Met Éireann, Dublin, Ireland
Closing date: 18 July 2025
The recently established Irish Soil Moisture Monitoring Network (ISMON) will significantly enhance soil moisture monitoring in Ireland. The project was initially funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) under the national Carbon Tax Fund. This initiative aims to enhance Ireland’s capability to monitor soil moisture conditions in real time and over the long term. ISMON consists of 10 sites equipped with state-of-the-art Cosmic-Ray Neutron Sensor technology, covering major soil types, land uses, and climatic regimes in Ireland. This project is a collaborative effort led by University College Dublin (UCD), Met Éireann, and Teagasc.
1. Senior Research Fellow
The Senior Research Fellow will play a pivotal role in the implementation. This high-level position involves coordinating the integration of various observational networks, harmonizing datasets and measurement techniques, and ensuring the successful operation of ISMON. The role encompasses a wide range of responsibilities, including ensuring the seamless integration of data from Cosmic-Ray Neutron Sensors (CRNS), NASCO flux towers, and the Terrain-AI initiative. The fellow will be responsible for maintaining observational infrastructure and collecting metadata, harmonizing datasets and measurement techniques across different observational networks, and for developing and managing project timelines to ensure all milestones are met.
The Senior Research Fellow will oversee the collection, processing, and harmonization of soil moisture data from various sources, ensuring data quality and consistency across the network. They will facilitate the integration of ISMON data with other national and international datasets. The Senior Research Fellow will also be responsible for communicating project progress and results to stakeholders through reports, presentations, and scientific publications, engaging with the scientific community, policymakers, and the public to promote the use of ISMON data. This position requires extensive project management experience.
The Researcher will support the monitoring of the Irish Soil Moisture Observation Network (ISMON). This role will involve data analysis, the harmonization of datasets and the integration of data from various monitoring networks including CRNS, Gamma Ray and in situ soil moisture observations
Field Data Collection: The Researcher will be responsible for conducting regular field visits to the 10 ISMON sites across Ireland. Regular soil sampling to ground-truth Cosmic-Ray Neutron Sensor (CRNS) data will also be required.
Data Management and Analysis: A significant part of the Researcher’s role will involve processing and analysing the soil moisture data collected from the field. They will use various software tools and scripts (e.g., R, Python, Excel) to clean, organise, and analyse data, ensuring high data quality and integrity. The Researcher will collect all necessary metadata for each station and maintain accurate records of all data collection and processing activities.
Support for Integration and Harmonization: The Researcher will support the Senior Research Fellow in integrating soil moisture data with other existing monitoring networks, such as the Teagasc Agricultural Catchments Programme, NASCO network, and Terrain-AI project. This involves contributing to the development and implementation of standardized measurement techniques and protocols to ensure consistency and comparability of data across different networks.
Reporting and Communication: The Researcher will assist in preparing comprehensive reports andpresentations for both internal and external stakeholders. They will communicate findings and progress updates to the Agricultural Meteorologist of Met Eireann and other team members and participate in meetings and discussions related to ISMON activities. Additionally, the Researcher will contribute to the dissemination of research findings through newsletters, scientific publications, and conferences.
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