Applications are invited for a 34 month post of a Post doctoral Research Fellow Level 1 or Level 2 within UCD School of Biology and Environmental Science.
We are looking to appoint a post-doctoral fellow with expertise in soil and root microbial ecology to conduct research on the resistance and resilience of grasslands under combined extreme flood and drought events. The post is part of a 4-year Science Foundation of Ireland funded project entitled “Delivering food security from grasslands by understanding the link between root microbial networks and resilient agriculture”. The key question is “how do aboveground-belowground linkages control the productivity, resistance and resilience of grasslands under different and extreme weather events?”. The post-doctoral fellow will work around this question to test hypotheses about the factors that structure plant-root microbe networks in areas at high risk of flood, how intense drought change plant-root microbe networks in fields that have experienced recurrent and extreme floods, how combinations of intense drought/flood followed by another intense drought/flood change plant-root microbe networks, and how productivity, root architecture and soil structure respond to changes in plant-root microbe networks under extreme drought and flood
The post–doctoral fellow will have excellent skills in molecular methods to profile microbial communities in soil and root using high throughput sequencing. They will have the bioinformatic skills to assemble sequencing data into ecological datasets and will have access to environmental and ecosystem level data to associate to the microbial data. The post–doctoral research fellow will be part of a team that will conduct field and glasshouse studies, and will have an opportunity to learn advanced modelling techniques in the field of network science. The fellow will also have the opportunity to collaborate with a number of project members in the field of soil and plant ecology, ecosystem ecology and network science, with the project providing resources to travel to Germany, the Netherlands and Italy, and also resources to attend national and international conferences and public outreach initiatives.
In addition to the Principal Duties and Responsibilities listed below, the successful candidate will also carry out the following duties specific to this project:
Help set up the molecular tools that best suits the project needs
Engage with the wider soil and plant ecology research community in IrelandPromote the research through outreach, social media, at conferences and in scientific publications.
UCD and the School of Biology and Environmental Science are committed to supporting gender diversity, equality and inclusion in the University. Both have received Athena SWAN Bronze institutional awards in recognition of their work towards gender equality.
This is an academic research role, where you will conduct a specified programme of research supported by research training and development under the supervision and direction of a Principal Investigator.
The primary purpose of the role is to further develop your research skills and competences, including the processes of publication in peer-reviewed academic publications, the development of funding proposals, the mentorship of graduate students along with the opportunity to develop your skills in research led teaching.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
UCD is committed to creating an inclusive environment where diversity is celebrated, and everyone is afforded equality of opportunity. To that end the university adheres to a range of equality, diversity and inclusion policies. We encourage applicants to consult those policies here
https://www.ucd.ie/equality/. We welcome applications from everyone, including those who identify with any of the protected characteristics that are set out in our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policy.
Salary Range: €38,631 - €44,658 per annum for PD1 post or €45,942 per annum
Appointment on the above range will be dependent on qualifications and experience.
Closing date: 17:00hrs (local Irish time) on 12 November 2021
Applications must be submitted by the closing date and time specified. Any applications which are still in progress at the closing time of 17:00hrs (Local Irish Time) on the specified closing date will be cancelled automatically by the system. UCD are unable to accept late applications.
UCD offers a comprehensive Research Careers Framework in line with the Advisory Science Council Report ‘Towards a Framework for Researcher Careers’. This model provides a structured and supportive Career and Skills Development system designed to ensure that Post-docs in UCD are able to plan their careers and prepare for future opportunities in academia, industry or the public sector. For more information, please click here
https://www.ucd.ie/researchcareers/ Prior to application, further information (including application procedure) should be obtained from the Work at UCD website:
https://www.ucd.ie/workatucd/jobs/ UCD do not require assistance from Recruitment Agencies. Any CV's submitted by Recruitment Agencies will be returned.
