PostDoc - Ecology and agriculture

University of Sussex

Sussex, United Kingdom

Description

A full-time, BBSRC-funded, 3-year postdoctoral research position is available to join a research team in the School of Life Sciences at the University of Sussex, UK. The programme of research, titled "A systems approach to understanding the impacts of sublethal doses of neonicotinoids on bumblebee and honeybees" is led by Prof Dave Goulson, and is a collaborative project with University of Exeter and Rothamsted Research.

The main aim of the project is to improve our understanding of the impact of pesticides on wild bumblebee colonies and domesticated honeybees in farmland. The project will involve collection of field samples of pollen, nectar, vegetation and bees for screening for neonicotinoid insecticides. The screening will be carried out in conjunction with Prof E Hill, and technical support is available for this. Expertise in chemical analysis is therefore not needed, but the fellow will be expected to become familiar with interpretation and analysis of outputs.

Requirements

The successful applicant will have a PhD in ecology. Experience with social insects, pollinators, agroecosystems and / or pesticides is desirable but not essential. Knowledge of experimental design and analysis is essential. A driving licence is essential, since the appointee will spend considerable time visiting remote field sites across SE England.

More information and applications

The appointee will also be part of the Evolution, Behaviour and Environment (EBE) Subject Group in the School of Life Sciences at Sussex (http://www.sussex.ac.uk/lifesci/ebe/research), a thriving research environment providing ample opportunities to interact with leading senior researchers and their groups. The successful applicant will particularly benefit from an exceptional (on a world scale) concentration of research expertise that focusses on social insects: in addition to Dave Goulson, Jeremy Field, Francis Ratnieks, Bill Hughes, Tom Collett and Paul Graham all lead well-established research groups.

Applications should include a CV, a covering letter explaining the applicant's suitability for the post, and a completed University of Sussex application form. This should include:

Contact details (including e-mail addresses) for the applicant and 3 referees who would be available to provide references before interview (during the month after the closing date).

The applicant's availability for interview at Sussex University during the 3 weeks after the closing date.

A clear statement that 

(a) the applicant would be available to start work on 1 February 2014 or soon thereafter; 

(b) the applicant has a full driving licence

Informal enquiries: Dave Goulson (d.goulson@sussex.ac.uk)

Salary range: starting at £30,424 and rising to £36,298 per annum

Expected start date 1 February 2014

Closing date for applications: 15 November 2013