The current opportunity is available for current Manchester Met students, to apply you must be based in the UK for the duration of the role.
A wealth of research over the past decade has demonstrated the globally relevant role of coastal wetlands (including saltmarshes and seagrasses) in climate change mitigation through the capture and storage of ‘blue carbon’. The Coastal Ecosystems Research Group in the Department of Natural conducts work to quantify blue carbon, with a particular focus on how much carbon could be stored by creating and restoring habitats like saltmarshes and seagrasses. This Research Assistant post will provide an opportunity to work as part of a Research Group that is leading high quality science and applying it to real world conservation problems.
This position will involve a range of laboratory duties, as well as data management, to support our current research projects. The research assistants will be responsible for laboratory work preparing sediment samples for elemental C&N analysis and stable C&N isotope analysis (freeze drying, grinding, acid digestion), conducting gravimetric analysis to determine bulk density, and particle size analysis (either by sieving or an organic digest and analysis on the Mastersizer instrument).
The role requires careful and methodical work as the data will be used in a scientific publication and in the Saltmarsh Code, a voluntary carbon code we are developing with partners.
Date(s): The role will start asap and be conducted over approximately 8 weeks.
Hours of Work: Specific working hours (hours in a given week), and the days and time periods in the laboratory will be arranged with the successful candidates up to a maximum of 16 hours in any 1 week. We have the flexibility to work around unit timetables.
Training will be provided in the laboratory as part of the role. This will include attending appropriate laboratory inductions, a safety briefing (reviewing COSSH and risk assessments), and training to use specialist equipment (e.g. the freeze drier).