*********************************** *** DO NOT REPLY TO LISTSERVER **** *********************************** Ph.D. OPPORTUNITY AT THE NATIONAL WATER RESEARCH INSTITIUTE, SASKATOON, CANADA The National Water Research Institute of Environment Canada invites applications for an immediate opening for a Ph.D. Graduate Research Assistantship. The assistantship will provide financial support for up to three years, and will be held in conjunction with the Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada. Project: Stable isotopic (18O/16O) assessment of dissolved oxygen cycling and status in northern boreal rivers The dissolved oxygen (DO) project is part of an Environment Canada flagship program (Northern River Ecosystem Initiative) to assess and improve our scientific basis for federal dissolved oxygen regulatory guidelines in Canada. More specifically, as a subcomponent of the overall DO project, the goal of the Ph.D. project will be to utilize 18O/16O analyses of dissolved O2 to gain an improved understanding of the processes that impact riverine DO status including; water column and sediment respiration, re-aeration, photosynthesis, and groundwater dilution, under both open water and extensive ice covered conditions. The effects of pulp and paper and municipal waste effluents on riverine DO status are of particular interest, and will comprise a key component of the research. The river systems to be studied in the project include the Athabasca, Lesser Slave, and North Saskatchewan Rivers and selected tributaries, as well as controlled field and laboratory effluent impact experiments. The successful candidate will be an enthusiastic and motivated individual with demonstrated academic, analytical and field project design skills, as well as interpersonal skills to work effectively in a multi-disciplinary research project. An MSc or experience in stable isotope chemistry is considered an asset. The candidate is also expected to contribute to Departmental reports and presentations in addition to University graduate program requirements. The candidate will have access to Institute field, laboratory, and the stable isotope facilities, and will utilize in-house methodology for continuous-flow IRMS dissolved O2 isotope measurements (see literature below). To apply for this position, send a cover letter, a detailed CV, a 1 page statement of research interests, and three work-related references to: Dr. Leonard Wassenaar National Water Research Institute Environment Canada 11 Innovation Blvd. Saskatoon, SK, Canada S7N 3H5 Tel: (306) 975-5747 Fax: (306) 975-5143 email: [log in to unmask] Application Deadline: February 29, 2000. Short-listed candidates may be requested to provide additional information. The successful candidate must be accepted into the graduate program in the Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Saskatchewan beginning in the fall 2000 session. Proficiency in the English language and a valid drivers license are also required. Additional financial support may be available through a Department of Geological Sciences teaching assistantship or scholarship. Selected Literature: Quay, P. D.; Wilbur, D. O.; Richey, J. E.; Devol, A. H., 1995, The 18O:16O of dissolved oxygen in rivers and the lakes in the Amazon Basin: Determining the ratio of respiration to photosynthesis rates in freshwater. Limnology and Oceanography 1995, 40, 718-729 Wassenaar L.I., and Koehler, G., 1999. An On-Line Technique for the Determination of the 18O and 17O of Gaseous and Dissolved Oxygen. Analytical Chemistry 71(21): 4965-4968. For information on University of Saskatchewan graduate school admissions see: http://www.usask.ca/cgsr/ For more information on the National Water Research Institute (Saskatoon) see: http://www.cciw.ca/nwri/aeib/cumul-env-impacts.html Dr. Leonard I. Wassenaar Stable Isotope Hydrology and Ecology Laboratory National Water Research Institute Environment Canada 11 Innovation Blvd. Saskatoon, SK Canada S7N 3H5 tel: (306) 975-5747 fax: (306) 975-5143 email: [log in to unmask]