Assistant Research Professor, CAESER

Assistant Research Professor – Agricultural and Environmental Research Partnerships Center for Applied Earth Science and Engineering Research (CAESER) The University of Memphis Full-Time, Nine-Month (F9), Non-Tenure-Track Research Faculty Appointment Position Overview The Center for Applied Earth Science and Engineering Research (CAESER) at the University of Memphis invites applications for a full-time, nine-month (F9), non-tenure-track Assistant Research Professor position focused on developing collaborative agricultural and environmental research across Tennessee and the broader Mississippi Embayment and Delta region. This position offers a distinctive opportunity to help build a sustained research partnership between the University of Memphis (UofM) and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK), Tennessee's land-grant university. The successful candidate will be employed by the University of Memphis through CAESER and, subject to UTK policies and approvals, will hold an adjunct or comparable research affiliation with UTK. This structure is intended to allow the successful candidate to work directly with faculty and research programs at both institutions and to participate as a collaborator and, where permitted, co-Principal Investigator on UTK-led proposals and sponsored projects. The position is designed for an entrepreneurial researcher who wants to build research programs rather than simply join an existing one. The successful candidate will identify opportunities, connect complementary faculty expertise across the two universities, develop competitive multidisciplinary proposals, conduct funded research, publish scholarly work, and help build graduate research opportunities spanning both institutions. Initial support for the position is provided through funding from the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, reflecting the State's interest in strengthening agricultural research capacity and collaboration. A Unique Statewide Research Opportunity UofM and UTK bring complementary geographic positions, expertise, relationships, and research infrastructure to agricultural research. UTK and its statewide agricultural enterprise provide extensive expertise and engagement throughout Tennessee, with particularly strong connections in Middle and East Tennessee. UofM provides a strategic western Tennessee presence and access to one of the nation's most significant agricultural regions. West Tennessee also serves as a gateway to the larger Mississippi Embayment and Lower Mississippi/Delta agricultural region, creating opportunities for research that extends beyond state boundaries into Mississippi, Arkansas, and the broader Mid-South. The successful candidate will be positioned at the intersection of these institutional and geographic strengths. Rather than representing one isolated research program, the position is intended to serve as a research connector between two major Tennessee universities, bringing together investigators, facilities, students, stakeholders, and ideas to pursue opportunities that may be difficult for either institution to develop independently. Potential research areas may include, but are not limited to, agricultural water resources and water-use efficiency; irrigation and groundwater sustainability; soil and water interactions; regenerative and precision agriculture; specialty crops; agricultural technology; remote sensing and geospatial analysis; agricultural resilience; nutrient and contaminant transport; climate and drought impacts; agricultural ecosystems; data science and modeling; and other emerging areas at the intersection of agriculture, natural resources, engineering, and environmental science.

Appointment and Funding This is a full-time, nine-month, non-tenure-track research faculty appointment with the University of Memphis. The position will be housed within CAESER, which will serve as the individual's primary research home. Subject to applicable policies and approvals, the successful candidate will also receive an adjunct or comparable research affiliation with the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, facilitating collaboration with UTK faculty and participation in UTK research activities and sponsored projects. Initial position support is provided through funding from the Tennessee Department of Agriculture. The appointment will be renewed annually contingent upon continued funding, satisfactory performance, and University approval. The position carries no expectation of tenure. As the research program matures, the successful candidate will be expected to increasingly support their research activity through externally sponsored projects, with the expectation of achieving full sponsored support for their assigned research activity by the third year. About CAESER The Center for Applied Earth Science and Engineering Research (CAESER) at the University of Memphis is an interdisciplinary applied research center that brings together faculty, professional research staff, graduate researchers, and students to address complex problems affecting communities, government, industry, infrastructure, agriculture, and natural resources. CAESER's capabilities include water resources and hydrogeology, numerical modeling, contaminant fate and transport, GIS and geospatial analytics, remote sensing and UAV technologies, geophysics and subsurface characterization, environmental monitoring, data management, and artificial intelligence/machine learning. The Center emphasizes collaborative, externally sponsored research and the translation of university expertise into solutions to real-world problems. Why This Position Few research faculty positions provide the opportunity to work so intentionally across two major universities while helping define a new area of collaboration. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to build relationships and research teams across the University of Memphis and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, draw upon the capabilities and networks of both institutions, and connect agricultural research across the full geography of Tennessee - from the eastern and central portions of the state to the highly productive agricultural landscapes of West Tennessee and the greater Mississippi Delta region. For a researcher interested in developing a funded program, building multidisciplinary teams, mentoring the next generation of scientists and engineers, and creating agricultural research partnerships with statewide and regional impact, this position provides an unusual platform from which to do so. Application Materials

Applicants should submit:

• A cover letter describing their interest in the position and how their background would contribute to collaborative agricultural research between UofM and UTK;
• A curriculum vitae;
• A research and funding statement describing the applicant's current research expertise, future research direction, and examples of external funding opportunities they would seek through a UofM–UTK partnership;
• A statement describing experience with or approach to graduate student mentoring; and
• Contact information for three professional references.

