Job description

The Climate Modelling Department of the Institute of Environmental Physics (IUP) at the University of Bremen in collaboration with the department Earth System Model Evaluation and Analysis of the Institute of Atmospheric Physics at the German Aerospace Center (DLR-IPA) invites applications up to 10 PhD positions in the field of improving climate models and analysis with machine learning and spaceborne Earth observations. The PhD candidates will be supervised by Prof. Veronika Eyring, Professor of Climate Modelling at the University of Bremen and head of the department at DLR-IPA. All PhD candidates will also be co-supervised by a leading expert in this field. The doctoral students will be employed at the University of Bremen. However, depending on the thematic focus, the place of work is either the University of Bremen or the DLR in Oberpfaffenhofen. A longer research stay at the other location's facility is planned.

These positions are being advertised as part of several positions in ML-based climate science, which are funded by the 2021 Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize (https://www.dfg.de/en/funded_projects/prizewinners/leibniz_prize/2021). Based on the topic, the PhD canditate will work in collaboration with the DFG-funded Collaborative Research Center TRR181 “Energy Transfers in Atmosphere and Ocean” (https://www.trr-energytransfers.de/). An extended research stay at the co-supervisor’s institution is envisaged.

Based on the candidate’s experience and interest, PhD positions in the following 5 broad areas of research are available:

(1)    Developing and enhancing ML-based parametrizations for climate and Earth System Models to reduce systematic errors and to enhance projection capabilities for (a) atmosphere and (b) ocean and sea ice (physics and biogeochemistry),

(2)    Developing data-driven equation discovery methods to learn interpretable and physically consistent equations from high-fidelity datasets to enhance understanding and representation of subgrid-scale processes (e.g., clouds, convection) in climate models,

(3)    Developing and benchmarking foundation models for selected climate modeling tasks,

(4)    Developing ML-techniques for improved understanding and detection of extreme events,

(5)    Developing innovative methods, including ML, to enhance the evaluation and analysis of climate models in comparison to observations using the Earth System Model Evaluation Tool (ESMValTool, esmvaltool.org/).

Requirements

• Your qualifications:

  •    Successfully completed academic degree (Master's/university diploma) in physics, mathematics, computer science or a equivalent subject
  •    Very good programming skills (preferably python)  
  •    Experience in data analysis
  •    Interest in climate research and Earth system modelling
  •    Enthusiasm, motivation and creativity
  •    Fluent spoken and written English
  •    Experience in machine learning and climate modelling is an advantage

  At the DLR Institute of Atmospheric Physics and the University Bremen we provide excellent facilities with opportunities to work with world-renowned experts in the field of Earth system modelling, Earth observations, and machine learning. The department develops an ML-enhanced version of the Icosahedral nonhydrostatic (ICON) model alongside an evaluation system (ESMValTool) that supports the comprehensive evaluation of Earth system models in comparison to observations and to other models participating in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP). The ultimate goal is to improve climate models and projections with machine learning and spaceborne Earth observations for actionable climate science and technology assessments in aeronautics, space, transport, and energy research. For further reference of our work, please see the Veronika’s publications at https://scholar.google.at/citations?user=Y3i87foAAAAJ&hl=de and our Github repository at https://github.com/EyringMLClimateGroup/.

General Information

The University of Bremen offers, among other things:

• Annual special payment (‘Christmas bonus’), regular automatic salary increases in line with collective agreements and additional public service pension scheme (VBL)
• A crisis-proof, interesting and varied job in an open-minded university
• 30 days' holiday per calendar year and educational leave
• A diverse, future-orientated and open corporate culture
• Support from a collegial, motivated team with a positive working atmosphere
• Personalised induction training
• The opportunity for further and advanced training
• Compatibility of family and career through flexible working hours (‘flexitime’) and the option of mobile working (subject to the general conditions)
• Free social and family counselling services
• Active company health management, including the option of discounts at local sports clubs, gyms and swimming pools (EGYM WELLPASS)
• The option of using a job ticket for local public transport
• Numerous sports and cultural activities
• Varied catering options in the student union canteens

 

Open to unconventional approaches in research and teaching, the University of Bremen has retained its character as a place of short distances for people and ideas since its founding in 1971. With a broad spectrum of subjects, we combine exceptional performance and innovative potential. As an ambitious research university, we stand for research-based learning approaches and a pronounced interdisciplinary orientation. We actively pursue scientific cooperation in a spirit of global partnership.
Today, around 23,000 people learn, teach, research, and work on our international campus. In research and teaching, administration and operations, we are strongly committed to the goals of sustainability, climate justice, and climate neutrality. Our Bremen spirit is expressed in the courage to try new things, in supportive cooperation, in respect and appreciation for each other. With our study and research profile and as part of the European YUFE network, we assume social responsibility in the region, in Europe, and in the world.

As the University of Bremen intends to increase the proportion of female employees in science, women are particularly encouraged to apply. In the case of equal qualifications, women are given priority, unless reasons relating to the person of a competitor prevail.

Disabled applicants will be given priority if their professional and personal qualifications are essentially the same.

The university is family-friendly, diverse and sees itself as an international university. We therefore welcome all applicants regardless of gender, nationality, ethnic and social origin, religion/belief, disability, age, sexual orientation and identity.

For general questions about the personnel selection procedure and for questions about the content of the advertised position, please contact: Dr. Giulia Castellani, E-Mail: giulia.castellani@uni-bremen.de

 

Please send your application with your complete documents including CV, a list of your publications (if available), copies of degree certificates, two letters of reference, and a short cover letter outlining your motivation and experience in the desired fields, quoting the reference number A246-25, by 12/09/2025 as a PDF file by unencrypted electronic mail to:

smitprotect me ?!iup.physik.uni-bremenprotect me ?!.de

or by mail to:

Universität Bremen
Institut für Umweltphysik
Sandra Smit
Otto-Hahn-Allee 1
D-28359 Bremen

Please note that no photos are to be attached to the application documents.

We kindly ask you to send us only copies (no portfolios) of your application documents, as we cannot return them. Once the selection process has been completed, your application documents will be stored in accordance with legal requirements and then destroyed.

Any costs for the application process cannot be reimbursed.