August 14, 2020
Deadline: 15 September, 2020
TOPIC: «Seed traits and microclimate in alpine plant communities»
See the pdf of this announcement here
We are seeking a PhD candidate to develop a research project on plant community ecology supervised by Borja Jiménez-Alfaro at the Research Unit of Biodiversity (IMIB, Mieres, Spain).
The IMIB is a young research centre offering a multidisciplinary, international, and high-level research atmosphere dealing with different topics on biodiversity. The researcher will study seed traits related to dispersal, persistence, and germination, to be analyzed with microclimatic data collected in alpine communities of the Cantabrian mountains. The work will combine fieldwork in mountain environments with laboratory experiments, with the goal of understanding plant-trait-environment relationships in alpine vegetation.
Funding program
The position will be funded by the 2020 FPI doctoral fellowship program of the Spanish Ministry of Science, linked to the project SEEDALP – Seed ecological spectrum of alpine plant communities, funded for the period 2020-2024. The successful candidate will sign a 4-years fulltime contract at the University of Oviedo (Asturias, Spain). The position includes additional budget for international research stays and for covering University doctoral fees.
Applications
Prospect candidates must apply to the predoctoral training program of the Ministry of Science, which is planned to open in September-October 2020 (Check-out here the 2019 call).
To be eligible, candidates must have completed a bachelor’s and a master´s degree (or a minimum of 300 ECTS either in BSc or in BSc + MSc studies).
Selection criteria will prioritize candidates with:
• A BSc and a MSc in Biology, Environmental Sciences or similar disciplines.
• Demonstrated skills and experience in plant ecology and related topics.
• Ability to conduct field work in mountain environments, experience in statistical analysis with R and laboratory work, fluent English, communication skills, and car driving license.
How to apply
Before preparing their application, potential candidates are highly recommended to contact the PI of the project (Dr. Borja Jiménez-Alfaro, jimenezalfaro@uniovi.es) between 15 August and 15 September 2020, in order to evaluate her/his eligibility for the position and the suitability of the candidate’s CV for the selection criteria.