CSEi Postdoctoral Researcher at the rank of Research Associate

Description

The Climate Systems Engineering initiative (CSEi) at the University of Chicago invites applications for the 2026 cohort of CSEi Postdoctoral Researchers, to be appointed at the rank of Research Associate. We seek outstanding early career scholars interested in any aspect of climate engineering.

The University of Chicago is building a substantial research cluster (including the anticipated addition of ten new faculty lines) on the science, technology, and public policy of Climate Systems Engineering. Our goal is to advance understanding of the benefits, risks, and governance of technologies that might reduce the impacts of accumulated greenhouse gases, and to educate students who will face the challenges of managing industrial civilization on a fragile planet. CSEi’s topical scope includes open-system carbon removal such as enhanced weathering, solar geoengineering, and interventions to limit the loss of glacial ice. CSEi welcomes research from across fields including the sciences, humanities, social sciences, public policy, and law.  

The CSEi Postdoctoral Researchers program aims to develop the next generation of research leaders who will shape the future of climate systems engineering for the benefit of people and the planet. CSEi Postdoctoral Researchers will work closely with UChicago faculty mentors, but their research and funding are independent, and the program will help them develop strong research networks by facilitating collaboration among the postdoctoral cohort and by ensuring that they have ample opportunities to interact with the whole community of CSEi-affiliated faculty and research leaders. Securing a faculty mentor in advance is strongly preferred, and applicants are encouraged to reach out early to engage a mentor. UChicago faculty members from any discipline may potentially serve as mentors, regardless of whether they have prior experience with climate systems engineering.  

To offer a sense of the range of opportunities for collaboration, leading faculty from a variety of fields have contributed statements about research interests and possibilities for collaboration. These statements, available on the CSEi website, are examples of how faculty research interests might overlap with climate systems engineering. Applicants may reach out to any UChicago faculty member about these or other topics. 

 

This is a two-year position, starting between August 3 – September 15, 2026, that offers a salary of $90,000 per year,