PhD fellowship on ecological impacts of reindeer cadavers on the Arctic tundra
Deadline: 13.10.2021
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Nord University
Global challenges demand new insight, innovative solutions and local legitimacy. Nord University is a young university with strong regional ties and a global perspective. We are committed to delivering relevant educational programmes and research, with a focus on blue and green growth, innovation and entrepreneurship, and welfare, health and education. Nord University has 11,500 students and 1,350 employees at eight study locations in central and northern Norway.
Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture (FBA) educates people with the aim of promoting sustainable and innovative development to meet global challenges in food production, climate and environment. The faculty is an international arena for education, research and knowledge dissemination, with employees and students from 25 different countries. The faculty offers a PhD in Aquatic Biosciences. FBA has 900 students and 160 employees in Bodø and Steinkjer. The professional community is organised into the following divisions: Aquaculture, Ecology, Genomics, Animal Science, Production and Welfare and Algae and microbial biotechnology
Read more: www.nord.no/en/fba
About the position
A three-year PhD fellowship in terrestrial ecology is available at the Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture (FBA), Nord University Steinkjer, Norway.The project will be based at the terrestrial ecology research unit of the Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture, Steinkjer campus.
Dead organic matter from animals, or carrion, represents a central ecological resource in many food webs and promotes biodiversity and ecosystem stability. However, knowledge about carrion ecology in the Arctic is scarce, and it remains unclear how carrion production, distribution, and partitioning modulate ecological communities on the landscape scale. This PhD project aims to quantify how carrion production, distribution, and partitioning affect selected ecological communities in the Arctic tundra of Svalbard.
The position will be available from 1st of January2022.
Qualification requirements
We are looking for motivated and creative applicants with a strong academic background and the ability to collaborate with other members of an international and multidisciplinary team, whilst developing their own research.
The successful candidate should have completed an MSc degree in Ecology or Environmental Sciences, with a grade average B or better, and have documented skills in remote sensing and geo-information science, coding in various languages (e.g. R, Python), and advanced statistics.
Fluency in written and spoken English
Prior experience with carrion ecology, remote sensing, vegetation ecology, scientific writing and publishing, and fieldwork in the Arctic or under harsh conditions are considered as assets.
The candidate should fulfill the admission requirements and participate in the training component stipulated in regulations of the PhD program. Application for admission to the program must be submitted within three months after taking up the position. For admission requirements and regulations, see our web page.
We offer
The annual salary for doctoral researchers (code 1017) is set at wage level 54, LR 20, NOK 491.200,- in the Norwegian State Salary Scale.
The person who is appointed must abide by the applicable laws, agreements, and directives. The responsibilities and duties associated with the position may change with future reorganization at Nord University.
The public sector workforce is expected to reflect the diversity of the population in general. Nord University therefore encourages qualified candidates with disabilities, gaps in their CV, immigrant backgrounds or different life experience to apply. Nord University practices moderate allocation according to gender quotas in accordance with the Basic Agreement for State Employees.
If applicants indicate they have disabilities or gaps in their CV, their details may be used anonymously for the purposes of governmental annual review
Contact information
Further information about the position can be obtained by contacting :
Associate Professor Sam Steyaert, e-mail: sam.steyaert@nord.no, telephone: +47 74 11 20 56
Application
Applications must be submitted electronically by October 13th 2021.
The application should include:
Cover letter outlining the candidate’s motivation and suitability for the position (maximum 2 pages)
Description of the project idea (project proposal), including the theoretical basis and intended methodology (maximum 2 pages)
A complete CV (education, work experience and publications,maximum 2 pages)
Certified transcripts/dipl for academic degrees (both bachelor and master degree) and other relevant qualifications
Other activity that is considered relevant, such as list of publications and academic work
Contact details for at least two referees (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and telephone number)
All documents must be uploaded as attachments to the electronic application form.
It is the applicant's responsibility to submit the complete documentation within the deadline.
After the application period has expired a list of applicants will be published. Note that, in special cases, the identity of particular applicants to a position may be made public even when that applicant has requested that their application be processed confidentially. Applicants requesting an exemption from publication of their identity must explain their reasons for doing so in their application. In this case, advance notice will be given in the event of a decision to make any information about the applicant public.
