Ph.D. Position: The role of priority effects in the ecological restoration of grassland vegetations

The Leuven Arenberg Doctoral School and the Laboratory of Plant Ecology at the K.U.Leuven (Belgium) is looking for a motivated Ph.D. candidate (M/F) for investigating the role of priority effects in the ecological restoration of grassland vegetations
The scholarship includes:

• A monthly allowance for a 4 year period (a preceeding predoctoral year may be included depending on the prior qualifications)
• Social security and insurances (http://www.kuleuven.be/research/doctoral/dbof.html)
  

The scholarships are special scholarships of the K.U.Leuven Research Council and are targeted at candidates from non-EEA countries (European Economic Area = European Union + Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway).

Applications are invited from enthusiastic graduates (M.Sc.) in any relevant science and engineering area with an excellent study track record. See project description below.

We offer a challenging research environment and an intense experience leading to a Ph.D. degree.

We are looking forward to resumes (CV) from motivated candidates.

Prof. Olivier Honnay
olivier.honnay@bio.kuleuven.be
Laboratory of Plant Ecology
Biology Department
University of Leuven, Belgium
Kasteelpark Arenberg 31, box 02435
BE-3001 Leuven
Tel.: +32 16321532
Fax.: +32 16321968
URL: www.kuleuven.be/bio/pleco

Ph.D. position: The effects of roads on indigenous people’s well-being and use of natural resources. A natural experiment in lowland Bolivia

Doctoral Candidate in Environmental Sciences needed for an NSF field study in Bolivia

“Construction ahead”: The effects of roads on indigenous people’s well-being and use of natural resources. A natural experiment in lowland Bolivia.

Duration of work: January 2011- December 2013

The Bolivian government plans to build a road linking Villa Tunari in the highland department of Cochabamba with the town of San Ignacio de Moxos, a town in the lowland department of Beni. The proposed road will cut through a national park and territories inhabited by several native Amazonian groups. The proposed study uses the construction of the road as a natural experiment and includes measuring indicators of well being and use of natural resources before and after the construction of the road in treatment and control communities.

To carry out the study, a doctoral candidate in environmental sciences is needed to serve as research associate (3-years). The student will be in charge of analyzing satellite images on the area where the road would be conducted and were two native Amazonian populations in Bolivia that will be affected the by road: Tsimane' and Moxenos. The student will work in coordination with a team of three anthropologists who will be in charge of conducting the field research of the project. Candidates should have a strong background in the social or natural sciences, including courses in statistics and research methods and be fluent in Spanish. The student needs to be familiar with geographic information systems, GIS, and remote sensing. The student will be responsible for conducting a Land Use-Land Change analysis of the affected areas (including the TCOs, TIM and TIPNIS).

The student is encouraged to pursue her/his own research plan and collect data for her/his dissertation. Most of the data analysis will take place in Barcelona, but the student is expected to travel at least once to the field area. Travel and living expenses while in the field will be paid for. The project will also cover round-trip travel to Bolivia. The student will receive a scholarship during the duration of the research.

The field work component of the research (mostly affecting other members of the team) is scheduled to begin in May of 2011, but familiarization with the road construction project, and with the history and ethnography of Moxos should start in January 2011. A team meeting will take place in the area during May-June 2011. Interested students should send a letter of interest and a current CV to Professors Victoria Reyes-García (victoria.reyes@uab.cat) or Ricardo Godoy (rgodoy@brandeis.edu) by December 31, 2010 to receive full consideration.

Graduate position: UT Austin, climate change ecology/evolution

The Juenger, Hawkes, and Keitt Labs in the Section of Integrative Biology at the University of Texas at Austin invite prospective students to apply for graduate studies under the nexus of a newly-funded 4-year project exploring switchgrass (Panicum) ecological and evolutionary responses to climate change, funded by the National Science Foundation. The project will blend genomic, experimental and modeling approaches to address spatial and temporal variation in switchgrass biomass production across North America. Switchgrass is a biofuel candidate species already in production. The ideal student would engage in an interdisciplinary program of training and research taking advantage of the breadth of expertise available among the participating labs. Co-advising arrangements are strongly encouraged. Research assistantships will be available to qualified applicants, although it is expected that students would also gain teaching experience though teaching assistantships during part of their tenure. Students may apply through UT's graduate programs in Ecology, Evolution and Behavior (EEB), Plant Biology or Computational Sciences, Engineering and Mathematics (CSEM).

Interested students should contact one or more of the PI's as soon as possible. Please include a PDF file with a CV, GRE scores and a statement of research interests.