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. The anticipated start date is January 2027. Salary: Competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience. Primary Location: University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee, with regular collaboration and periodic activities at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and other research locations throughout Tennessee and the Mid-South.

Primary Responsibilities The Assistant Research Professor will be expected to develop an externally funded, collaborative research program that leverages the complementary strengths of UofM and UTK. Primary responsibilities include:

• Work actively with faculty at both UofM and UTK to identify common research interests and develop competitive joint research proposals.
• Identify federal, state, industry, foundation, and other external funding opportunities appropriate for collaborative agricultural and environmental research.
• Lead proposals as Principal Investigator and participate as co-Principal Investigator or key personnel on collaborative proposals, as permitted by institutional and sponsor policies.
• Develop research initiatives that capitalize on Tennessee's geographic diversity and the complementary agricultural strengths and relationships of UofM and UTK.
• Expand research opportunities involving West Tennessee and the Mississippi Embayment/Delta region, including opportunities for multi-state collaboration where appropriate.
• Establish an externally funded research portfolio sufficient to progressively support the position's research activities.
• Conduct high-quality research and publish findings in peer-reviewed scientific journals and other appropriate scholarly outlets.
• Recruit, supervise, mentor, and support graduate students participating in collaborative research at UofM and, where authorized, UTK.
• Build multidisciplinary research teams involving faculty, students, research staff, government agencies, agricultural organizations, producers, industry, and other partners.
• Participate in appropriate meetings and research activities at both UofM and UTK and maintain an active working relationship with faculty and research leadership at both institutions.
• Represent CAESER and the University of Memphis in professional, scientific, stakeholder, and research-development activities related to the position.

Expectations for Research Development A central expectation of this position is the development of a sustainable externally funded research program. During the initial years of appointment, the successful candidate will be provided the opportunity to establish collaborations, develop a proposal pipeline, participate in funded projects, and pursue new sponsored research. By the third year of appointment, the successful candidate is expected to have secured sufficient sponsored research support, as Principal Investigator and/or co-Principal Investigator, to fully support their assigned research activity. Continued success in external funding, scholarly productivity, collaborative research development, and student mentorship will be important measures of performance. The individual should therefore be comfortable working in a research environment in which proposal development and externally sponsored research are fundamental components of the position.

Required Qualifications

Applicants must:

• Hold an earned doctoral degree in agriculture, agricultural engineering, environmental science, natural resources, water resources, soil science, crop science, biological or biosystems engineering, civil or environmental engineering, geosciences, geography, data science, or another discipline directly relevant to the position.
• Demonstrate a record of, or strong potential for, developing externally funded research.
• Demonstrate the ability to conduct independent and collaborative research resulting in peer-reviewed scholarly publications.
• Have the ability and interest to work across disciplinary and institutional boundaries.
• Demonstrate strong written and oral communication skills, particularly the ability to develop competitive research proposals.
• Demonstrate the ability to work effectively with faculty, graduate students, research staff, government agencies, agricultural stakeholders, and external partners.
• Be willing to travel periodically between UofM, UTK, research sites, and partner locations as required by collaborative projects.

Preferred Qualifications Preference may be given to candidates who demonstrate one or more of the following:

• Experience developing or participating in successful externally funded research proposals.
• Experience serving as PI, co-PI, or key personnel on sponsored research.
• A research program relevant to agriculture in Tennessee, the Mid-South, Mississippi Embayment, or Delta region.
• Experience working with agricultural producers, extension programs, state or federal agencies, commodity groups, industry, or other agricultural stakeholders.
• Expertise that complements existing capabilities at UofM and UTK and can help create new interdisciplinary research teams.
• Experience supervising or mentoring graduate students.
• Experience translating scientific research into practical applications for agricultural producers, communities, government agencies, or industry.
• A demonstrated ability to initiate collaborations and move multidisciplinary concepts from initial discussion through proposal submission and funded research.

Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time.

The University of Memphis is a leading, student-centered, urban public R1 research institution. Located in Memphis, Tennessee, on 1,160 acres. The University serves a population of nearly 20,000 students and 2,500 employees, including more than 1,000 full-time faculty members. The University offers bachelor’s degrees in more than 230 areas of study, master’s degrees in more than 50 subjects and doctoral degrees in 26 disciplines; supported an institutional record of more than $100 million in research awards for FY24; and has an operating budget of close to $500 million.