The College wishes to recruit an Associate Research Fellow with skills in mathematical ecology or computer science and/or spatial ecology. The successful applicant will join the UK modelling team in an EU consortium project aiming to predict the intensity of bee visits to crops that depend on insect pollination, such as oilseed rape (canola) or sunflowers.
As a modelling team, we will analyse data collected by field ecologists and use mathematical convolution techniques to extract distance-strength relationships, or kernels, from a range of agricultural crops and landscapes across the EU (field sites in UK, Switzerland, Estonia, Hungary, Italy). Our consortium’s overall goal is to produce a land management tool that relates the quality of ecosystem services to agriculture (the supply of pollination by bees and pest control by natural enemies) to the amount of semi-natural habitat in farmland.
This European-funded post arises as a collaboration between Dr James Cresswell (Ecology) and Prof Richard Everson (Computer Science). The full-time post is available from 1st April 2015 (or as soon as possible thereafter) until November 2016.
The post will include construction and computer implementation of spatially explicit mathematical models of pollination. The models will be included in a tool that can predict and visualise the ‘hot and cold’ spots for pollination in any landscape, thereby aiding land management decisions. The successful applicant will be able to present information on research progress at consortium meetings in Europe, and write papers. It is an exciting opportunity to network and collaborate with ecologists and theoretical modellers from across the EU.
Applicants will possess a relevant PhD (or be nearing completion) in mathematics, computer science, spatial ecology or possess an equivalent qualification/experience in a related field of study and be able to demonstrate sufficient knowledge of research methods and techniques.
To view further details and apply please visit our website
www.exeter.ac.uk/jobs The closing date for completed applications is Sunday 1st March.
The University of Exeter is an equal opportunity employer which is 'Positive about Disabled People'. Whilst all applicants will be judged on merit alone, we particularly welcome applications from groups currently underrepresented in the workforce.
