The Carbon to Sea Initiative is now accepting applications for two Research Fellowship positions to support the new Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement Model Intercomparison Project (OAEMIP), which aims to further our understanding of the potential of ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) as a carbon dioxide removal (CDR) approach to mitigate climate change.

The coordination, research, and analysis conducted by Research Fellows will help establish global-scale modeling community standards and protocols for simulating OAE, establish estimates of model variance for CO2 uptake as a function of time after OAE, and leverage the power of coordinated multi-model experiments to answer other questions about OAE.

To apply, complete this application form.

The deadline for applications is April 23, 2025.

Research Fellow, OAEMIP

Primary Responsibilities & Deliverables

  • Produce and publish a detailed OAEMIP experimental protocol. This may include conducting test and example simulations. 
  • Assist modeling groups to set up experiments and be point of contact for questions and clarifications.
  • Assist participating modeling groups in uploading the results in a standardized format to a central repository. 
  • Analyze the gathered data and publish the results.
  • If time allows, initiate additional model runs to answer auxiliary or newly arising questions.

Practical Details

  • Duration: Approximately 3 years
  • Compensation: $100,000 USD per year, plus funding for travel and publication costs.
  • Fellows can be located anywhere in the world at an appropriate host institution (i.e., one participating in OAEMIP); some remote work is allowed.
  • Research Fellows will work independently, but coordinate and report their work to the OAEMIP steering committee (including a Carbon to Sea representative), a mentor(s) at their host institution, and the other research fellow.
  • Includes expenses-paid, optional attendance to the Carbon to Sea Annual Convening events.

Qualifications

Required qualifications:

  • A PhD in a field of ocean science or extensive experience in ocean modeling practice
  • Strong background in ocean biogeochemistry and/or physical oceanography
  • Experience with ocean or Earth system data analysis techniques, e.g., geographical plotting and regridding, Python scripting and IPython/Jupyter, etc.
  • Experience modifying / writing model code, e.g., in Fortran
  • Have published an ocean or Earth system modeling based article(s) in a peer-reviewed scientific journal
  • Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
  • Fluent in English
  • A desire to work with others in a diverse, international team

Preferred qualifications:

  • Postdoctoral research experience in ocean modeling/earth system modeling
  • Understanding of ocean-based carbon dioxide removal approaches

Apply now

To apply, complete this application form.

The deadline for applications is April 23, 2025.

About the Carbon to Sea Initiative

The Carbon to Sea Initiative is a nonprofit climate science funder whose mission is to systematically assess whether and how ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) can deliver safe, cost-effective, and permanent CO2 removal at scale. We are guided by a set of core principles that emphasize responsible research, transparent outcomes, strong and clear governance standards, and constructive stakeholder engagement. Carbon to Sea acts as a grantmaker and a field builder across three initiatives:

  1. Foundational Science & Technology: Accelerate the development of an Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (OAE) portfolio that meets consensus-based standards of feasibility and desirability.
  2. Global Policy and Communications: Mobilize key governmental support to facilitate the adoption of high-integrity ocean-based carbon dioxide removal strategies for climate mitigation.
  3. Responsible Sector Development: Foster a sector characterized by high accountability, driven by scientific rigor and equitable processes, to earn and maintain public trust.

While OAE is our primary focus at this point, each of our initiatives also advances understanding of ocean-based carbon dioxide removal as a whole. 

About the Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement Model Intercomparison Project

Ocean alkalinity enhancement is a promising marine carbon dioxide removal approach that involves introducing CO2-reactive alkaline minerals, chemical bases, or their dissociation products into ocean surface waters. This process increases the total alkalinity of the surface ocean, lowering the partial pressure of CO2, which creates a deficit relative to the atmospheric CO2 concentration. As a result, it either strengthens the CO2 flux from the atmosphere to the ocean or reduces the CO2 flux from the ocean to the atmosphere. Ocean carbonate chemistry reactions then durably store the carbon as ions such as bicarbonate and carbonate. OAE also holds the potential to raise pH levels and mitigate ocean acidification.

OAE’s potential as a CDR strategy has been widely researched. However, directly measuring CDR is challenging due to the rapid dispersion of the dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC)-deficient plume, the subsequent near and far-field uptake or retention of CO2, and the ultimately small change in DIC once the water has equilibrated with the atmosphere. This has placed ocean models at the center of monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) development, which is crucial for carbon credit markets and commercializing the technology. Key uncertainties include the kinetics and equilibration time of the alkalized waters, as well as other physical, chemical, and biological processes, which vary by the location where and season when OAE is done.

To address these uncertainties and better understand OAE, a model intercomparison project (MIP) can play a critical role. By comparing different models, the MIP can help assess the range of simulated outcomes, isolate model strengths and weaknesses, and clarify key questions about OAE’s effectiveness. This also allows researchers to identify errors that are specific to individual models and those that are more universal, highlighting areas for further improvement. This collaborative approach is essential for refining the models and improving the accuracy of predictions related to OAE’s potential for CDR.

A major focus of this project is to improve our understanding of large-scale OAE’s CDR efficiency by addressing critical modeling uncertainties. By focusing on the performance of different models across representative locations, it seeks to quantify key factors such as the kinetics of CO2 deficit formation, the impact of physical processes on the uptake or retention of CO2, and the interactions of multiple biogeochemical processes that can reduce the efficiency of CDR. The coordinated community experiments also emphasize the need to evaluate and compare the reliability of various General Circulation Models (GCMs) and Earth System Models (ESMs), helping to identify common model limitations and refine predictive capabilities. Ultimately, the findings from this project will contribute to optimizing the deployment and effectiveness of OAE as a carbon removal strategy. Furthermore, the results may indicate areas where additional experimental and observational constraints are needed to narrow uncertainties in model predictions.

Commitment to Racial Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

The Carbon to Sea Initiative is a project of Windward Fund, a 501(c)(3) public charity that incubates new and innovative public-interest projects and grant-making programs. Windward Fund is committed to attracting, developing, and retaining exceptional people, and to creating a work environment that is dynamic, rewarding, and enables each of us to realize our potential. Windward Fund’s work environment is safe and open to all employees and partners, respecting the full spectrum of race, color, religious creed, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, political affiliation, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, and all other classifications protected by law in the locality and/or state in which you are working.