Associate Scientist

Rice fields are a large emitter of methane and adoption of new technologies and policies is necessary to meet national emission reduction targets in Asia. Technologies and policies that reduce the carbon footprint of rice and are linked to market incentives to benefit rural small-holder farmers and sustain the reduction of emissions over the long-term are crucial. Development of new management practices demands further research on their GHG-reduction potential and validation in order for them to be linked to the carbon market and how best to take advantage of it while contributing to the national development and emission goals. Working with various national and international partners in different projects, IRRI develops strategies to increase the level of adoption of climate-smart technologies in rice production. This task needs a concerted approach of an inter-disciplinary team of experts.
IRRI, with the support of the Government of India, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, has established IRRI-South Asia Regional Centre (ISARC) in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. The ISARC is a regional facility of IRRI established in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, to support research, collaboration, training, and service provision to institutions, scientists, and other stakeholders in India and other South Asian and African countries. ISARC stands for excellence in rice research through its three major component units, the Centre of Excellence in Rice Values Addition (CERVA), Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Agriculture (CESA) and IRRI Research and Education Program (IREP). ISARC is undertaking several R4D programs/projects for development cutting edge technologies and rice value added products to enhance the income and welfare of rice farmers through value chain development.

Under the general directions of the scientists, the incumbent will provide scientific contribution to the projects related to climate change, including training, project reports, partnerships, and outputs. S/he will significantly contribute to the organization’s climate change and GHG emission research of rice-based systems in India. S/he will coordinate the implementation of on-farm and on-station experiments at project sites to collect baseline data, measure emissions, and elaborate interactions from adjusting multiple management practices, which contributes to the climate change agenda of IRRI. This research includes measurement of GHG emission of existing methodologies, develop and validate new GHG-reducing management practices by generating evidence for a new methodology for voluntary carbon markets. The incumbent is expected to have knowledge of GHG measurement in agriculture as well as organizational skills. The incumbent will also provide capacity building and communication advocacy to stakeholders and field staff as well as contribute to policy briefs, research reports and scientific articles. S/he will work closely with collaborating partner(s) for monitoring and implementation of planned activities.

This position is based at Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh and is open only for the permanent residents of India.

**Roles and Responsibilities**:

- Develop, manage and oversee activities related to on-field /on-stations GHG measurement of rice plots.
- Develop and evaluate emission reduction methodologies for the rice sector.
- Develop training materials and provide training on GHG-reducing management practices to master trainers and other participants.
- Liaise with project partners in implementation of project activities related to GHG measurement, conducting training and capacity building activities.
- Recommend strategies to improve the efficiency of project activities.
- Recommend immediate intervention to research design and implementation when necessary.
- Contribute to research communication in a broad array of outlets, including peer-reviewed journals, mass media, policy for a as well as national and international scientific conferences.
- Ensure the timely completion of deliverables on all related projects.
- Develop and sustain partnerships and nurture effective relationships with various international and NARES partners.
- Coordinate with field teams for implementation of on-farm/station trials and activities, sample and data collection, etc.
- Monitor and review of field level engagements and their implementations and feedback generation.
- Engage with vendors and project and implementation partners for installation, handling and maintenance of gas chambers in project sites and sample collections and analysis.
- Coordinate with internal project and IRRI/ISARC teams to achieve agreed milestones and ensure compliances.
- Strengthen and sustain the relations with vendors of the materials required for GHG measurement and other research activities.
- Consult and collaborate with key stakeholders of projects in the integration of the execution of the project activities.
- Contribute and work as a resource person for training/ exposure vi