Doctoral student in evolutionary biology - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

Project description
Evolution proceeds by changing the interactions between the organisms and its environments in a heritable manner. Such changes often involve parental effects or non-genetic inheritance, i.e., the mechanisms by which parents affect the development of their offspring in addition to the transfer of genes. The aim of this project is to test the theoretical prediction that such parental effects can facilitate adaption to novel environments, and that natural selection can convert stress-induced parental effects to adaptive mechanisms of information transfer in variable environments. 

The research project will study the mechanisms and adaptive functions of non-genetic inheritance of tolerance to biotic or abiotic stressors in water fleas, Daphnia, using a combination of field- and lab-based experiments. The project will involve field sampling, large experimental set-ups and a suite of molecular methods, including analyses of gene expressions and its epigenetic regulation. It is expected that the PhD student will actively drive the direction of his/hers research and there is thus international flexibility within the project to encourage theory-driven research. To this end, we offer excellent training in evolutionary theory and in the generation and analyses of molecular and phenotypic data at Lund University and through our international project partners.

Required qualifications
The successful candidate must hold a Master's degree or equivalent in biology with a specialization on evolution and ecology. The candidate should have a very strong interest in evolutionary biology - in particular the relationships between development, ecology and evolution. The candidate should also have good knowledge and practical experience of experimental research on invertebrate laboratory model organisms. A basic understanding of aquatic ecosystems and zooplankton biology are desired qualifications, and experience of work with algal or Daphnia cultures, DNA sequence analysis and programming (within bioinformatics) are additional merit. It is a requirement that the candidate should be able to independently write academic texts, as well as communicate orally, in English on a daily basis. Important personal qualities are to be enthusiastic, creative, good at problem solving, a team worker, independent and o demonstrate excellent personal organization skills and a strong work ethic. At times the research will require long workdays over prolonged period of time and it is essential that the candidate show flexibility and resilience. A driver's license is required.

The application should include a curriculum vitae, copies of degrees and transcripts of academic letters, a personal letter stating your interest for the project and doctoral studies as well as any relevant experience for the project. Contact information (phone, e-mail) and recommendation letters of two personal references are required. Relevant publications, including accepted academic papers or research thesis can also be enclosed. 

Eligibility

Students with basic eligibility for third-cycle studies are those who- have completed a second-cycle degree- have completed courses of at least 240 credits, of which at least 60 credits are from second-cycle courses, or- have acquired largely equivalent knowledge in some other way, in Sweden or abroad.

The employment of doctoral students is regulated in the Swedish Code of Statues 1998: 80. Only those who are or have been admitted to PhD-studies may be appointed to doctoral studentships. When an appointment to a doctoral studentship is made, the ability of the student to benefit from PhD-studies shall primarily be taken into account. In addition to devoting themselves to their studies, those appointed to doctoral studentships may be required to work with educational tasks, research and administration, in accordance with specific regulations in the ordinance.

Type of employment
Limit of tenure, four years according to HF 5 kap 7§.