Postdoctoral Research Associate position available Working Title: Post doc on the ecology and evolution of the species that live in us, on us and around us in our everyday lives.
Work Location: Lab of Rob Dunn, David Clark Labs, Department of Biology, North Carolina State University In potential collaboration with: Michelle Trautwein (Nature Research Center), Meg Lowman (Nature Research Center), Julie Horvath (Nature Research Center), Nick Haddad (Department of Biology), Nadia Singh (Department of Genetics), Brian Wiegmann (Department of Entomology), Steve Frank (Department of Entomology), Holly Menninger (Department of Biology) or others, including Noah Fierer (University of Colorado). Essential Job Duties: One postdoctoral position will be available to work in the lab of Rob Dunn in the Department of Biology at North Carolina State University, in potential collaboration with other faculty (depending on the chosen candidate’s interest). Funding will be for work that considers the ecology and evolution of species that that live in us, on us and around us in our daily lives. Ongoing work in the lab considers crickets, ants, fungi, bacteria and other taxa using large-scale experiments, genetics, genomics, citizen science and natural history observations. The successful candidate could build on existing approaches and taxa by, for example, taking advantage of our network of citizen scientists (http://yourwildlife.org) or our experimental warming arrays, but perhaps also by considering other species around us from new perspectives. Both the lab and the department are actively growing and so there are ample opportunities for ambitious projects. Projects could focus on individual taxa (as we are doing with a camel cricket species) or might consider the communities of species in houses around the world as a function of human life style and climate. The most successful projects will be those that help us to understand the big stories of humans and the living world, but from the perspective of small species. A short cover letter (with a very brief description of research interests and experience) and a separate proposal (<600 words) should both be included with the application. The candidate’s statement and letters should emphasize the candidate’s ability to finish projects and the unique skills the candidate might bring to the lab (http://www.robdunnlab.com). FTE: 1.0 Length of appointment: Application process opens soon. Applications will be accepted until a suitable candidate is found with an ideal start date in June/July 2012. Position appointment will last for one year from starting date, with possibility of renewal for additional years based on performance and funding. Salary: $36,000 Minimum Experience Education: Ph.D. (awarded by start date) in ecology, evolution, biology, entomology, microbiology, the history of science or related fields. The applicant’s CV should indicate evidence of strong scholarship, including peer-reviewed publications in high ranked journals. Preferred Experience, Skills, & Training: Expertise in ecology and evolution and in addressing questions in a clear hypothesis-testing framework is desired. A background in genetics, history or literature is also of potential value, depending on the direction of the project. The applicant’s CV should indicate evidence of strong scholarship, including peer-reviewed publications, particularly in high ranked journals. The successful candidate must be able to interact with a diverse group of researchers and students and benefit from new and established intra- and inter-institution collaborations. The candidate should show strong evidence of the ability to finish projects. Departmental Required Skills: A valid driver’s license is required. NC Driver's license required within 60 days of hire. Application Procedure: This job has now formally posted at the NCSU website http://jobs.ncsu.edu/ (Position number: 00065299) Please submit a CV, cover letter, project description, names and email addresses of three references.
