Post-doctoral fellow Environmental Science- Modelling of eco-evolutionary pollinator responses to land-use - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

Subject description

You will work with mathematical modeling and computer simulations to increase understanding of the ecological and evolutionary processes that underlie pollinating insects' response to land use in agricultural landscapes. Sustainable agriculture is promoted by mutualistic interactions between plants and pollinators, which contribute to crop pollination and thereby create economic and societal values. However, these interactions are influenced by changes in agricultural practices and landscape structure. Traditionally, the focus has been on how plant-pollinator interactions are affected by changes in pollinator community composition. In this project, we take an additional step by including evolutionary responses to agricultural change. We aim to do this by formalizing the plant-pollinator community's response to landscape structure and agricultural intensity using spatially explicit and trait-based eco-evolutionary models. An important component of the work is to inform the models with land use data and test the models against observed adaptation and population dynamics of bees, bumblebees, and butterflies. The aim is to study how insects can respond to agricultural intensification and landscape simplification, taking into account both short- and long-term effects, with a focus on adaptation of functional insect traits. By fitting the models to data, we aim to quantify active processes in the study area and communicate ways to optimize ecosystem services for stakeholders and decision-makers.

Work duties

The main duties involved in a post-doctoral position are to conduct research. Teaching may also be included, but up to no more than 20% of working hours. The position shall include the opportunity for three weeks of training in higher education teaching and learning.

More specifically the project involves:

• Conceptualization and modeling of the complexity in which ecological interactions and evolution of organisms may affect mutualistic interactions, population dynamics and community dynamics in a changing environment.
• Design and implementation of spatially explicit, trait-based, and eco-evolutionary models of plant-pollinator interactions and dynamics.
• Connect modeling plant-pollinator dynamics with concepts in agricultural and environmental economics to determine policy implications.
• Model parameterisation and validation given available data, using computational and statistical (e.g. Bayesian) approaches

Qualification requirements

Appointment to a post-doctoral position requires that the applicant has a PhD, or an international degree deemed equivalent to a PhD, within the subject of the position, completed no more than three years before the date of employment decision. Under special circumstances, the doctoral degree can have been completed earlier.

Additional requirements:

• The candidate should have a Ph.D. in environmental science/ ecology/evolutionary biology alternatively in Physics, Mathematics or computer science, or equivalent
• Knowledge of interacting ecological, evolutionary, and biogeographical processes is required
• Candidates should be proficient in modeling dynamic systems (e.g. ODE-models or IBM’s)
• Experience in programming, e.g. in Matlab, Python, C++, R etc.
• Being able to read and write academic texts in English is a requirement

Assessment criteria and other qualifications

This is a career development position primarily focused on research. The position is intended as an initial step in a career, and the assessment of the applicants will primarily be based on their research qualifications and potential as researchers. Particular emphasis will be placed on research skills within the subject.

For appointments to a post-doctoral position, the following shall form the assessment criteria:

• A good ability to develop and conduct high-quality research.
• Teaching skills.

Additional assessment criteria:

• Experience in numerical methods and knowledge of model parameterization and validation and Bayesian statistics is desirable.
• Knowledge of key ecosystem services (e.g., pollination) and experience in quantifying/modeling such services with an economic perspective is advantageous
• Academic record in terms of scientific publications and research financing

Consideration will also be given to personal traits where we are looking for a person who is structured and problem-solving with good collaborative skills and independence. We will also evaluate how the applicant’s experiences and skills can complement and strengthen current research within the department and contribute to its future development.

Terms of employment
This is a full-time, fixed-term employment of 2 years. The period of employment is determined in accordance with the agreement “Avtal om tidsbegränsad anställning som postdoktor” (“Agreement on fixed-term employment as a post-doctoral fellow”) between Lund University, SACO-S and OFR/S, dated 1st February 2022.

Instructions on how to apply

Applications shall be written in English and be compiled into a PDF-file containing:

• résumé/CV, including a list of publications,
• a general description of past research and future research interests (no more than three pages),
• contact information of at least two references,
• copy of the doctoral degree certificate, and other certificates/grades that you wish to be considered.