Fwd: [Fluxnet-Community] Two postdoc opportunities in modelling in the Stockholm/Uppsala area (Sweden) - deadlines in early November
Giorgio Matteucci
Buongiorno
Inoltro segnalazione di due posizioni post-doc sulla modellistica.
A presto
Giorgio
| Subject: | [Fluxnet-Community] Two postdoc opportunities in modelling in the Stockholm/Uppsala area (Sweden) - deadlines in early November |
|---|---|
| Date: | Wed, 18 Oct 2017 19:55:45 +0000 |
| From: | Giulia Vico <giuli...@slu.se> |
| To: | fluxnet-...@george.lbl.gov <fluxnet-...@george.lbl.gov> |
Dear colleague,
We are seeking two highly motivated postdocs to work on modelling of plant-plant and plant-environment interactions, to investigate theoretically and experimentally the relations between plant functional diversity and ecosystem productivity in arable crops (first position) and in short rotation forests (second position).
First position – SLU Uppsala
Postdoc position in modelling plant-plant and plant-environment interactions
Deadline for applications: November 5th, 2017 (Apply by sending an email to regis...@slu.se, referring to the opening code 3718/2017 and attaching the relevant documents as pdf)
Contact person: Giulia Vico giuli...@slu.se
More information and application instructions can be found below and at http://www.slu.se/en/about-slu/jobs-vacancies/read-more/?eng=1&Pid=6473
Second position – Stockholm University
Postdoctoral position in eco-hydrological modelling
Department of Physical Geography, Stockholm University
Deadline for applications: November 10th, 2017 (apply at http://www.su.se/english/about/working-at-SU/jobs?rmpage=job&rmjob=4147&rmlang=UK )
Contact person: Stefano Manzoni stefano...@natgeo.su.se
More information and application instructions can be found below and at http://www.su.se/english/about/working-at-su/jobs?rmlang=UK&rmpage=job&rmjob=4147
It would be great if you could share this information among colleagues and potentially interested candidates.
Best regards,
Giulia Vico and Stefano Manzoni
Full description of the first position - SLU
Postdoc position in modelling plant-plant and plant-environment interactions
Food security and sustainable use of resources are central to the United Nations Sustainable Developmental Goals by 2030. Improved management of agroecosystems and available resources will be necessary to meet these challenging goals. Among management practices, increasing the diversity of crop systems has been suggested as a way to enhance productivity, resource use efficiency and resilience to environmental fluctuations, and decrease the frequency of pests and disease outbreaks. To exploit in full this possibility, it is necessary to determine the mechanisms promoting positive plant-plant and plant-environment interactions, as well as identify the most suitable plant mixtures for specific pedo-climatic conditions.
We seek a highly motivated postdoc to work with existing mathematical process-based models and to develop novel ones describing plant-plant and plant-environment interactions and their impacts on: crop yields and their stability in the face of biotic and abiotic stressors; efficiency of resource use; and provision of ecosystem service.
This position will be associated with the project “DIVERSify – Designing InnoVative plant teams for Ecosystem Resilience and agricultural Sustainability“, funded within the EU Horizon 2020 framework. DIVERSify aims at optimizing the performance of crop species mixtures to improving agricultural productivity and sustainability, combining field experiments, modelling approaches, and stakeholder involvement (www.plant-teams.eu/).
The postdoc will be based at the Department of Crop Production Ecology in Uppsala. The research conducted within the Department generally aims at improving crop productivity and sustainability. The Department is part of the Ecology Center, which offers a stimulating research environment. The location in Uppsala facilitates further collaborations with researchers at Uppsala University, Stockholm University and KTH.
Duties:
The project will focus on developing, evaluating, and applying process-based mathematical models for the assessment of plant-plant and plant-environment interactions, in arable systems and grasslands. The work will include the use of existing crop models and the development of novel process-based mathematical models, as well as analyses of eco-physiological, environmental and climatic datasets, both existing ones and those collected as part of DIVERSify.
