Research position in landscape genetics

Research position in Landscape genetics

SLU Swedish Biodiversity Centre, Department of Urban and Rural development

The SLU Swedish Biodiversity Centre (CBM) at the Department for Urban and Rural development, is a center for research, investigation and communication about and for biodiversity as a crucial issue for people and societies. CBM is located at the Swedish University of Agriculture, SLU in Uppsala, and was established in 1994 by the Swedish government.

Duties:


Within the FORMAS project Is ploidy a simple predictor of species extinctions? we are looking for a (post-doctoral) researcher to work on improving our mechanistic understanding of genetic and genomic life-history traits in affecting and predicting plant species responses and extinctions. Specifically, the successful candidate will oversee two ongoing studies. The first involves a landscape genetic study of congeneric species (e.g. Campanula spp.) varying in ploidy level. Main aim is to link how the latter trait in particular may unveil why diploid species in general are at an apparent disadvantage in fragmented landscapes. The study will be conducted in four Swedish regions sampled earlier, so numerous confounding and interacting landscape ecological, plant community and soil environmental data are already available. The second study involves a vegetation re-survey database effort quantifying the predictive power of genetic/genomic traits to predict species extinctions vis-à-vis other life-history traits along spatial and temporal scales.
The position will be based at the Swedish Biodiversity Centre, Department of Urban and Rural Development, SLU. Other project partners include CEH Wallingford (UK), James Hutton Institute (UK), University of Bergen (NO), KULeuven (BE) and University of Tartu (EST).

Qualifications:

Applicants must have a PhD in Molecular Ecology, Population Genetics, Landscape Ecology, Ecology or other related or relevant discipline. We perceive this position as career-developing, so we are primarily looking for candidates with a doctoral degree that is preferably within 3 years of the application date, exempting any time due to leave of absence. Applications of more experienced researcher are however welcomed. It is a strong advantage to have the confidence and experience working with population genetic data in explicit spatial and temporal settings, and using appropriate statistical methods to analyze these complex data in R or another coding environment. Experience with bioinformatics is a merit. Other required qualifications include proven research productivity, with work published in the peer-reviewed literature. Proven independence in managing and supervising research projects from start-to-finish is another strong merit.

Form of Employment:

Temporary, 12 months.

Location:

Uppsala

Extent:

100%

Starting date:

By Agreement; but September 1st at the latest. Start can be as early as July 1st.

Application:

We welcome your application via the link below, at the latest 5 June 2023. Please upload your CV including list of publications. In your personal letter (up to one page), please say what interests you about the position, what makes you a good candidate, and include own ideas and interests that may be relevant for the project. Upload a copy of your PhD certificate, and feel free to use the ‘Other documents’ to upload one or two of your best or most relevant papers relating to this position.



The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) has a key role in the development for sustainable life, based on science and education. Through our focus on the interaction between humans, animals and ecosystems and the responsible use of natural resources, we contribute to sustainable societal development and good living conditions on our planet. Our main campuses are located in Alnarp, Umeå and Uppsala, however, the university also operates at research stations, experimental forests and teaching sites throughout Sweden.

SLU has around 3,000 employees, 5,000 students and doctoral students and a turnover of over SEK 3 billion. We are investing in attractive environments on all of our campuses. We strive to provide a work environment characterised by inclusivity and gender equality, where different experiences generate conversations between people and pave the way for science, creativity and development. Therefore, we welcome applications from people with diverse backgrounds and perspectives.