Two Research Assistant positions in entomology are available within the
School of Biological Sciences and The Swire Institute of Marine Science
at The University of Hong Kong (HKU).
The position offers a two-year contract with competitive salary and
benefits with an immediate starting date (or as soon as possible).
The candidate must have a B.Sc. in entomology, ecology, biology, or
related field. Any previous experience and/or specific interests for
entomology will be highly valued for the position; in particular
experience in sampling and/or specimen curation and identification for
one or several of the following insect groups: Lepidoptera (moths),
Lampyridae, and Hymenoptera (ants, bees and wasps). Good spoken and
writing English skills are necessary.
/Project description/
Mangroves represent one of the most threatened habitat globally with a
poorly characterized biodiversity. The project will focus on an
extensive biodiversity survey of mangroves in Hong Kong with a focus on
both marine and terrestrial organisms. The two positions advertised here
focusing on the entomofauna are part of interdisciplinary project
surveying the fauna and flora of local mangroves led by Dr. Stefano
Cannicci, Prof. Gray A. Williams and Dr. Benoit Guénard.
Successful applicants will be responsible for setting up sampling sites,
using various collecting methods (Malaise traps, baiting, beating,
artificial nest traps…), sorting and curating the specimens collected,
performing identification and data entry within the project’s database.
Candidates should thus posses excellent organization skills and be able
to work for long hours in the hot and humid environments experienced in
subtropical habitats; as well as showing diligence to complete intense
entomological surveys (hundreds of thousands of specimens are expected);
with a particular focus on three taxonomic groups: Lepidoptera (moths),
Lampyridae, and Hymenoptera (ants, bees and non-parasitoid wasps). The
entomological material collected will constitute the basis for the
development of a reference collection and database in Hong Kong.
Interested candidates should initially email a letter of interest with a
resume with relevant experience and contact information for two
reference contacts to Dr. Benoit Guénard ([email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>).
Information about the research conducted in the Insect Biodiversity and
Biogeography lab, Hard Rock Ecology Lab and Mangrove Ecology and
Evolution lab are available at the following addresses:
http://benoitguenard.wordpress.com/
http://www.biosch.hku.hk/ecology/gaw.htm
https://stefanocannicci.wordpress.com/
Application should be received before March 15^th 2017.
