Postdoctoral Research Associate

Postdoctoral Research Associate: EcoAcoustics

A Postdoctoral Research Associate position is available for two years working in the Department of Biology at the University of Oxford. The main focus of the work will be (i) to carry out research testing a series of questions around the links between producer phenology and community diversity in birds and bats, and (ii) to develop tools for deep-learning analysis of acoustic data. The post relates to ongoing work in the research group of Professor Ben Sheldon, working as part of a team of around a dozen researchers.

The intention is that the post-holder will particularly focus on the following approaches and questions:

(1)  Developing methods using automated acoustic monitoring to assess community diversity and stability of bird and bat communities at Wytham Woods;

(2)  Developing deep-learning methods to enable the identification and characterisation of intra-specific diversity in avian vocalisations;

(3)  Testing the hypothesis that small-scale spatial variation in the phenology of trees (producers) influences the diversity and temporal stability of secondary consumers;

(4)  Testing the links between small-scale spatial variation in producer phenology and the phenology of acoustic landscapes.

In addition, the post holder will be expected to play a role in supporting and collaborating with other members of the research group, and in supporting undergraduate teaching in the use and analysis of bioacoustics data.

The post is part-funded by a UKRI Frontiers grant (UK replacement for an ERC Advanced Grant). The overall project aims to understand the effect of the spatial scale of phenological matching on natural selection, local adaptation, community diversity and demography in primary and secondary consumers in a deciduous woodland ecosystem. The tri-trophic system is exemplified by the oak-winter moth-great tit food chain, but this study will also focus on interspecific diversity at each of these trophic levels and their effects across levels. The project involves large-scale deployment of drones to measure phenology of deciduous trees in multiple years, as well as observational and experimental methods to understand the mechanisms by which spatial variation in phenology influences behaviour, ecology, and evolutionary processes in consumers. This project involves a team of ~12 researchers including postdoctoral and graduate students, as well as short-term seasonal field assistants, over five years from 2022-2027.

The post-holder will be expected to work closely with the other team members in their work, and to manage demanding responsibilities at certain busy times of year. The team working on this project is expected to consist of 5 postdocs and 4 PhD students working on other aspects of the project. Extensive research support and funds to support training and professional development are available. The post is available immediately.

The closing date for applications is 12.00 noon (GMT) on Thursday 25th January, interviews are likely to be scheduled for early February. Applications for this vacancy are to be made online via our e-recruitment system, and you will be required to upload a supporting statement and CV as part of your online application.