Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Details

Posted: 11-Jan-24

Location: Fairfax, VA, Virginia

Salary: Open

Internal Number: 10000367

Department: College of Science

Classification: Post Doc 12 month

Job Category: Postdoctoral Faculty

Job Type: Full-Time

Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk)

Location: Fairfax, VA

Telework Friendly: No

Salary: Salary commensurate with education and experience

Criminal Background Check: Yes

About the Department:

The Department of Biology includes 14 tenured and tenure-track and 14 term faculty focused on undergraduate and graduate education. It maintains research facilities including a 1700 sq. ft. climate-controlled greenhouse and an active 80,000 specimen herbarium. The Department has over 1500 undergraduate majors and employs more than 50 Graduate Teaching Assistants as well as adjunct faculty. Faculty from the Department of Environmental Science and Policy, the School of Systems Biology, the School of Integrative Studies, and the STEM Accelerator Program also contribute to the Biology Department through courses and research collaborations. Mason's enrollment is approximately 38,255 with students studying in over 210 degree programs (127 graduate degree programs) from bachelors to doctoral, as well as Law. Mason is ranked #24 Most Diverse University in the United States (Diversity Index = .71; U.S. News & World Report, 2020) with 49% of undergraduates from underrepresented groups and 37% considered first generation. Located in the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area, students study at campuses in Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William counties. George Mason University is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer.
George Mason University College of Science (Mason Science) is committed to advancing access, justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (A-JEDI) throughout our STEM community, including within our hiring and retention practices. At Mason Science, our values include fostering an organizational culture that promotes anti-racism, belonging, respect, and civility. We believe that a diversity of opinions, cultures, and perspectives is what provides vibrancy, innovation, and growth to an academic community. By prioritizing inclusive excellence in academics, teaching, research, and global engagement, we strive to attract a diverse pool of faculty and staff who exemplify the Mason Science mission and vision.

About the Position:

The Hanley Color Lab at George Mason University (GMU) is searching for a Postdoctoral Fellow to study color perception in wild animals. Specifically, we are looking to recruit a researcher interested in using avian brood parasitism as a model system for testing color perception and decision-making in the wild. Our lab uses field experiments and comparative tests to understand how the decision-making abilities of hosts impact co-evolutionary dynamics. We seek candidates with a strong interest in perception and cognition, to explore the role of color categorization, background contrast, and color constancy on these host decisions. The candidate would have access to large behavioral and comparative datasets and would have the opportunity to design and conduct field experiments at our local field site.

As a Postdoc at GMU you would focus primarily on publishing high-tier publications, but you will also have the ability to serve as co-PI on external funding opportunities. We will provide the postdoctoral fellow time and guidance on their professional development within the lab and through a range of professional development resources available to postdoctoral fellows at GMU. The postdoctoral fellow will have access to a state-of-the-art facility, a dedicated office space, and a wide range of instruments within our lab and the shared lab facilities. GMU is ideally situated in the Washington D.C. area which will provide the postdoctoral fellow the opportunity to develop collaborations, provide seminars, and expand their professional network.

This position will pay $70,000 per year with benefits. Currently we are hiring the candidate for 1-year, though we would welcome discussions about extending the term of the contract. The start date is flexible, with the potential to start in the summer of 2024 or the fall of 2024. Potential candidates should have a strong publication record and emphasize their strengths in field ornithology, behavioral ecology, laboratory work (e.g., spectroscopy, photometry, optics, or related areas), computation biology or related areas. Ideal candidates will demonstrate a commitment to pursuing extramural funding. We request that all interested candidates provide a curriculum vitae and a letter of intent that includes information on your past research experience and future research and career plans. For full consideration, please submit these materials through http://jobs.gmu.edu before 29 Feb 2024. We will continue to review applications after this point, the position is open until filled. We strongly encourage all interested applicants to communicate directly with Daniel Hanley ([email protected] ).

Required Qualifications:

• Terminal degree in Biology, or a related field, and prior experience publishing peer-reviewed articles;
• Minimum 1-year relevant experience in the field or laboratory;
• Demonstrated previous experience with perceptual models, color categorization, background contrast, color constancy, coevolution, and host decision-making or similar topics;
• Previous experience and strength in field ornithology, behavioral ecology, laboratory work (e.g., spectroscopy, photometry, optics, or related areas), computation biology or related areas;
• Knowledge of perception and cognition; and
• Skill in publishing peer-reviewed research in respected journals.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Prior experience securing extramural funding; and
• Knowledge of egg recognition, color categorization, background contrast, or color constancy.

Instructions to Applicants: 

For full consideration, applicants must apply for the Postdoctoral Research Fellow at https://jobs.gmu.edu/ ; complete and submit the online application; and provide a cover letter, curriculum vitae, and a list of three professional references with contact information.

