The Department of Conservation Biology at the University of Göttingen (Germany) seeks highly qualified and motivated candidates for a
PhD Position (all genders welcome)
on the effectiveness of agri-environment schemes (AES) for farmland moths (Lepidoptera)
with
65 % of a full position . Regular working hours are 25.87 hours per week on a contract initially limited to
3 years . Salary: Pay grade
E13-TV-L . Preferred starting date: 1st January 2024.
The successful applicant will contribute to a large, interdisciplinary project aiming at the development of stakeholder-driven, integrated agri-environment measures on farmland across Germany, funded by the initiative “Bundesprogramm Biologische Vielfalt”. The focus of the PhD project are moths, as these have important ecological functions (e.g. pollination), are good ecological indicators and a species-rich, but under-researched group.
The
aims of the PhD project are
- To understand moth diversity, abundance and community composition in relation to type, area and structure of AES, considering landscape context
- To assess the effectiveness of different types of AES for increasing moth diversity of agricultural landscapes in a BACI design.
The successful applicant will survey moths with non-lethal light traps, advance our approaches to semi-automated moth identification via AI, prepare samples for DNA barcoding, analyse data and publish and communicate the results to stakeholders. They will join the Department of Conservation Biology . At the department, we are interested in biodiversity trends at regional and global scales, identify drivers of species declines and develop solutions to halt species loss. We work at the nexus of population biology, biodiversity monitoring and landscape ecology, on a wide range of species, from large carnivores to birds and insects.
We seek a candidate with an above-average MSc (or equivalent degree) in Landscape Ecology, Wildlife Biology, Conservation Science, Environmental Science or a related field. We expect experience and a strong interest in ecology and conservation biology and/or entomology. Taxonomic expertise of moths or butterflies and/or previous sampling and collection experience are advantages. Highly developed quantitative skills and experience in data management and statistical analyses, preferentially in R, are required. We also expect an excellent command of the English language, good communication skills, and willingness to work in international research teams. German language skills are highly welcome.
The Georg-August-University Göttingen, founded in 1737, is one of Germany’s oldest universities with more than 45 nobel prize winners. It is a key hub of environmental research in Germany, with a large number of connected departments in the ecological, forestry, and agricultural sciences, an international reputation and great networking opportunities. Göttingen is a medium-cized city in the centre of Germany with a high living quality and a young population.
The University of Göttingen is an equal opportunities employer and places particular emphasis on fostering career opportunities for women. Qualified women are therefore strongly encouraged to apply. The university has committed itself to being a family-friendly institution and supports their employees in balancing work and family life. The mission of the University is to employ a greater number of severely disabled persons. Applications from severely disabled persons with equivalent qualifications will be given preference A disability or equality is to be included in the application in order to protect the interests.
Applicants will need to include (1) a letter of motivation, (2) a full CV, (3) a writing example (e.g., a publication, a part of a thesis), and (4) contact details for two references. Please send the application electronically in a single PDF file attached to an e-mail with the subject line
“PhD position moths” to Ms. Andrea Lambertz ( alamber@gwdg.de ). Application deadline: 15 October 2023. For further information please contact
Prof. Dr. Johannes Kamp ( johannes.kamp@uni-goettingen.de ). With the submission of your application, you accept the processing of your personal data according to the German data-protection law. Further information on the legal basis and data usage is provided in the Information on General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) at https://www.uni-goettingen.de/hinweisdsgvo