UMaine Flagship Postdoctoral Fellow (id:83137)
Orono
School of Biology & Ecology - OSBE
UMPSA
N/A
Orono ME
Facilitate, coordinate, and engage in rigorous, collaborative research partnerships involving faculty and staff associated with the Gardner Lab in the School of Biology and Ecology and the Tick Lab at UMaine Cooperative Extension. The Postdoctoral Research Fellow will advance their individual professional development as a researcher and scholar while contributing to the larger goals of the tick-borne disease research program at UMaine. The Postdoctoral Research Fellow will be responsible for liaising with allied scholarly, government, and non-profit partners and contributing to the broad research and service missions of the University. Principal duties of the position will include: 1) planning and conducting original research activities related to tick-borne disease ecology autonomously while working collaboratively with team members, 2) facilitating opportunities for interactions among multiple departments, colleges, and external partners to foster collaboration, 3) preparing manuscripts for publication and presenting research findings at professional meetings and workshops, and 4) participating in identifying and submitting funding proposals in support of tick-borne disease ecology research activities. The Postdoctoral Research Fellow will have a substantial role in science communication and stakeholder engagement related to their research activities.
We are a research team of faculty, students, and professionals that collaborate on research projects focused on the ecology and management of arthropod disease vectors and the pathogens they transmit. The Postdoctoral Research Fellow will contribute to research related to the impacts of weather and climate on the seasonality of tick activity, pathogen infection prevalence within tick and wildlife populations, and the consequences for pathogen spillover into human populations. They will have the opportunity to leverage existing data sources including a long-term passive tick surveillance data set and tick-borne disease human case data as well as collect new data in the field and the molecular lab. The Fellow will receive training from experts in a diverse interdisciplinary skill set relevant to vector-borne disease research, including ecological study design, field data collection (e.g., tick collection, semi-controlled field experiments, climate data collection), molecular methods (DNA/RNA extraction, PCR, qPCR, RT-qPCR, DNA sequencing), working with the Institutional Review Board, and management and analysis of large epidemiological and geospatial data sets. Typical hiring range for this soft-money funded, one-year fixed-length position is $50,000 to $65,000 commensurate with qualifications and experience.
Complete Job Description
The University of Maine is a community of more than 11,900 undergraduate and graduate students, and 2,500 employees located on the Orono campus, the regional campus in Machias, and throughout the state. UMaine is a land, sea and space grant university, and maintains a leadership role as the University of Maine System's flagship institution. UMaine is the state's public research university and a Carnegie R1 top-tier research institution, dedicated to providing excellent teaching, research and service for Maine, the nation and the world. More information about UMaine is at umaine.edu .
The University of Maine offers a wide range of benefits for employees including, but not limited to, tuition benefits (employee and dependent), comprehensive insurance coverage including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and short and long term disability as well as retirement plan options. As a former NSF ADVANCE institution, the University of Maine is committed to diversity in our workforce and to dual-career couples.
UMaine is located in beautiful Central Maine. Many employees report that a primary reason for choosing to come to UMaine is quality of life. Numerous cultural activities, excellent public schools, safe neighborhoods, high quality medical care, little traffic, and a reasonable cost of living make the greater Bangor area a wonderful place to live. Learn more about what the Bangor region has to offer here .
Required:
- A completed PhD in Entomology, Ecology, Biology, Epidemiology, Environmental Science, or a related field by the appointment date.
- Strong quantitative skills and prior research experience involving statistical analysis of data.
- Demonstrated ability to develop and publish manuscripts.
- Demonstrated strong oral communication skills.
- Ability to work independently as well as proven experience working effectively with faculty and graduate students in a team environment.
Preferred:
- Prior experience working in a vector-borne disease system.
- Familiarity with analysis of epidemiological data.
- Familiarity with conducting ecological field research.
- Familiarity with molecular lab research (e.g., DNA extraction, PCR).
- Knowledge of R and ArcGIS software.
- Potential for securing external funding to support research.
- Potential for community engagement through research, participation in outreach events, and service at local, state, or national levels.
Materials must be submitted via "Apply For Position" below. You will need to create a profile and application; upload:
1.) a cover letter which describes your experience, interests, and suitability for the position
2.) a resume/curriculum vitae
3.) contact information for three professional references
You will also need to submit the affirmative action survey, the self-identification of disability form, and the self-identification of veteran status forms. Incomplete application materials cannot be considered. Materials received after the initial review date will be reviewed at the discretion of the University.
Search Timeline is as follows:
Review of applications to begin: December 1, 2023
Interviews to begin no earlier than: January 1, 2024
Tentative start date: June 1, 2024
For questions about the search, please contact search committee chair Allison Gardner at [email protected] .
The successful applicant is subject to appropriate background screening.
In complying with the letter and spirit of applicable laws and pursuing its own goals of diversity, the University of Maine System does not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender, gender identity or expression, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship status, familial status, ancestry, age, disability physical or mental, genetic information, or veterans or military status in employment, education, and all other programs and activities. The University provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Director of Equal Opportunity, 5713 Chadbourne Hall, Room 412, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5713, 207.581.1226, TTY 711 (Maine Relay System).
Fiscal Year (12 Months)
Cover Letter, References, Resume/CV