Dear all, Currently the NCB Naturalis has a position available for a PhD student for a project on:
Evolution and biogeography of tropical understorey plants Modern tropical rain forests are one of the most important and species rich biomes on the planet. They are generally characterized by a stratified closed canopy, which creates deep shade for understorey plants. Numerous flowering plant lineages show particular adaptations to grow in these low-light environments (e.g. leaf shape, dependence on mycorrhizal fungi). How this diversity of tropical understorey plants evolved remains largely unexplained. In this project, the candidate will use a combination of multi-gene phylogenetic analyses, molecular clock dating, diversification analyses, and biogeographical reconstructions to explore the relationship between rain forest history and shade tolerance in tropical flowering plants. The student will be expected to use the herbarium collections at NCB Naturalis and to take part in at least one collection trip to Southeast Asia. This project will require inferring phylogenetic relationships of particular lineages of tropical understorey plants, as well as constructing hypotheses of the biogeographical histories of these clades. The candidate will integrate methods in systematics, collection-based research, fieldwork, morphology, phylogenetics, and historical biogeography. The goal will be to try to discover common patterns in the evolution of rain forest understorey plants. The results will provide insights into the history of modern rain forests, and will be transferrable to conservation research. Skills: The successful applicant will have proven knowledge of molecular phylogenetics and plant systematics. General requirements You have a master degree in systematics, evolutionary biology or other relevant disciplines. You have a scientific and critical attitude, excellent time management and organizational skills, the ability to work independently, good verbal and written communication skills. Fluency in English required. We offer A fulltime contract (36 hours per week) for a period of four years, starting June 1st 2011. However, the start date can be postponed by a few months if necessary. A salary that is comparable with salary for PhDs at Dutch Universities. All our employees are incorporated into a pension fund. The successful candidate will be employed by NCB Naturalis in Leiden. The candidate will alsobe affiliated to the University of Leiden. The appointment must lead to the completion of a PhD thesis. During your appointment you will be supervised by Dr. Vincent Merckx. Procedure You are invited to submit your application including your curriculum vitae, a list of publications, up to five keywords describing your research interests, and the names and e-mail addresses of at least two persons that can be contacted for reference (and who have agreed to be contacted) before April 15th 2011 by e-mail to; [email protected], or by mail; NCB Naturalis, HR department, PO box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, the Netherlands. For more information on the current research and facilities, see the websites of the founding partners of the NCB Naturalis, on www.ncbnaturalis.nl - www.nhn.leidenuniv.nl - www.science.uva.nl/zma - www.bis.wur.nl/UK/Organisation/Herbarium Any additional information can be requested from: Prof. Dr. E.F. Smets, scientific director Netherlands Centre for Biodiversity Naturalis E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +31 71 5687 713 Or: Dr. Vincent Merckx Research Fellow Netherlands Centre for Biodiversity Naturalis (section NHN) P.O. Box 9514, 2300RA Leiden, The Netherlands email: [email protected] phone: + 31 71 5273570 fax: + 31 71 5273522
