Research Assistant/Research Associate Professor

The Chronicle Of Higher Education, Inc.; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG) invites applications for multiple Research Assistant or Research Associate Professor positions in Coastal Science, Oceanography, and related areas. Candidates with expertise in beach processes, estuarine dynamics, sea level change, and tropical cyclones are welcome.

The appointments include six months of institutional salary support, with potential increases for leadership of large projects.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. required at time of appointment.
• Candidates from nontraditional backgrounds welcome.

Responsibilities

• Develop and lead an internationally recognized research program.
• Collaborate across UTIG and Jackson School units to advance coastal science and oceanography.

Skills

Coastal science

Physical oceanography

Weather and climate extremes

Education

Ph.D.

Job description

Research Assistant/Research Associate Professor

College/School/Unit: Jackson School of Geosciences

Department:

Posted: Jul 31, 2026

Apply By: Nov 20, 2026

Description

The Universityof Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG) seeks to hire multiple research faculty at the ResearchAssistant or Research Associate Professor rank in thebroadly defined field of Coastal Science,including the interconnected fields of PhysicalOceanography and Weather and ClimateExtremes. Areas of expertise may include, but are notlimited to: beach processes, estuarine dynamics, ice-oceaninteractions, ocean circulation, paleoceanography,paleotempestology, permafrost degradation, sea level change, andtropical cyclones). We seek colleagues to add to our existing strengths in field-based,observational, and computational geoscience. Successful candidateswill contribute to the vibrant research community at UTIG throughengagement with colleagues within and beyond the Institute, andthrough the development of a vigorous, internationally recognized,and externally funded research program that complements UTIG'sresearch foci. Research Assistant and Research AssociateProfessors at UTIG typically receive six months of institutionalsalary support annually, with the rest obtained fromexternally-funded research projects; institutional supporttypically increases to up to eight months for research faculty uponestablishing a record of leadership of large projects or programs,as is expected for promotion to Research Professor.

UTIG is part of the Jackson School of Geosciences, which houses topresearch programs across a range of areas in Earth and PlanetarySciences. UTIG is also closely allied with the Texas AdvancedComputing Center, and with several research centers andprograms at UT focused on emerging Earth Science problems, such asthe MarineScience Institute, Oden Institute for Computational Engineering andSciences, Center for Space Research, and Center forPlanetary Systems Habitability. UTIG employs bothcomputational- and field-based technical support staff, andoperates a variety of field equipment and lab facilities.

For additional information about the applicationprocess, please contact Rosalind Gamble ([e-mail]). For additional informationabout the position, please contact the search committee chair:Chris Lowery ([e-mail]).

Qualifications

Candidates must hold a Ph.D. at the time of appointment. Weparticularly welcome applications from candidates withnontraditional research backgrounds and those whose experiences cancontribute to a broad range of perspectives in higher education andresearch. We encourage late stage PhD students, postdocs, and earlycareer scientists to apply.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equalopportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with allapplicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination andaffirmative action. The University is committed to a policy ofequal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on thebasis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex,sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability,religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs andactivities, and admissions.