Posting Open Date:  January 4, 2024

For Full Consideration, Apply by:  February 29, 2024

Open Until Filled?:  Yes

 

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About George Mason University
George Mason University is a public, comprehensive, research university established by the Commonwealth of Virginia located in Northern Virginia, outside of Washington, D.C. Mason was initially founded as a branch of the University of Virginia in 1949, and became an independent institution in 1972. George Mason University is an innovative and inclusive academic community committed to creating a more just, free, and prosperous world. George Mason University has 37,000 students from all 50 states and 130 countries and a residential population of more than 6,000 students. Mason is a vibrant and dynamic community of scholars. 80% of our students are employed within six months of graduation. Nearly two-thirds of the 140,000 Mason alumni live and work in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.Mason is a young university that, in just a short time, has made impressive strides in size, stature and influence. Today, as Virginia’s largest public research university, we are setting the benchmark for a bold, progressive education that serves the needs of our students and communities. To that end, we have 10 schools and colleges devoted to a variety of study. Mission.We prepare Mason stu...dents for the demands of work, social responsibility, and life in an ever-changing global society. University Life's mission statement is core to our work. We support every student at Mason, from orientation through graduation.George Mason: Patriotism Personified. George Mason, for whom our university is named, was one of the greatest of the founding fathers of the United States. Mason drafted the Virginia Declaration of Rights, which became a model for the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution, known as the Bill of Rights.We Are in Virginia. But We Serve the World.Mason is committed to creating a more just, free and prosperous world. Located in one of the most important political, economic and intellectual hubs in the world, we accept our responsibility to serve others: to help our students succeed, enrich the life of our community, and contribute to solving some of the most complex global problems of our time.Washington, D.C.: Land of Opportunity.Mason’s main campus is in Fairfax, Virginia, just 15 miles outside of Washington, D.C. The nation’s capital is easily accessible by car or public transportation. At Mason, you can enjoy the best of both worlds: a beautiful wooded residential campus and outstanding college experience, as well as numerous internship and recreational opportunities that only a world-class urban setting like D.C. can offer. You can intern with National Geographic or the Justice Department, visit the numerous museums with your Art History classmates, take a selfie in front of Lincoln Memorial, catch a Nationals baseball game, kayak along the Potomac, or check out the many neighborhoods where you’ll discover lots of great shopping, places to eat, art galleries, music venues, and much more. You can attend events and hear nationally recognized speakers. You’ll run out of time before you run out of things to do.There’s more to explore. Students participate in a field trip to the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., organized by the Office of International Programs and Services. In just a short drive, you can be hiking in the Shenandoah Mountains or walking the boardwalk in either Ocean City, Maryland, or Virginia Beach, Virginia.Our closest airports are Dulles International Airport and Ronald Reagan National Airport, and Mason is easily accessible by public transportation. Free shuttle buses help you get to the nearest Metro station in Vienna, Virginia, just a short distance from our Fairfax Campus. The Arlington Campus is within walking distance of the Virginia Square-GMU stop on the Orange Line.Enriching Work Environment.We will invest in recruiting, retaining, and developing talented and diverse faculty and academic and professional staff. We will create a vibrant campus life in which all members can grow and thrive.Diversity.Diversity is one of our core values; everyone is welcome here. Mason was recently named the most diverse university in Virginia by U.S. News & World Report.We bring together a multitude of people and ideas in everything that we do. Our culture of inclusion, our multidisciplinary approach, and our global perspective makes us more effective educators and scholars.While at Mason, you’ll be making your own decisions and forming your own view of the world. Engaging with diverse groups of individuals, including students, faculty, and staff, will enrich this experience. You will learn from them, and they will learn from you.We have a variety of communities here, and you're sure to find a group of people who are like you. The great thing is you'll also be embraced by communities of people who are not like you. At Mason, you'll be in a place where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.Interacting with people from a variety of backgrounds will:•Widen your outlook of the world,•Show you how to work and collaborate with people of differing views,•Expose you to new perspectives from people with disparate life experiences, and•Give you the social skills to interact with all kinds of people.Diversity also enhances learning and creative thinking by prompting the study of new material and the awareness of fresh viewpoints. The power of many perspectives will boost your capacity to explore original ideas and solutions. Seeing issues in a new way heightens your creativity and problem-solving abilities.Another benefit: As our nation becomes more diverse, students who learn in a diverse environment will be more competitive in an increasingly global economy. You’ll enhance your critical thinking skills and improve your ability to develop nuanced solutions to real-world problems.Campus-Wide Accessibility.Accessibility @ mason provide information regarding the physical access of all campuses and online accessibility of programs and services. Information for disability related services and resources available to all employee, students, and visitors the entire university include physical access to buildings, parking policies, and emergency evacuation procedures.Accessible.We are an open and welcoming community. We partner with public and private organizations in our region and around the world. We proactively engage with our community. We define our success by how many talented students with potential we serve, not how many we leave out.Social and Cultural Venues.Our venues bring world-class performances to the community through vibrant concerts and events. Community members are invited to take part in many artistic and cultural offerings at Mason. Spaces are also available to rent for your next event.
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