job

The post is part of an established team working in the area of ocean renewable energy.  The purpose of the job is to conduct world class research and develop research proposals relating to simulating the marine renewable energy resource including, but not limited to, tidal (range and stream), wave energy conversion, and offshore wind. The post holder will be expected to develop a range of modelling approaches, and to make use of observations, including archived datasets and planned deployments at sea in model validation and refinement. The post holder is expected to be an ocean modeller with a good understanding of state-of-the-art ocean renewable energy research, including recent developments in the industry and a good knowledge of the funding landscape

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Development and validation of a suite of ocean models applied to ocean energy resource assessment and characterization over a range of spatial and temporal scales.
• Integrating the developed ocean models with in situ and remote sensing data.
• Development of research ideas relating to ocean renewable energy.
• Leading the design and publication of scientific outputs in the peer-reviewed literature.
• Leading the development of external research grant applications.
• Attending and possibly convening sessions at national and international meetings, and developing and presenting scientific outputs.
• You will be expected to work closely with colleagues investigating energy resources in related research fields.
• Leading on the organisation and supervision of project teams.

Other Duties and Responsibilities

• The post holder will be expected to participate in performance review and developmental activities.
• The post holder will be expected to comply with the University’s equality policies and statements, Dignity at Work and Study Policy and the University’s Welsh Language Scheme.
• The post holder has a general and legal duty of care in relation to health, safety and wellbeing and must take all reasonable steps to ensure a safe and healthy working environment for him/her self and for other members of staff, students and visitors affected by his/her actions or inactions.  The post holder is also required to comply with all applicable health and safety policies, procedures and risk assessments.
• The post holder must comply with relevant legal and financial policies and procedures and be aware of their responsibilities in terms of the legal requirements of their post.

Person Specification