For more information on graduate programs visit:
http://www.biosci.utexas.edu/graduate/eeb/
http://www.biosci.utexas.edu/graduate/plantbio/
http://www.ices.utexas.edu/cam/

For more information on our research programs visit:
http://www.keittlab.org/
http://www.biosci.utexas.edu/IB/faculty/JUENGER.HTM
http://www.biosci.utexas.edu/ib/faculty/hawkes/lab/

PhD Posistion

Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Project Area D "Laboratory Centre"

Job Title: PhD Position [#D07]

Reference Code: Ref. PG D 5.2 [#D07]

Job Location: Frankfurt/Main

Germany

Status: Part-Time/Adjunct/Substitute

Job Category: Biology/biotechnology/life sciences

Application Closing Date: 8/19/2008

Job Description

* / Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre / *

The Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre has recently been founded by the Senckenbergische Naturforschende Gesellschaft, the Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, and additional partners. It is funded by the Hessian State Initiative for the Development of Scientific and Economic Excellence (LOEWE). The mission of the Centre is to carry out internationally outstanding research on the interactions of biodiversity and climate change at the organism level. The Project Area D "Laboratory Centre" invites applications for a *PhD Position - Ref. PG D 5.2 [#D07] BAT II a / 2 *

The applicant will develop a technique for the automated molecular identification (barcoding) of scientifically and economically important freshwater communities. To this end, a data bank with nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences has to be established based on specimens which have been identified taxonomically by experts in advance. With their aid quantitative and qualitative analyses of species compositions in mixed samples will be established using second generation sequencing techniques (pyro-sequencing).

Job Requirements

The applicant should hold an earned Diploma or Master degree in biology, preferably with a strong focus on transcriptome analysis using high throughput technologies. She or he should already have experiences with taxonomic concepts, data banks and should be interested to cooperate with taxonomists of the Research Institute and Natural Museum Senckenberg. Very good written and oral English language skills and an interest in joining a multidisciplinary research team are required. Knowledge of German would be an advantage, and at least the willingness to learn basic German is required.

Information and Application Process Instructions

Salary and benefits are according to a public service position in Germany (BAT IIa/2).

The Research Centre advocates gender equality. Women are therefore strongly encouraged to apply. Equally qualified severely handicapped applicants will be given preference.

The contract shall start as soon as possible and will initially be restricted to 2 years with a possible extension being subject to personal performance and availability of funds. The duty station will be Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Official employer is SENCKENBERGISCHE NATURFORSCHENDE GESELLSCHAFT.

Please send your application by mail or e-mail, including a detailed CV, 3 references and a list of publications, until August 19, 2008 to Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. V. Mosbrugger, Scientific Coordinator Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Senckenberganlage 25, D-60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany. E-mail to Personal & Service: bernd.schleich@senckenberg.de

For enquiries about the position and the contract conditions please write to Prof. Dr. B. Stribrny (E-mail: bernhard.stribrny@senckenberg.de) and for scientific enquiries to PD Dr. M. Pfenninger (E-mail: pfenninger@bio.uni-frankfurt.de) or Prof. Dr. J. Oehlmann (E-mail: oehlmann@bio.uni-frankfurt.de)

When inquiring or applying for this position, please also reference /Academic Careers Online. /

To obtain more information or to submit your resume you can contact Bernd Schleich as shown below. If you apply for this position, please say you saw it first on www.AcademicCareers.com. Thank you.

Bernd Schleich

E-Mail: bernd.schleich@senckenberg.de

--

PD Dr. Markus Pfenninger

Abt. Ökologie & Evolution

J.W.Goethe-Universität

BioCampus Siesmayerstraße

D 60054 Frankfurt am Main

Germany

Tel.: ++ 49 69 798 24714

Fax : ++ 49 69 798 24910

eMail: Pfenninger@bio.uni-frankfurt.de

http://user.uni-frankfurt.de/~markusp

Markus Pfenninger Pfenninger@bio.uni-frankfurt.de

PhD Student Molecular Evolution / Plant Pathology

The Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL is part of the ETH Domain. Approximately 500 people work on topics related to the sustainable use and protection of the environment and on an integrated approach to handling natural hazards. The Phytopathology group of the Research Unit Ecological Genetics and Evolution is investigating fungus-virus interactions with the aim to develop biological control options for plant pathogens. For the project CCES-GEDIHAP "The role of genetic diversity in host-pathogen interactions in dynamic environments", which involves eight research groups of the ETH Domain we are seeking a PhD Student Molecular Evolution / Plant Pathology

You will investigate evolutionary processes in the interaction between the fungal tree pathogen Cryphonectria parasitica and its hyper-parasitic hypovirus CHV-1, seek to understand the relationships among genetic diversity, virulence and temperature in this pathosystem and publish your results in international journals. The project will involve field sampling along temperature gradients, laboratory experiments, and molecular-genetic analyses.

Your qualification: Master of Science with emphasis on ecological/evolutionary genetics, plant pathology or virology, experience with common genetic lab techniques and statistics, good English communication and writing skills, open-minded, innovative and motivated personality.

