Leipzig University offers the following position:
Doctoral fellowship
Doctoral fellowship
(initially limited to 3 years, 65 percent of a full-time employment)
Salary: Entgeltgruppe 13 TV-L
on “Improving Alien species Distribution knowledge by Integrating Data Across Scales (iADIDAS)”
Background:
Biological invasions have become a key driver of global environmental change, but research and management remain hampered by a lack of spatially detailed distribution information. Recent progress in mobilizing heterogeneous distribution data (e.g. point locations, regional checklists, etc.) and new statistical modeling approaches for their integration offer exciting opportunities. However, limitations in available data and the applicability of different modeling tools for alien species remain largely unknown. This project will integrate millions of occurrence records from GBIF (ww.gbif.org) with global alien species inventories (e.g. GloNAF, www.glonaf.org) for several taxonomic groups to address three central challenges in invasion biology: i) to assess various data limitations in alien species occurrence records, ii) to extend and test models for integrating disparate data types to improve fine-scale predictions of alien occurrences, and iii) to analyze how integrating available data changes perceptions of alien species richness patterns and drivers.
Topic/job description:
Salary: Entgeltgruppe 13 TV-L
on “Improving Alien species Distribution knowledge by Integrating Data Across Scales (iADIDAS)”
Background:
Biological invasions have become a key driver of global environmental change, but research and management remain hampered by a lack of spatially detailed distribution information. Recent progress in mobilizing heterogeneous distribution data (e.g. point locations, regional checklists, etc.) and new statistical modeling approaches for their integration offer exciting opportunities. However, limitations in available data and the applicability of different modeling tools for alien species remain largely unknown. This project will integrate millions of occurrence records from GBIF (ww.gbif.org) with global alien species inventories (e.g. GloNAF, www.glonaf.org) for several taxonomic groups to address three central challenges in invasion biology: i) to assess various data limitations in alien species occurrence records, ii) to extend and test models for integrating disparate data types to improve fine-scale predictions of alien occurrences, and iii) to analyze how integrating available data changes perceptions of alien species richness patterns and drivers.
Topic/job description:
- – Programming of workflows for validating, integrating, and analyzing global datasets of alien species distributions
- – Quantitative analyses of limitations in information on alien species distributions, as well as of global alien diversity
patterns and drivers - – Testing and further development of cutting-edge statistical modeling tools for integrating disparate information
across spatial scales - – Writing and publishing of scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals
- – Presentation of results at international conferences
- – Participation in iDiv’s PhD training program yDiv.
Requirements / expected profile:
Leipzig, April 10, 2017
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Applicants should hold a Master’s or equivalent degree in a related field of research (e.g. biology, geography, environmental sciences, geoinformatics)
The successful candidate should be willing to acquire the necessary technical skills (e.g. programming, database development) for handling and statistically analyzing large datasets; prior experience will be advantageous Prior knowledge of invasion biology or experience in ecological modeling will be advantageous
Candidates should be team-oriented and have strong organizational skills, in order to manage this highly collaborative research project within an international consortium
Excellent English communication skills (speaking and writing) are required
We seek candidates with an independent mind, an interest in cutting-edge macroecological research, and the ambition to publish in internationally leading journals.
The successful candidate should be willing to acquire the necessary technical skills (e.g. programming, database development) for handling and statistically analyzing large datasets; prior experience will be advantageous Prior knowledge of invasion biology or experience in ecological modeling will be advantageous
Candidates should be team-oriented and have strong organizational skills, in order to manage this highly collaborative research project within an international consortium
Excellent English communication skills (speaking and writing) are required
We seek candidates with an independent mind, an interest in cutting-edge macroecological research, and the ambition to publish in internationally leading journals.
We offer
University of Leipzig. The project is supervised by Dr. Carsten Meyer (iDiv’s Macroecology & Society group), and co- supervised by an international consortium: Dr. Marten Winter (iDiv’s Synthesis Centre) & Prof. Tiffany Knight (iDiv’s Spatial Interaction Ecology group), Dr. Franz Essl (Division of Conservation, Vegetation, and Landscape Ecology, University of Vienna), and Prof. Prof. Melodie McGeoch (School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Australia). Additional opportunities for collaboration exist with scientists within and outside of iDiv.
University of Leipzig. The project is supervised by Dr. Carsten Meyer (iDiv’s Macroecology & Society group), and co- supervised by an international consortium: Dr. Marten Winter (iDiv’s Synthesis Centre) & Prof. Tiffany Knight (iDiv’s Spatial Interaction Ecology group), Dr. Franz Essl (Division of Conservation, Vegetation, and Landscape Ecology, University of Vienna), and Prof. Prof. Melodie McGeoch (School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Australia). Additional opportunities for collaboration exist with scientists within and outside of iDiv.
you a three-year PhD position at the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), affiliated with the
Applications are accepted until May 17, 2017.
All applications should include:
All applications should include:
- – Cover letter describing motivation, research interests & relevant experience
- – Detailed curriculum vitae in tabular form
- – One letter of recommendation
– Contact information of former professor(s)/ supervisor(s) who know the applicant
– MA/BA/Diploma certificates
– A copy of the Master’s thesis.
– MA/BA/Diploma certificates
– A copy of the Master’s thesis.
Applications are preferred via our application portal under apply.idiv.de. Hard copy applications can be sent to German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig; Dr. Mari Bieri; Deutscher Platz 5e; 04103 Leipzig. Applicants can apply for up to three positions, with tailored motivation letter for each position. Please mention reference file numbers when applying. Severely disabled persons are encouraged to apply and will be given preference in the case of equal suitability. Selected candidates will be invited to the joint recruitment symposium on June 22-23, 2017. For queries on the application process, please contact ydiv@nullidiv.de. For project-related details, please contact Dr. Meyer directly (carsten.meyer@nullidiv.de).
