PhD Research Fellow in terrestrial ecology.

22 Mar 2024
Job Information

Organisation/Company

University of Bergen

Department

Department of Biological Sciences

Research Field

Biological sciences

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Country

Norway

Application Deadline

30 Apr 2024 - 11:59 (Europe/Brussels)

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Full-time

Hours Per Week

40

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by an EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

There is a vacancy for a PhD Research Fellow position in terrestrial ecology at the Department of Biological Sciences (BIO) , University of Bergen. The position is for a fixed-term period of 3 years with the possibility of a 4 th year with compulsory other work (e.g. teaching duties at the Department) and is associated with the Ecological and Environmental Change research group. The position is funded by the University of Bergen.

About the project/work tasks:

In current attempts to understand how environmental change affects ecosystems, the focus is often on species abundances and distributions (range limits), while species interaction data remain sporadic. Meanwhile, recent long-term studies show that the strength of interactions may also be changing within species ranges regardless of predicted range shifts. It is important to establish the extent of such “invisible” change within ecosystems, because ultimately the functioning and stability of a species (or network of species) depends on the strengths of its interactions more than on its presence or absence.

The focus here is on terrestrial ecosystems and particularly temperate forests. The candidate will use hole-nesting birds and their trophic interactions along an urbanisation gradient to study the combined effects of habitat degradation and climatic factors on species interactions. The candidate is expected to develop their research empirically through the monitoring of hole-nesting birds in local nestbox populations and the use of data collected in the past decade. Some of these questions may also be addressed at a broader scale through international collaborations.

The candidate will be based at the University of Bergen, with the possibility of short stays abroad for the purposes of collaboration.

Requirements

Research Field

Biological sciences

Education Level

Master Degree or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

• Applicants must hold a master's degree or equivalent education in Ecology and Evolution or must have submitted their master's thesis for assessment prior to the application deadline. It is a condition of employment that the master's degree has been awarded.
• Experience with handling and measuring small passerine birds is a requirement.
• Good statistical skills and familiarity with R programming is required.
• Experience with the monitoring of breeding birds in nestbox populations throughout at least one entire breeding season is a clear advantage.
• A documented interest for fieldwork involving wild birds in Scandinavian weather is a clear advantage.
• Familiarity with spatial data analysis in R (GIS) is also an advantage.
• Applicants must be able to work independently and in a structured manner and demonstrate good collaborative skills.
• Applicants must be proficient in both written and oral English.

Personal and relational qualities will be emphasized. Ambitions and potential will also count when evaluating the candidates.

Specific Requirements

The University of Bergen is subjected to the regulation for export control system. The regulation will be applied in the processing of the applications.

Languages

ENGLISH

Level

Good

Research Field

Biological sciences

Additional Information
Benefits

• A good and professionally stimulating working environment.
• Salary as PhD research fellow (code 1017) in the state salary scale. This constitutes a gross annual salary of NOK 532 200 (equivalent to pay grade 54). Further increases in salary are made according to length of service in the position. 
• Enrolment in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.
• Good welfare benefits .

Eligibility criteria

• A brief account of the applicant's research interests and motivation for applying for the position.
• The names and contact information for two referees. One of these should be the main advisor for the master's thesis or equivalent thesis.
• CV
• Transcripts and diplomas showing completion of the bachelor's and master's degrees. If you have not yet completed your master's degree, please submit a statement from your institution confirming that the master's thesis has been submitted.
• Relevant certificates/references  approved documentation of proficiency in English (if required, cf. English language requirements for PhD admission ).
• A list of any works of a scientific nature (publication list).
• Any publications in your name.

The application and appendices with certified translations into English or a Scandinavian language must be uploaded at Jobbnorge.

Selection process

About the PhD position (applies to university PhD positions):

 

The fellowship will be for a period of 3 years, with the possibility for a 4th year, consisting of 25 % compulsory work (e.g. teaching responsibilities at the department) distributed over the employment period. The 4th year is contingent on the qualifications of the candidate and the teaching needs of the department and will be decided by the head of department upon appointment.

The employment period may be reduced if you have previously been employed in a qualifying post (e.g. research fellow, research assistant).

About the research training

As a PhD Research Fellow, you must participate in an approved educational programme for a PhD degree within a period of 3 years. The deadline for applying for admission to the PhD programme at The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences is 2 months after you start your position or after the start of the research project that will lead to the PhD degree. It is a condition that you satisfy the enrolment requirements for the PhD programme at the University of Bergen.

Additional comments

For further details about the position, please contact associate professor Adèle Mennerat , [email protected] .

For HR related questions contact Therese Myhre Odfjell, [email protected] .

The state labour force shall reflect the diversity of Norwegian society to the greatest extent possible. Age and gender balance among employees is therefore a goal. It is also a goal to recruit people with immigrant backgrounds. People with immigrant backgrounds and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply for the position.

The University of Bergen applies the principle of public access to information when recruiting staff for academic positions.

Information about applicants may be made public even if the applicant has asked not to be named on the list of persons who have applied. The applicant must be notified if the request to be omitted is not met.

For further information about the recruitment process, click here .

Website for additional job details

https://www.jobbnorge.no/en/available-jobs/job/260542/phd-research-fellow-in-te…

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

Department of Biological Sciences

Country

Norway

City

Bergen

Postal Code

5006

Street

Thormøhlens gate 53 A-B

Geofield

Where to apply

Website

https://www.jobbnorge.no/en/available-jobs/job/260542/phd-research-fellow-in-te…

Contact

City

Bergen

Website

http://www.uib.no

Street

Thormøhlens gate 53 A-B

Postal Code

5006

E-Mail

[email protected]

STATUS: EXPIRED