Interested? Please send your complete application including photo, using reference number 528 to Mrs Monika Huber, Human Resources WSL, Zuercherstrasse 111, CH-8903 Birmensdorf. Switzerland. Dr. Daniel

Rigling, tel. +41- (0)44 739 24 15, will be happy to answer any questions or offer further information.

--

Dr. Daniel Rigling,

Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL

Ecological Genetics & Evolution

CH-8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland

Phone: ++41-44-739-2415

Fax: ++41-44-739-2215

daniel.rigling@wsl.ch

http://www.wsl.ch

daniel.rigling@wsl.ch

PhD Position - Plant Evolutionary Ecology

Ecology and evolution of reproductive traits in a plant/pollinator-seed predator system
One PhD position is available at the Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, starting August 1st, 2008 or later.
We investigate the reproductive ecologies and mutualism/antagonism between the plant Silene latifolia (Caryophyllaceae) and its seed predator and pollinator Hadena bicruris (Noctuidae). We combine field
and greenhouse experiments with population genetics (microsatellite DNA) to investigate the evolution of reproductive and defense traits. The successful candidate will be able to design a project within this
broad framework.
For research in our group see: http://www.unil.ch/dee/page7005_en.html
The ideal applicant has a strong interest in evolutionary ecology and good background in experimental design and statistical analysis, microsatellites and/or fieldwork. Fluent English is required, as well as
a MSc, Diploma Degree or equivalent in Ecology, Genetics or Evolutionary Biology.
Funding is for four years. This position entails a few hours/week of teaching assistanship during term time (botany practicals). The University of Neuchatel (http://www.unine.ch) offers excellent facilities, with other groups focussing on ecology, population genetics, behavioural and evolutionary ecology, and a national competence center in plant biology (http://www2.unine.ch/nccr/page7229_en.html).
Please send a CV, a copy of your degree, a summary of experience and research interests and the addresses of two referees with subject line «PhD application» to:
giorgina.bernasconi@unine.ch
The position will be filled as soon as a suitable applicant is found.

References:
Jolivet C., Bernasconi G., 2006. Functional Ecology 20(6), 966-972.
Teixeira S., Bernasconi G., 2007. Molecular Ecology 16, 4370-9.
Jolivet C., Bernasconi G., 2007. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 20, 1361-74.
Teixeira S, Bernasconi G, 2008. New Phytologist 178, 223-456.
Giorgina Bernasconi Giorgina.Bernasconi@unine.ch

PHD POSITION IN PLANT EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY

A Ph.D. position in plant evolutionary Biology is available at the Dept. Structural and Functional Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Italy, with Dr. Salvatore Cozzolino to study speciation and reproductive isolation in Mediterranean orchids.
I am seeking a PhD candidate (3 yrs) with a strong interest in the evolution of reproductive isolation and speciation in plants. Our group is using orchids as a model system for ecological genetics and current
research topics include hybridisation and introgression, habitat adaptation, reproductive isolation and speciation, mechanisms and consequences of specific pollinator attraction, genome evolution.
For this PhD position two possible research projects are available. The two projects are embedded in a larger framework of evolutionary studies in Mediterranean orchids.
For both projects, experience with experimental work and statistical analyses and the use and application of molecular methods to evolutionary problems are a must.
One project will focus on the characterization of genes involved in species isolation by pollen-stigma interactions, by transcript profiling and functional study of candidate genes. For this project I am looking for one candidate with a strong background in molecular biology or biochemistry and plant developmental biology. The second project will investigate mechanisms and consequences of specific pollinator attraction in orchids species-pair, involving investigations on floral signals (scent), behavioral
experiments, molecular analysis of hybrid zones with pollinators and plot experiments in the field. For this project , a background in evolutionary ecology and population genetics is desirable.
The Dept. Structural and Functional Biology (see http://www.dbsf.unina.it/) host 40 academic staff, a dozen of PostDoc, and 20 PhD students that investigate several biological topics and offers a supportive and stimulating environment, a state-of-the-art molecular labs, as well as climate chambers, greenhouses and common garden facilities. Naples has a large and very active research community and the University of Naples (www.unina.it) dealing with various aspects of organismal and
molecular biology. The city also offers excellent opportunity for social life through active cultural programs and infrastructure, as well as an attractive surrounding including both see and mountains in proximity. Funding is available for three years and we hope to appoint by October 2008. Candidates should have completed their Masters degree or equivalent (Diplom) in a relevant field and be very fluent in English. The closing date for applications is end August 2006. A letters of application, together with a full CV and the names of two referees should be sent by email to Dr Salvatore Cozzolino (cozzolin@unina.it )

Salvatore Cozzolino
Dipartimento delle Scienze Biologiche
Universita' di Napoli Federico II
via Foria 223, I-80139 Napoli
Italy
tel +39 081 2538555 2538529
fax +39 081 2538523
Salvatore Cozzolino <cozzolin@unina.it>