Research scientist in wildland fire dynamics modeling

Location: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Gaithersburg, MD, USA

Position type: 2-year term

Summary:

The Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Group of the National Institute of Standards and Technology(NIST) is seeking a motivated and talented researcher or recent graduate to join our team. This role will be focused on advancing the modeling of wildland fire dynamics and smoke transport, with a particular focus on prescribed fire and the wildland-urban interface. This position offers an exciting opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge research that will support the development of robust numerical models with the aim of improving the planning and implementation of prescribed fire.

Duties:

  • Develop, implement, and evaluate numerical models of wildland fire dynamics, including combustion, heat transfer, and fluid flow. An emphasis will be placed on the Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) and improving its ability to model fire spread and near-field smoke transport in outdoor flows.
  • Process and analyze geospatial field data to validate and refine numerical models, ensuring their accuracy and reliability.
  • Work closely with an interdisciplinary team of scientists, engineers, and external partners to understand the required model capabilities to meet stakeholder objectives.

Desired qualifications:

  • A PhD or equivalent experience in Atmospheric Science, Fire Science, Mechanical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field. Experience with topics related to wildland fire or fire science is preferred.
  • Demonstrated experience in numerical modeling, particularly in fluid dynamics, combustion, or atmospheric transport processes.
  • Proficiency in programming languages, especially Python, Matlab, and/or FORTRAN. Familiarity with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software and tools, particularly making use of HPC systems.
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities as well as excellent written and verbal communication skills.

For more details please contact: Eric Mueller (eric.mueller@nist.gov)