Energy and environmental data scientist

Deadline: until filled

The Pollution Management (PM) Research Group, within the IIASA Energy, Climate and Environment (ECE) Program is looking to recruit a motivated and talented researcher to work within a team analyzing feasible energy transitions and multiple benefits of environmental policy interventions.

Background

The ECE program's vison is to provide evidence-based, scientific roadmaps for feasible systems transformations that simultaneously meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and ambitious climate change mitigation targets. Emphasis is placed specifically on policy decisions and actions required in the short- to medium term to put the world on track to achieve long-term targets while assuring human health, wellbeing, and the reduction of social inequalities in a socially, environmentally, and economically sustainable manner.

The key modeling tool developed and used in the PM/ECE group is the Greenhouse gas – Air pollution Interactions and Synergies (GAINS) model, which identifies cost-effective portfolios of measures that reduce the health effects of human exposure to ambient and indoor air pollution and contribute to climate and development targets.

Recognizing the ever more important role of non-CO2 greenhouse gasses and synergies between climate and air quality policies, the successful applicant will support the work on linking the primary ECE program models MESSAGEix and GAINS allowing for improved characterization of non-CO2 GHG mitigation potential and air pollution in the global MESSAGEiix applications and analysis of various MESSGEix scenarios in GAINS model at a finer source and spatial scales.

The work will build on existing model results, e.g., MESSAGEix, IEA, other global IAMs, regional models’ results implemented in GAINS, and extend/adapt them to new applications as arising in the future work of the PM and IACC groups in the ECE program at IIASA. 

The purpose of the research is to inform policy efforts by providing global, regional, country- and city-specific assessments. 

Tasks and Responsibilities

• Improve and co-develop links between GAINS and energy integrated assessment models, including MESSAGEix, GCAM, AIM, PRIMES, IEA, and others.

• In the mid- to long-term, support further development of the GAINS model.

• Support work on the downscaling (from regional to national, subnational, or even city scales) and quality assurance of various GAINS data improving representation of the respective input in GAINS.

• Support development of GAINS data quality checks and data analysis addressing various consistency aspects, especially for energy and industrial production, e.g., energy and pollution intensities within and across sectors and regions, including their evolution over time.

  
  

  For full details on the position, please click here to view the job opening page on the IIASA website >