POSTDOC: CHANGES OF POLLINATION NETWORKS ALONG ENVIRONMENTAL GRADIENTS,
PRAGUE
We are seeking a highly motivated postdoc to join a project assessing
studies of plant-pollinator relationships in tropical and temperate
environments. The research is focused on changes of general
characteristics of pollination networks with environmental gradients,
as well as on case studies of selected pollination systems. All the new
team members will process already collected data and material, as well
as actively participate on field sampling (at least two larger
expeditions during the job) of data and their subsequent processing in
collaboration with international specialists. The length of the postdoc
is two and half years.
The successful applicant will become a part of the multi-disciplinary
team (www.insect-communities.cz) at the Faculty of Science, Charles
University, Prague, Czech Republic, with a close collaboration with the
Institute of Entomology and Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of
Sciences. The fieldworks will be performed in Cameroon and/or Czech
Republic. We have more than ten years continuous experience with
various field projects in Cameroon. All senior members of our team have
also worked in field in the Czech Republic since their studies.
Offered for all positions:
* attractive scientific topic in an established international team
* sufficient financial and logistical sources for the projects
(currently we hold three large projects for pollination research)
* 360,000 CZK net annual income for the post-doc (salary), plus various
employee bonuses; the income sufficiently covers living expenses in the
Czech Republic (the national average net income is ca. 260,000 CZK
annually)
Required for all positions:
* enthusiasm in nature and ecological science
* ability to work as a team member, but also being independent
* fluency in English, both written and spoken
Desirable (but not necessary) for all positions:
* previous experience of collaboration in scientific projects evidenced
by a (co)authorship of research papers or conference contributions
All applicants will send a structured CV, contacts for three referees,
and a cover letter stating their previous work, qualification
(especially all field experience and less usual field/laboratory
techniques) and motivation to our group email
insectcommunities@gmail.com. Any questions should be sent to the same
email as well. The review of applications will begin on 20th February
2018 and will continue until the position has been filled. Selected
applicants will be interviewed through Skype in the first ten days of
March 2018. The postdoctoral position will start from early summer 2018.
The postdoc will be collaborating on several our projects from both
tropical and temperate regions. She/he should be mainly responsible for
the network analyses and comparisons of various datasets of
plant-pollinator interactions on the community level. Nevertheless,
she/he is expected to join also other aspects of our pollination
research based on her/his skills, including field sampling, samples
identification, measuring and analyses etc. She/he will have an
opportunity to join our field sampling in both Cameroon and Czechia.
The postdoc will be jointly led by Dr. Robert Tropek and Dr. ?t?pán Jane?ek.
Specific requirements for this position
* a Ph.D. degree in the relevant field (in early spring 2018 at the
latest)
* advanced skills in ecological networks statistical analyses
* enthusiasm for statistical revealing of ecological enigmas
* reasonable publication record
Desirable (but not necessary)
* reasonable knowledge of insects or plants
* experience with trophic interactions research
Robert Tropek <robert.tropek@gmail.com>
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GRADUATE POSITION IN INSECT EVOLUTION AND DIVERSITY, NORTH CAROLINA
The newly established Blaimer lab in the Department of Entomology and
Plant Pathology at NC State University is seeking to fill a graduate
student position (PhD or MSc, depending on prior experience) beginning
in the Fall semester. Our research group focuses on applying
cutting-edge molecular technologies to address relevant questions in
insect evolutionary biology, systematics and community ecology, mainly
by studying ants and other Hymenoptera. We value collection-based
research and actively conduct field surveys for ants and other insects,
with a particular focus on canopy diversity.
We are looking for a highly motivated student with a keen interest in
evolutionary biology and entomology, and matching research interests to
the above. Thesis projects will likely be tied into ongoing research in
the lab, but specifics could be developed according to the student¢s
interests. Potential projects, for example, could be centered around
the evolution of ant community structure, both locally in North
Carolina or within ongoing research in Madagascar, or could investigate
color pattern evolution in large carpenter bees in the context of
mimicry. Systematic, taxonomic, or other collection-based project
components are further encouraged. Preference will be given to students
interested in working on Hymenoptera, and particularly on ants.
NC State University's Entomology Department offers a highly-rated
research environment and is situated in a vibrant and scientifically
stimulating atmosphere in the Research Triangle, with both UNC and Duke
University, as well as NESCENT and the North Carolina Museum of
Sciences close by. Our NC State Insect Museum is a mid-size insect
collection that provides state-of-the-art training opportunities in
specimen-based research techniques and curation. Raleigh is a lively
town with an inexpensive, yet high standard of living, and its
surroundings offer numerous recreational activities.
Interested students should contact me directly at
bonnie_blaimer[at]ncsu.edu with a brief description of research
interests and experience and a CV, preferably by January 31. Note that
the departmental website is currently being redeveloped and information
found online about the NCSU Entomology graduate program may not be up-to-date.
Bonnie B Blaimer
Assistant Professor
Director, NCSU Insect Museum
Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology North Carolina State
University Raleigh, NC 27695-7613
