Post-doctoral fellow in Eco-evolutionary shifts in bumblebee communities

Subject description

Over the past century, climate and land-use transformations have significantly altered ecosystems, shifted species distributions toward higher latitudes and altitudes, and affected species’ phenology and morphology. This project investigates how bumblebee communities respond to climate warming and land-use change, focusing on shifts in body size and their implications for pollination services.

We aim to:

(i) analyse temporal and spatial shifts in body size among bumblebee species in Sweden, and assess whether these shifts are linked to species resilience to changing landscapes and climates,

(ii) determine the underlying mechanisms of body size changes – whether they are driven by genetic adaptation or phenotypic plasticity, and

(iii) evaluate farm landscape management strategies to sustain pollination services in light of changes in bumblebee community composition and body sizes.

The project will integrate data from historical bumblebee specimens housed in Swedish natural history museums with contemporary field sampling and advanced genomic techniques.

The research is funded by the BECC (Biodiversity and Ecosystem services in a Changing Climate) Incubator Grant “The role of bumblebee body size variation in resilience of populations and crop pollination to global changes” awarded to Prof. Bengt Hansson, Dr. Anna Persson, Dr. Romain Carrié and Dr. William Sidemo Holm at Lund University (LU) and Dr. Christine Bacon at University of Gothenburg (UGOT).

The postdoctoral fellow will be hosted by Prof. Bengt Hansson at the Department of Biology (LU) in close collaboration with Dr. Anna Persson at the Centre for Environment and Climate Science (CEC, LU).

Work duties

The main duties involved in a post-doctoral position is to conduct research. The primary responsibility of the postdoctoral fellow on this position is to conduct research, including museum and field sampling of bumblebees from central and northern Sweden, genomic sequencing, data analysis and scientific writing. The position also involves spatial analyses related to habitat density changes and their impact on crop yields.

The postdoc is expected to actively contribute to development of BECC as a research environment, e.g. by participating in annual meetings and workshops. Involvment in co-supervision of students is desirable. Teaching may also be included, but up to no more than 20% of working hours.

The position also offers opportunities for participating in international conferences and meetings, and visits to collaborators. The position shall include the opportunity for three weeks of training in higher education teaching and learning.

Detailed description of the work duties:

• Conduct field sampling of bumblebees in central and northern Sweden.
• Morphological quantification of bumblebees in museum and field collections.
• DNA extraction and short-read sequencing.
• Analysis of ecological and genetic data using state-of-the-art methods.
• Scientific writing.

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:

• Documented ability to develop and carry out high-quality research.
• Strong understanding of ecological and evolutionary theory.
• Experience with field work and basic molecular lab work.
• Proven track-record in handling high-throughput DNA sequencing data and conducting bioinformatic analyses.
• A curious, collaborative and cross-disciplinary mindset.
• Interest in biodiversity conservation.
• Excellent oral and written English skills.

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:

• Comprehensive knowledge in conservation biology and evolutionary biology.

Consideration will also be given to:

(i) strong collaborative skills, drive and independence,

(ii) how the applicant’s experience and skills complement and strengthen ongoing research within the department, and

(iii) the applicant’s potential to contribute to the future development of the research environment.

All qualified applicants will receive full consideration for the position. We especially encourage candidates whose research, teaching and/or service contribute to the diversity and competencies of our department to apply.

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.

Contact

Further information about the position can be obtained from Prof. Bengt Hansson, (bengt.hansson@biol.lu.se) and Dr. Anna Persson (anna.persson@cec.lu.se).

Instructions on how to apply

• A cover letter stating reasons for applying for this position, outlining why you are suitable for the position, and giving a general description of past research and future research interests (no more than 2 pages).
• Résumé/CV, including degrees and other completed courses, skills and work experience in laboratory and computational analyses, and a list of publications
• Contact information for 2-3 references.
• Copy of the doctoral degree diploma.