Postdoctoral Research Associate: Climate and Power Systems Project

The University of Virginia's (UVA) Environmental Institute (EI) is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate to support its interdisciplinary Climate and Power Systems project. The selected candidate will work with an interdisciplinary team of faculty mentors and researchers with expertise in machine learning, resilient infrastructure, and optimization, to investigate the optimal joint expansion, transition, and resilience planning of power systems that are responsive to climate change and its associated uncertainty.

As utility planners and regulators anticipate future grid developments and make informed investment decisions to accommodate ever-growing electricity demands, this research project aims to, among other things, develop models that integrate and prioritize these systems' resilience to extreme weather events and climate change impacts. Through collaborations with two utility providers, the postdoctoral research associate will be, ultimately, contributing significantly toward uncovering and incorporating real-world constraints into formulating and refining climate-sensitive resilient power systems of the future, alongside the research team.

Drawing on their expertise in power systems, deeplearning (DL), reinforcement learning (RL), and optimization, the Postdoc is expected to support the development of a robust multi-agent RL (MARL) framework to handle the research project's multiple objectives of expansion, transition, and resilience planning in a non-stationary and climate-aware setting. In short, the Postdoc will play a central role in modeling power system complexities and climate-driven uncertainties.

Eligibility and Selection Process:

General Expectations

• Applicants must have received or will receive their doctoral degree by the beginning of their appointment; we prefer candidates who have received their degree within five years prior to the start of the appointment.

• There is no citizenship requirement.UVA will help sponsor candidate visas covering the duration of the postdoc.

• The successful Postdoctoral Research Associate will be appointed for one year with the possibility of second year funding, contingent on the successful completion of a first-year performance evaluation.

• Applicants seeking to be considered for the Postdoctoral Research Associate role for this project will be evaluated on three main criteria: the strength of their research. their ability to collaborate across disciplines; and their commitment to broadening perspectives and voices in finding equitable solutions for climate adaptation and mitigation.

Project-Specific Competencies

The ideal candidate must demonstrate the following research skills and competencies.

• A strong interest in interdisciplinary research, particularly in areas that bridge power systems, climate resilience, and advanced computational techniques.

• A solid background in power systems, machine learning, and optimization is required, as the project's methodology will heavily rely on these areas to develop and implement novel approaches for adaptive power system planning.

• Familiarity with reinforcement learning or multi-agent systems would be beneficial.

• A demonstrable strong written and oral communication skills, as effective dissemination of research findings to both academic (including conference presentations and journal articles) and industry audiences will be crucial.

• The Postdoc must be enthusiastic about and comfortable with industry collaborations that may include stakeholder interactions, feedback gathering, and incorporating real-world industry insights into research.

• A motivation to take on a leadership role, drive innovation and contribute to the project's strategic direction.

The EI Postdoc Model

Once selected, the Postdoctoral Research Associate will join a cohort of other Climate Fellows Program postdocs at UVA and will receive professional training, technical support, and computational infrastructure tailored to their project, for two (2) years. The postdoc will receive direct mentoring from at least two UVA faculty members in different disciplines to help them build cross-disciplinary fluency in support of their own research. They will join a network of faculty members from 30 departments in 12 schools across UVA focused on producing research and providing training that is both great and good at the intersection of climate change and human well-being.

Starting salary: $69,000/year

Research Funds: $5,000/year

We partner with the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs, UVA's Career Center, and staff across the university to provide career development and extracurricular opportunities to student and postdoctoral faculty.

About the Institute:

The UVA Environmental Institute is the hub of interdisciplinary environmental research at the university. We provide seed funding, research experiences, and training to faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and students from the university's 12 schools. With a focus on impactful research, the Institute and its collaborators are committed to our mission to support interdisciplinary research and training that is both great and good at the intersection of climate change and human well-being, while ensuring that the full spectrum of human attributes, perspectives, identities, backgrounds, and disciplines is represented and making an explicit effort to diversify voices in finding equitable solutions for climate adaptation and mitigation.

The University of Virginia is rated as one of the top three public universities in the nation and in the top 30 among all universities, public and private. Charlottesville is frequently cited as one of the best cities in which to live and work. The University of Virginia is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer.

To Apply:

External Applicants: Apply online, and search for 'R069157.' Complete an application online and attach the following:

• CV/Resume

• Cover Letter, describing your research interest and how it aligns with the project.

• Personal Statement (highly encouraged, but not required): use this statement to reflect on your academic and research trajectory; you may include a description of how your experiencesrelating to race, ethnicity, gender, or any other kind of identity marker have shaped your ability to contribute to the University of Virginia.

• Contact information for three (3) references (name, email, telephone, and address).

Internal UVA Applicants: Please apply through your Workday Home page, search "Find UVA Jobs" and search for R0069157.

Application Timeline:

• Application Opens: January 23, 2025

• Early application reviews will begin after February 15, 2025

For questions about the position, please contact Henry Boachi, Program Manager, at henryb@virginia.edu.

For questions regarding the application process, please contact Jessica Speth, Academic Recruiter, at js9rk@virginia.edu.

For questions about the research project, please contact Negin Alemazkoor, Assistant Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering,na7fp@virginia.edu.

The University of Virginia, including the UVA Health System which represents the UVA Medical Center, Schools of Medicine and Nursing, UVA Physician's Group and the Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, are fundamentally committed to the diversity of our faculty and staff. We believe diversity is excellence expressing itself through every person's perspectives and lived experiences. We are equal opportunity and affirmative action employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, veteran or military status, and family medical or genetic information.