Dear all [please distribute as appropriate; sorry for cross-posting]
This is to inform you about an attractive job offer in France - the yearly announcement of researcher positions financed by the French Funding Organization “Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique” (CNRS). These are *life-time 100 % research* positions offered in an international competition to excellent candidates. The web page is http://www.dgdr.cnrs.fr/drhchercheurs/concoursch/default-en.htm. DEADLINE for the full application is January, 6. Potential host labs should be contacted very soon (see below). Knowing FRENCH is not required for applying. THE PROFILES: Posts of interest for ecologists and evolutionary biologists are available, mainly in sections 20 and 29 and to some degree 43 and 45. In some cases, profiles are quite specific (such as “Amazonian biodiversity”, “Evolution of Symbioses”). But very strong candidates that have little to do with a specific profile may in cases be preferred over weak candidates that perfectly match that profile. Moreover, most profiles are not specific and just suggest the candidate should match the themes of the corresponding section. Themes of section 20 are given on http://www.cnrs.fr/comitenational/sections/section20.htm (in French, including Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning / Landscape ecology and ecology of species communities / Ecotoxicology and molecular ecology/ Impacts of global change on ecosystems and hydrosystems, paleoceology and continental paleoenvironments, as well as a number of non-ecological geosciences issues). Themes of section 29 are given on http://www.cnrs.fr/comitenational/sections/section29.htm (in French, but including everything on biodiversity, evolutionary biology, molecular biology and ecology, from ecophysiology, behavior, life histories via populations, host-parasites, to community assembly). Themes of section 43 are given on http://www.cnrs.fr/comitenational/cid/cid43.htm (in French, but including modeling of dynamics of biological systems at all levels and population dynamics; see also the post N°43/03 – a bioinformaticien post already reserved for ECOBIO lab at Rennes). Themes of section 45 are given on http://www.cnrs.fr/comitenational/cid/cid45.htm (in French, but including interaction between man and global change and biota). Multiple candidatures are possible. THE TYPES OF POSTS (see also http://www.dgdr.cnrs.fr/drhchercheurs/concoursch/chercheur/default-en.htm, including salaries): There are “chargés de recherche”, 2nd and 1st degree, 2nd and 1st degree “directeurs de recherché”, i.e. Associate Scientists after dissertation and after some years of postdoctoral experience, and Senior Scientists after about 8 or more years years of experience, respectively. *However*, please note that the announced posts of “directeurs de recherche” do not seem to exist (except in the case of very exceptional applications). These “posts” are de facto only for promotion of people that already have a position of a chargé de recherche within CNRS. According to my experience already the Chargés de Recherche are actually free to do what they want within an overall, very large disciplinary category (see above). Starting salaries are generally OK for feeding a family of three, even though it may become tight in Paris. The competition for such positions is becoming increasingly tough, in particular in the section 29. Even though strange things are happening, in section 29 multiple first or senior authored publications per year each with an impact factor of 4 or more seem to be useful, and Nature, Science, PNAS, Ecology Letters are highly appreciated. Further criteria (in French) are given for each section e.g. at http://www.cnrs.fr/comitenational/sections/critere/section29.htm. THE RECRUITMENT PROCEDURE. A visit to the lab after having submitted the application seems to be very much expected in all cases. Generally, French institutions *do not* reimburse candidates the travel costs to visit labs or to come to interviews etc.. Yes, this is a shame. I hope we have some funds here at Rennes. After having applied there is a risk that *all* eligible candidates will be invited to a presentation and an interview in Paris in spring 2011. Travel costs will *not* be reimbursed by the CNRS, but there might be funds at the level of host Units. Presentations and interviews can be in English, French is possibly a plus. These interviews are a major effort for both, the candidates, the local labs and the national recruitment committees. For people from abroad it is thus strongly advised to apply if you are convinced of your CV. I PERSONALLY COULD OFFER help in putting together an application for qualified candidates with a project willing to choose the Ecobio lab (see below) at Rennes and to work here on the interface between (community) ecology and (macro)evolutionary biology preferably of plants or, alternatively, on the diversity and diversification of arthropods in the canopy. My personal web page (somewhat outdated) is given below, my team “Ecology of Diversification” covers further competences in ecophysiology and metabolomics and plant phylogeny. If interested, please try to contact me before DECEMBER 15. The host lab here is the UNITE MIXTE DE RECHERCHE (“UMR”) “ECOBIO - ECOSYSTEMES , BIODIVERSITE , EVOLUTION”, co-funded by University of Rennes 1 and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, with particular expertise in mechanisms of speciation, life history evolution, and adaptation, expertise at the interface between macroevolution and macroecology, expertise in ecophysiology, landscape ecology and behavioral ecology, environmental genomics, community assembly and plant/herbivore interactions. It is a large institution with several dozen CNRS- researchers, docents and professors, plus (some) technical staff. See http://ecobio.univ-rennes1.fr/. It was ranked “A” in the national evaluation of research institutions. Several further research institutions in ecology and evolutionary biology exist at Rennes. RENNES has approximately 200 000 inhabitants and is the capitol of the Bretagne region with exceptional coastal and mainland landscapes, and a french-celtic heritage (http://www.bretagne.fr/internet/jcms/TF071112_5061/tourisme). It is situated some 2 hours by train from Paris. English is spoken everywhere in Academia, but not necessarily outside, and French should be learned. Like in any French city, child care is excellent (almost for free, no waiting list, nearby). Several bilingual French-English schools are available at all levels of education, as well as one French-German grammar school. But please note that each applicant is free to select and contact his / her possible host lab as available from the CNRS website, and that the decision is finally made by a national committee, which I am not a member of. All the best Andreas Prinzing -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Andreas Prinzing, Prof. Research Team Ecology of Diversification Research Unit « Ecobio » : Ecosystems - Biodiversity - Evolution; Université de Rennes 1 / Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; Campus de Beaulieu, Bâtiment 14 A 35042 Rennes, France; Tel : +33 2 23 23 67 12; fax: +33 2 23 23 50 26; [email protected]; http://ecobio.univ-rennes1.fr/Fiches_perso/Fiche.asp?pseudo=APrinzing http://ecobio.univ-rennes1.fr/Fiches_perso/Banque/publi1_APrinzing.doc
