MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY RECRUITMENT OF FACULTY FOR CORE IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION May 2008
Macquarie University is vigorously developing research strength by making appointments in connection with identified concentrations of research excellence (COREs). One CORE is in Ecology and Evolution. Our development strategy goes under the slogan genes to geoscience . We are now seeking exceptional individuals to recruit to tenured faculty positions with a research emphasis. During 2008-9 we aim to recruit an individual in the area of Evolutionary Theory. Three areas of theory have excellent potential for synergy with existing Macquarie strengths. One is the evolution of conflict and cooperation. Macquarie research includes sexual selection and other decision-making by animals, conflicts of interest within plant genomes, and the evolution of integrons in prokaryotes. Applications to the politics of climate change are also developing. A second is evolutionary optimization theory. Macquarie research includes comparative ecological strategies of plants, and foraging strategies among spiders, mantids, and fish as well as plants. A third is comparative genomics. Macquarie is a leader in analyzing datasets of ecological traits across many species. Over the next 15 years the number of species fully sequenced will increase very rapidly indeed, and there is strong potential for a theoretician to build links through gene function to ecological function. For any of these three areas of evolutionary theory, appointees would have excellent mathematical skills as well as conceptual clarity. Appointments can be at level D/E (equivalent to full professor in the US system), but more junior applicants can also be considered. We seek appointees who can build a substantial research program quickly. They can be given reduced teaching loads initially, and scholarships to support PhD students. For people with talent, energy and the right personality for collaboration, Macquarie offers an excellent platform for research that is highly visible on the international scene. Our assets include Established research strengths. Our CORE (Concentration of Research Excellence) was identified around plant ecological strategies and their evolution worldwide. But we have lively researchers also in environmental molecular genetics, global change biology, landscape science and behavioural ecology. There are adjacent COREs in Climate Risk, in Biomolecular Frontiers and in Earth and Planetary Evolution. A strong culture of cross-discipline collaboration. One form this takes is our "genes-to-geoscience" initiative (http://www.bio.mq.edu.au/research/g2g/). We believe the most exciting research opportunities over the next 20 years lie in linking molecular technique through functional ecology to the evolution of whole clades and to planetary-scale ecosystem processes. The Genes-to-Geoscience Research Centre organizes structured cross-disciplinary working groups towards innovative reviews and proposals. Australia is a splendid biological laboratory. The continent provides a wide spread of environments. It includes much low-nutrient land at latitudes within 35 deg of the equator, more similar to most african and south american landscapes than the recently-glaciated environments found in USA or Europe. Much of Australia's flora and fauna have an independent evolutionary history and have radiated within the continent. The ARC-NZ Research Network for Vegetation Function (http://www.vegfunction.net/) brings a hundred or so leading researchers to Sydney each year for intensive working groups. It provides an exceptional mechanism for recruits to Macquarie to build and maintain active worldwide collaborations. Beyond the intellectual and career attractions of Macquarie, Sydney is a lively, beautiful and multicultural city. Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
