Description of Hosting Institution (UJA – Spain)

Jaén University (UJA) was created in 1993 and is in the Top 50 of the world’s best young universities according to THE (Times Higher Education). This ranking analyzes aspects such as teaching, research work, the university’s international outreach, or integration into industry. Besides, the UJA has received the distinction of Campus of International Excellence in the fields of Agrifood (CEIA3) and Climate Change (CamBio), plus it also leads the Andalusian CEI project on historical heritage PatrimoniUN10.

Jaén University has five faculties (Social and Legal Sciences; Humanities and Education Sciences; Health Sciences; Experimental Sciences and Social Work) and two higher polytechnic schools for engineering (Linares and Jaén). In turn, these centers are organized into 35 departments. It also has three Postgraduate educational centers (Doctorate School, Advanced Study Center in Modern Languages and Postgraduate Study Center).

In regards to its research, there are several specialized centers at Jaén University (https://www.ujaen.es/servicios/ofipi/uja-ri-expertise). Besides, the full picture of the over 100 UJA groups covers the following research fields of expertise: Agrifood (AGR); Biology (BIO); Health (CTS); Social Sciences, Business, Law (SEJ); Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics (FQM); Humanities (HUM); Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences (RNM); Information and Communications Technology (TIC); and Engineering Production Technology (TEP).

As far this hosting offer is concerned, ROSARIO JIMÉNEZ ESPINOSA would be willing to host post-doctoral researchers that are eventually funded through the MSCA-IF 2021 call for applications to be part of the following UJA research team: https://www.ujaen.es/servicios/ofipi/uja-ri-expertise/rnm-325-geological-processes-and-resources

Project description

The Department of Geology of the University of Jaén is made up by the next areas: Crystallography and Mineralogy, Pedology and Agriculture Chemistry, Stratigraphy, External Geodynamic and Internal Geodynamic. The members of these areas are locating in two centers, one in the Experimental Sciences Faculty (Las Lagunillas Campus from Jaén) and the Engineering School of Linares (Scientific and Technological Campus). The research made in our Department is assembled according to four research groups, named as RNM200 “Basin Analysis and Environmental Geology”, RNM325 “Geological Processes and Resources”, RNM370 “Seismic Hazard and Recent Tectonic” and RNM374 “Earth Sciences and Geologic Engineering”. These research groups are made up by staff of Department and also by researchers of other departments of the University, as Chemistry, Physics, Mines Engineering, and from other Universities and research centers from national to international level (e.g. Granada University, Alicante University, Complutense de Madrid University, Universidade do Minho, Universidade do Coimbra, Bristol University, Open University, Liverpool University, IACT-CSIC-Spain, ETH-Zurich, among others).

The research developed by these groups is diverse, from topics related to sedimentary geology and geochemistry to basin analysis, study of igneous and metamorphic rocks, mineralogy, groundwater and pollution of inlands water bodies (wetlands), agriculture remedies and mineral transformation relationships, degradation of soils and cultivable soils, geodiversity analysis, geological and civil engineering, hydrogeology in mining areas, study and conservation of artistic heritage materials, mineralogical and technical study of industrial clays, advanced materials and polymer-clay nanocomposites, etc. According to the great diversity of research topics developed in the Department of Geology, it is difficult to suggest a specific and single research project description for the entire Department. Researchers interested in developing their research in our Department should indicate which is the main objective of a collaboration project in the center. They could establish a specific line according to the wide offer, indicated previously, and then, we could define more precisely which research group would be more appropriate with their proposal. It is difficult to precise a concrete project, the candidate should contact with the head of the department and ask for more information, but he or she must consider that we work transversally in different projects, collaborating between the different areas of the department, such as geodynamics and stratigraphy or hydrogeology and mineralogy, etc. In fact, we have several research projects in collaboration, when researchers from diverse geological fields of expertise work together.

Pre-application procedure

Interested applicants (PhD holders) should send their CV, Motivation letter and Summary of project proposal (250 words) to the UJA potential proposal supervisor (respino@ujaen.es) by the hosting offer deadline. Please, take into account that only candidates that meet the MSCA-IF 2021 application requirements according to the Funding & Tenders Portal (such as the so-called ‘mobility rule’) will be considered for proposal supervision.