A postdoctoral position is available at the University of Texas at Austin in the Department of Integrative Biology to work with Dr. Kathrine Behrman and collaborate with Dr. Thomas Juenger’s Lab at the University of Texas and model developers at the USDA-ARS and NRCS in Temple, TX. This multi-scale modeling position is part of a Department of Energy funded grant to address the sustainability of switchgrass production across continental-scale environmental gradients. The candidate will work as part of an interdisciplinary team of researchers analyzing the whole-plant physiology, ecosystem services, microbial ecology, evolution, genetics, genomics, and modeling. One of the primary objectives of the grant is to incorporating genetic variation and local adaptation into process oriented models of plant growth and ecosystem functioning (i.e. EPIC, APEX, ALMANAC, DSSTAT, DAYCENT). Furthermore, the candidate will have the flexibility to work with many different data types to incorporate plant-microbiome-soil interactions into models of ecosystem processes, analyze the potential limits to niche evolution, predict crop phenotypes in response to environmental change, identify gene-by-environment interactions, etc.
The position requires a PhD in Ecology, Evolution, Genetics, Plant Biology, Statistics, or a related field. The ideal candidate will have experience with process based modeling, population/landscape genomics, statistics, and computer programing. The candidate should be interested in landscape ecology, agronomy, molecular biology, and physiology. Excellent oral and written communication skills are required with a strong publication record. Please email applications to [email protected] with the subject “Postdoctoral Application”. Applications should include a cover letter detailing experience and research interests, CV, and contact information for three professional references. The position is funded for two years, with possibility of refunding. Start date is flexible with the option to start as soon as Fall 2015.
