PhD Position in Mathematical Demography and Ecology, University of Amsterdam
A funded PhD position is available with Dr. Hal
Caswell, in the Theoretical Ecology
Research Group within the Institute for
Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics at the
University of Amsterdam. This position is part of
a research program on Individual
Stochasticity and Population Heterogeneity in
Plant and Animal Populations, which is
funded by an ERC Advanced Grant.
Variation among individuals in reproduction,
longevity, and other demographic traits, is
universal. It has two potential sources:
heterogeneity (biological differences among
individuals in their properties) and individual
stochasticity (random differences resulting
from vital rates applied to identical
individuals). The goal of this research program is to
develop a comprehensive theory for incorporating
individual stochasticity and heterogeneity
into demographic models for plants, animals, and humans.
This Ph.D. project will involve both theoretical
development and application of matrix
population models, Markov chain models, and
perturbation analysis to explore variation in
longevity, lifetime reproduction, and other
demographic properties. Applications may include
populations of conservation and management
concern, evolutionary questions related to
senescence and resource allocation, and measures
of health status and health expectancy in
human and non-human populations.
The Theoretical Ecology group at UvA currently
comprises 2 professors, 3 assistant
professors, 1 post-doc, and 4 PhD students, and
currently hosts two ERC Advanced Grants. It
has active research programs in structured
population modelling, resource-consumer
interactions, epidemiology, demography, and
evolutionary and eco-evolutionary theory.
The candidate should have:
A Masters degree, with strong quantitative
skills, in ecology, population biology, or
demography, or a degree in applied mathematics or statistics with experience in
population biology.
Interest in developing new theory in population biology.
Good computer skills, including programming in Matlab or R.
Willingness to work in a multidisciplinary environment;
To apply, please visit the University of Amsterdam web page at:
http://www.uva.nl/over-de-uva/werken-bij-de-uva/vacatures/item/13-417.html
Applications should be sent before 28 January 2014, via email, to :
[email protected]
Please quote the vacancy number in the subject
field. Interviews, possibly via Skype, will be
held after 28 January 2014.
For additional information, please contact Hal Caswell at [email protected]
The project starts early 2014. The full-time
appointment will be on a temporary basis for a
maximum period of four years (18 months plus a
further 30 months after a positive
evaluation) and should lead to a dissertation
(PhD thesis). An educational plan will be drafted
that includes attendance of courses and
(international) meetings. The PhD Student is also
expected to assist in teaching of undergraduates.
The full-time gross monthly salary will
range from 2,083 in the first year to 2,664
in the final year, according to the Dutch salary
scales for PhD students. The Collective Labour
Agreement Dutch Universities is applicable.
The annual salary will be increased by 8 %
holiday allowance and 8,3 % end-of-year bonus.
Applications should include a detailed CV
including educational experience, a list of
publications, a letter describing research
interests, and the names and contact addresses of
two academic references from which information
about the candidate can be obtained.
Combine these materials into a single PDF file.
