Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Faculty of Health and Life Sciences

This new full-time post is available from 1 May 2023 until 1 November 2024 on a fixed term basis.

We welcome applications from candidates interested in working part-time hours or job-sharing arrangements.

The post

The Faculty wishes to recruit a Postdoctoral Research Fellow to participate in the FriendOrigins project together with Professor Lauren Brent. This European Research Council (ERC) funded post is available from May 1, 2023 for 1.5 years and is based at University of Exeter, Streatham Campus. This project has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement No 864461).

The successful applicant will contribute to the FriendOrigins project on the evolution of social relationships. The aims of this project are to answer key questions about the evolution of friendly relationships – What are the ultimate functions of friendly relationships? What environmental factors shape friendly relationships? How do individuals navigate their social worlds? How do we best quantify relationships? To do this, our team uses long-term behavioural data on gregarious mammals, comparative and experimental methods, and social network analysis.

The appointed Postdoctoral Research Fellow will work within our research team to generate advancements in one or more of these aims. With scope for input from the successful candidate, the post may include field-work at our site in Puerto Rico, analysis of long-term social network data, and/or development of computational or statistical methods for social network analysis.  

About you

The successful applicant will be able to develop research objectives, projects and proposals and make presentations at conferences and other events.

Furthermore, the successful applicant will be able to work in an active and dynamic research group, present information on research progress and outcomes, communicate complex information, orally, in writing and electronically, and prepare progress reports.

Applicants will possess a relevant PhD or equivalent qualification/experience in a related field of study. The successful applicant will be a nationally recognised authority in either the study of behavioural ecology (preferably social behaviour), social cognition, or computational biology and will possess sufficient specialist knowledge to develop research programmes and methodologies. The successful applicant will also be able to work collaboratively, supervise the work of others and act as team leader as required.

What we can offer you

• Freedom (and the support) to pursue your intellectual interests and to work creatively across disciplines to produce internationally exciting research;
• Support teams that understand the University wide research and teaching goals and partner with our academics accordingly;
• An Innovation, Impact and Business directorate that works closely with our academics providing specialist support for external engagement and development;
• Our Exeter Academic initiative supporting high performing academics to achieve their potential and develop their career;
• A multitude of staff benefits including sector leading benefits around maternity, adoption and shared parental leave (up to 26 weeks full pay), Paternity leave (up to 6 weeks full pay), and a new Fertility Treatment Policy;
• A beautiful campus set in the heart of stunning Devon.

The University of Exeter

We are a member of the prestigious Russell Group of research-intensive universities and in the top 150 universities in the world (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2022 and QS World University Ranking 2022). We combine world-class teaching with world-class research, achieving a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework Award 2017.

Our research income in recent years means we’re the fastest growing UK Research University with some of the world’s most influential scientists, and we seek to answer some of the most fundamental issues facing humankind today through this. 98% of our research is of international quality (2014 Research Excellence Framework). We encourage proactive engagement with industry, business and community partners to enhance the impact of research and education and improve the employability of our students. Read about our world leading research – Green Futures and how we are transforming education for a changing world. We are located in a beautiful part of the country and Exeter (a fast growing tech hub) is one of only a few UK cities to have been designated as a UNESCO Creative City

Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Commitment

With over 27,000 students and 6,400 staff from 180 different countries we offer a diverse and engaging environment where our diversity is celebrated and valued as a major strength. We are committed to creating an inclusive culture where all members of our community are supported to thrive; where diverse voices are heard through our engagement with evidence-based charter frameworks for gender (Athena SWAN), race equality (Race Equality Charter Mark), LGBTQ+ inclusion (Stonewall Diversity Champion) and as a Disability Confident employer. Whilst all applicants will be judged on merit alone, we particularly welcome applications from groups currently underrepresented within our working community. Reasonable adjustments are available for interviews and workplaces.

For further information please contact Professor Lauren Brent, e-mail [email protected] or telephone (01392) 72 4779.

The closing date for completed applications is 16 March 2023. Interviews are expected to take place in April 2023.