Albedo & Radiative Forcing Research Fellow

About the Organization:

The Global Heat Reduction Initiative (GHR) was launched to support the international community in drawing down the excess trapped heat that is warming our planet and driving climate change. With comprehensive climate accounting based on the consensus climate science, our aim is to drive strategic climate action to accelerate global heat reduction.

GHR is the outgrowth of a decades-long effort to advance climate awareness through scientific work carried out at SCS Global Services. SCS scientists developed the Radiative Forcing Protocol, which became the scientific basis for the Initiative. The Protocol directly applies the consensus science summarized in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) synthesis and special reports of the past decade. Through this framework, GHR brings the science and data of atmospheric heat reduction to conventional carbon accounting and markets, enabling the most thorough climate assessments attainable today. GHR enables organizations and communities to make fully informed decisions and allocate resources to where they may generate the greatest positive impacts.

http://www.heatreduction.com

Fellowship Description:

GHR is seeking a part-time intern to advance our understanding of heat impact and radiative forcing associated with albedo in the built environment (e.g., reflective roofing, pavement materials). The intern will synthesize current research on albedo measurement methods, technology and data requirements, and relevant equations. This role combines research synthesis with hands-on coding: the intern will review existing code from published research, GitHub repositories, and other sources that quantify the radiative impact of albedo, and then update an existing Python-based model that calculates changes in radiative forcing due to greenhouse gases to incorporate the radiative impact of changes in albedo.

Key Responsibilities

Code Review & Research
Identify and review existing open-source code and algorithms from published studies, GitHub, and other repositories related to albedo and radiative forcing.
Document methodologies, assumptions, and limitations found in these implementations.

Literature & Technical Synthesis
Summarize current research on albedo measurement, technology requirements, data inputs, and relevant equations.
Highlight assumptions and constraints that affect model accuracy and applicability.

Model Enhancement
Update an existing Radiative Forcing Python model to include the radiative impact of changes in albedo.
Ensure proper integration of new logic, maintain code readability, and document changes for reproducibility.
Validate model outputs against reference cases or published benchmarks.

Collaboration & Reporting
Work closely with the GHR staff to ensure compatibility with integration requirements.
Prepare technical briefs summarizing findings, code updates, and recommendations for future improvements.

Qualifications:

·       Coursework or experience in environmental science, atmospheric science, remote sensing, or climate modeling.
·        Experience conducting scientific literature reviews and synthesizing technical information.
·        Familiarity with albedo, radiative forcing, and climate modeling concepts.
·        Proficiency in Python programming, including:
·        Reading and modifying existing code.
·        Implementing mathematical models and validating outputs.
·        Strong documentation and version control practices (e.g., GitHub).
·        Familiarity with GIS tools and spatial data analysis.
·        Exposure to remote sensing techniques for surface property measurement.

Time Commitment: 30 hours / week