Department of Biometry and Environmental System Analysis at the Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources of the University of Freiburg invites applications for a fully funded
***PhD position - timing in ecological interaction networks*** The project: We are looking for a highly motivated and skilled candidate to work in the new DFG-funded project “Daily and seasonal dynamics of ecological interaction networks: temporal structure and its functional consequences”. Temporal variability of species interactions has long been recognized, but we still lack a mechanistic understanding of its drivers and consequences, e.g. for interpretation of network structure, for conclusions about biodiversity-functioning relationships and for recommendations regarding ecosystem services. The project will address this gap by combining theoretical modeling with novel analysis of existing datasets and empirical work on plant-pollinator interactions. We will focus on interactions of insects (pollinators, herbivores, parasitoids) with plants or other insects. A key idea is to look at timing explicitly for multiple time scales, from within a day to across years. Describing temporal network dynamics will improve our mechanistic understanding and make the network approach more useful. Depending on interests and skills, the PhD-project can put more emphasis on either empirical or theoretical aspects. Your profile: Required: - Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Natural Sciences (e.g. Biology, Ecology, Environmental Sciences) or Applied Mathematics - Strong interest in community ecology and species interactions - Good quantitative (numerical) skills and experience with R (and willingness to learn more statistics, maths and programming) - Willingness to perform (experimental) fieldwork with insects and plants - Excellent communication and writing skills (English is the main working language) Desirable: - Research experience on species interactions, insect biodiversity or (any kind of) networks, knowledge of entomology and/or botany (species identification, etc.) - Experience with publishing in scientific journals University of Freiburg is an equal opportunities employer and explicitly encourages women to apply. What we offer: You will be supervised by a young PI (J. Fründ) with excellent knowledge of the topic. Working on the project with the PI and international collaborators will be a great basis for developing your own scientific profile. Our team is part of the Biometry and Environmental System Analysis group led by C. Dormann. University of Freiburg is a renowned institution with an active scientific environment (broad range of possible collaborations across the Faculties of Environment and Natural Resources as well as of Biology) and many supporting services. Freiburg is one of the most popular cities in Germany with lots of cultural and recreational opportunities and beautiful surroundings (Black Forest, France and Switzerland are close by). Salary: 65 % TVL-E13 for 3 years. Tentative starting date is 01 February 2017. How to apply: Please send your application (motivation letter, CV incl. relevant certificates and contact details for 2 references) by e-mail as a single pdf to Eva Meier ([email protected]). Deadline for applications is 05 December 2016, with interviews anticipated for mid December 2016. For further information, please contact: Dr. Jochen Fründ, [email protected], phone +49-761-2033747, www.jochenfruend.wordpress.com
