Postdoctoral and Research Scientist Positions in AI Weather Forecasting and Climate Science at University of Chicago University of Chicago in United States

The University of Chicago is seeking multiple postdoctoral fellows and research scientists for Project Cirrus, an interdisciplinary initiative at the intersection of AI, climate adaptation, and human-centered weather forecasting. The positions are part of the Human-Centered Weather Forecasting (HCF) and AI for Climate Initiative, focusing on developing and understanding AI weather models, climate adaptation strategies, and decision-support tools for stakeholders in regions with data scarcity, particularly in the tropics and developing countries.

Project Cirrus is led by a distinguished team including Prof. Pedram Hassanzadeh, Prof. Tiffany Shaw, Prof. Amir Jina, Dr. Katie Kowal (all University of Chicago), and Prof. Bill Boos (UC Berkeley). The team has demonstrated real-world impact, such as disseminating AI-based monsoon forecasts to millions of farmers in India in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare.

Research topics include AI model development and understanding, forecasting tropical dynamics, scientific machine learning, performance optimization, human-centered benchmarks, and the development of practical decision-support tools. The project emphasizes improving prediction accuracy for weather extremes and shocks, especially in regions with sparse observational data, and assessing risk and vulnerability for agricultural communities.

Applicants should have a PhD in climate/atmospheric science, physics, mathematics, engineering, or computer science, with a strong interest in climate impact and AI applications. Postdoctoral fellow positions are for recent PhD holders (1-3 years post-PhD), while research scientist roles require 3+ years of postdoc experience and offer leadership opportunities. International scientists are encouraged to apply.

These are fully funded positions with competitive salaries ($75,000-$120,000 per year) and benefits. The application deadline is January 1, 2026, with a flexible start date before March 1, 2026. To apply, candidates should submit a single PDF containing a CV, publication list, research statement, and references to Mauricio Ortiz-Riomalo at [email protected]. For informal inquiries, contact Dr. Katie Kowal at [email protected].

Keywords: AI weather forecasting, climate adaptation, machine learning, atmospheric science, tropical meteorology, weather models, Project Cirrus, University of Chicago, decision-support tools, human-centered forecasting.