Dear colleagues, With apologies for inevitable cross-posting, I am writing to advertise a 42-month Senior Research Associate position at the University of Portsmouth, funded by a NERC Pushing the Frontiers award. The project investigates the role of hypervelocity impact melting in early crustal evolution: a fundamental but incompletely understood process that shaped the earliest crust on both Earth and the Moon during intense bombardment in the first billion years of Solar System history. The project connects Earth's best-preserved impact melt sheets with lunar samples, aiming to build a unified Earth–Moon perspective on the effects of impact melting. Alongside sample-based analytical work, the project integrates petrogenetic and thermodynamic modelling, and includes an option for fieldwork at Sudbury, Ontario and other terrestrial impact structures. In collaboration with project partner Vale Base Metals, we will also explore implications of impact melt sheet evolution for world-class critical metal ore systems. We are looking for candidates with expertise in: * Igneous petrogenesis and mineral microanalysis (essential) * One or more of: microstructural analysis (EBSD), isotope geochemistry, and/or thermodynamic modelling The successful candidate will have access to excellent facilities across the project partnership, including femtosecond laser-ablation ICP-MS/MS, MC-ICP-MS, NanoSIMS, EBSD and EPMA, and will be supported to develop complementary skills through mentoring by myself and Co-Leads Eleanor Jennings (Birkbeck University of London), Mahesh Anand (The Open University), and Katherine Joy (The University of Manchester). The salary range is £35,608–£39,906 per annum. The closing date for applications is 5 July 2026, with interviews anticipated on 4 August 2026. Full details and the application portal are available at: https://mss.port.ac.uk/ce0732li_webrecruitment/wrd/run/etrec179gf.open?WVID=217310N6lo&LANG=USA&VACANCY_ID=112735ZCCg Please do not hesitate to contact me directly at james.darling@port.ac.uk with any questions or to discuss the position informally. I would be very happy to hear from interested candidates, and would be grateful if you could forward this to anyone who may be interested. All the best, James Darling Professor of Earth and Planetary Science University of Portsmouth