Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) - Bird Flights: Flying Probes of Atmospheric Turbulence

University of Reading; Reading; On-site; GBP 8,000 - 24,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Reading invites applications for a Graduate Teaching Assistant position in the Computer Science department. This role offers the opportunity to complete a funded PhD while gaining valuable teaching experience. Successful candidates will support research on bird flights and atmospheric turbulence, providing them with unique academic and professional development. Training and support will be given to develop teaching skills.

Qualifications

• Candidates must meet academic requirements for a PhD at the University of Reading.
• No prior teaching experience is necessary; full training will be provided.
• Ability to communicate scientific concepts clearly is essential.

Responsibilities

• Conduct PhD research on atmospheric turbulence using bird movement data.
• Teach part-time, up to 20 hours per week during the academic year.
• Balance responsibilities between GTA duties and PhD studies.

Skills

Organizational skills

Communication

Teamwork

Education

MSc in Computer Science or related discipline

Job description

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Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) - Bird Flights: Flying Probes of Atmospheric Turbulence, Reading

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Client:

University of Reading

Location:

Reading, United Kingdom

Job Category:

Other

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EU work permit required:

Yes

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Job Reference:

Job Views:

12

Posted:

22.06.2025

Expiry Date:

06.08.2025

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Job Description:

Applications from job seekers who require sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. However, non-UK candidates who do not already have permission to work in the UK should note that by reference to the applicable SOC code for this role, sponsorship will not be possible under the Skilled Worker Route. There is further information about this on the UK Visas and Immigration Website .

Interview date: 28/07/2025

We are pleased to announce a fantastic opportunity for an ambitious computer scientist t o join our Computer Science Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) Programme!

How does it work?

You will study for a four year, full time funded PhD (3 quarters of your time) whilst working and receiving a salary to gain valuable teaching experience (1 quarter of your time). You will receive a salary and stipend package that exceeds the standard UKRI stipend for a full-time PhD.

If you are a Home/RoI Students your PhD fees will be waived, if you are an International student you will receive a fee waiver equivalent to the Home/RoI fee and will be expected to fund the difference between the International fee and the Home/RoI fee. There will be a package of support to enable you to develop a research career in this exciting field.

PhD Topic: Bird Flights: Flying Probes of Atmospheric Turbulence

Vast amounts of animal tracking data are now being collected at global scales. Recent work has shown that the fine-scale movements of birds vary in relation to atmospheric turbulence. Animal-attached sensors could therefore be used to probe atmospheric conditions, providing measurements in locations and scenarios that are inaccessible to traditional meteorological probes. It can also teach us about their physiological state. This project will use a range of methods including causal inference, signal processing and machine learning to investigate whether and how acceleration data from flying birds can be used to characterise changing levels of atmospheric turbulence.

The central goal of the project is to characterise turbulence from animal movement data with the following objectives:

Assess the influence of gusts on fine-scale movements of homing pigeons. Data from accelerometers attached to pigeons exposed to experimentally generated gusts in wind tunnel trials are available (varying in magnitude and period). A suitable combination of signal processing and causal inference methods will be designed to examine use of tracking data in predicting the gusts. If successful, methods will be extended to pigeons homing in the wild.

Examine the relation between sustained turbulence and fine-scale movements of birds. Data from gannets flying within and outside the wakes of offshore wind farms will be used to study signatures of turbulence in acceleration data. A combination of Computational Fluid Dynamics models with machine learning (e.g. classification) and statistical techniques will be applied to characterise turbulence patterns experienced in wind farm wakes.

You will need to demonstrate you:

meet the academic requirements for a PhD offer from the University of Reading

have a MSc degree in Computer Science or a related discipline

are able to effectively organise your time and prioritise tasks to balance PhD studies with GTA responsibilities

are able to demonstrate scholarship in developing a publication record in your area of specialist expertise and conduct high quality PhD research

are able to communicate scientific concepts clearly and with enthusiasm and in a way that engages students

Have good interpersonal skills and be able to work as part of a team

See candidate pack at the bottom of the page for further details.

Candidates will be provided with training to develop teaching and pedagogical skills, no prior experience of teaching is necessary. On the research side, our package of support includes access to MSc courses and bespoke training through our Postgraduate and Researcher Collegewill help you in developing your professional skills as a researcher.

Working hours for the teaching portion will be variable during the academic year but will be no more than 20 hours per week. The terms of the offer of funding for the PhD and the offer of employment will rely upon the postholder being registered as a full-time doctoral student.

Successful candidates will be paid an annual salary (£8745) and stipend (£15585 per annum) over the 4 year period and will have PhD fees waived at the Home level (Please note that students liable for international fees will need to pay the difference between these and the home fee rate). Fees for 2025/26 (amount payable each year) can be found here .

You must upload a combined CV and Proposal in pdf format (max size 1 MB) and complete the supporting statement.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Contact Job Title Lecturer in Computer Science

The University is committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce, supports the gender equality Athena SWAN Charter and the Race Equality Charter, and champions LGBT+ equality. Applications for job-share, part-time and flexible working arrangements are welcomed and will be considered in line with business needs.