Qualifications:
Applicants shall hold a PhD in ecology, earth and environmental sciences, agronomy, biology, mathematics, or related fields. Applicants shall also have research experience and interest in eco-hydrological or crop models (coupling plants, ecosystems, and environmental conditions). A working knowledge of MatLab, R, or other computational environments and/or previous experience with crop models like APSIM and Daisy are merits. The applicant should have a demonstrated ability to independently initiate, conduct, and complete research projects and to generate and publish the findings in international peer-reviewed journals. The candidate must have strong written and oral communication skills in English, as evidenced by peer-reviewed publications and presentations at professional meetings.
Application: Please submit your application to the Registrar of SLU, regis...@slu.se, no later than November 5, 2017, quoting reference SLU ua 3718/2017. The application package shall include i) a short letter of motivation, highlighting current research interests and other activities of relevance for the position; ii) curriculum vitae; iii) publication list; iv) a two-page research statement and vision; v) the names and contact information of at least two professional references familiar with the applicant's qualifications; and vi) copies of degrees and transcripts of academic records. It is preferable that the documents i)-iv) are submitted in English.
Full description of the second position – Stockholm University
The Department of Physical Geography seeks to employ a postdoctoral researcher to investigate theoretically and experimentally the relations between plant functional diversity and ecosystem productivity. Biodiversity is recognized to improve crop and forest productivity, and to foster hydrologic and biogeochemical cycles, thereby providing key ecosystem services. However, the mechanistic reasons for such roles are not clear. To address this question, willow short rotation coppice systems where variety mixtures can be used to improve stand productivity are considered as a case study. These systems are highly relevant for biomass production and offer an ideal experimental system. By looking at plant functional traits that have an effect on resource use, the project aims at testing the hypothesis that trait diversity intensifies resource use, leading to higher productivity and carbon storage, and reduced nutrient losses. This hypothesis is tested by a combined experimental and modelling approach that exploits ongoing field experiments throughout Europe.
Main responsibilities
The postdoctoral researcher will be responsible to develop and implement coupled hydrologic-biogeochemical models of the soil-plant system that explicitly include the role of plant diversity. Coupled to such modelling, the postdoctoral researcher will be responsible for conducting a growth container experiment (in highly controlled conditions) designed to test the project hypotheses; the obtained data will support model developments. The chosen candidate is also expected to lead the writing of articles on these topics and present results at international conferences.
Qualification requirements
Postdoctoral positions are appointed primarily for purposes of research. Applicants are expected to hold a Swedish doctoral degree or an equivalent degree from another country.
Assessment criteria
The degree should have been completed no more than three years before the deadline for applications. An older degree may be acceptable under special circumstances, which may involve sick leave, parental leave, clinical attachment, elected positions in trade unions, or similar.
In the appointment process, special attention will be given to candidates with degrees in a relevant discipline (engineering, hydrology, ecology, geosciences) and a strong computational and mathematical background. Proven experience with computer programming (e.g. Matlab, R, Mathematica) for model code development is vital. Practical experience with plant eco-physiological measurements is beneficial.
In addition, demonstrated knowledge of (1) water and carbon dynamics in the soil-plant-atmosphere system; (2) theories linking plant functional diversity to ecosystem function; (3) stochastic processes and optimization theories is advantageous. Experience synthesizing data and modelling analysis across several field sites and publishing in top-level journals in English is also important.
Application: Apply at http://www.su.se/english/about/working-at-SU/jobs?rmpage=job&rmjob=4147&rmlang=UK by November 10th, 2017
Please include the following information with your application
Your contact details and personal data
Your highest degree
Your language skills
Contact details for 2–3 references
and, in addition, please include the following documents
Cover letter
CV – degrees and other completed courses, work experience and a list of publications
Research proposal (no more than 3 pages) describing:
– why you are interested in the field/project described in the advertisement
– why and how you wish to complete the project
– what makes you suitable for the project in question
Copy of PhD diploma
Letters of recommendation (no more than 3 files)
Publications in support of your application (no more than 3 files).
-----------------------------------------------------------
Giulia Vico
Associate Professor
Department of Crop Production Ecology
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Uppsala, Sweden
Email: giuli...@slu.se
Webpage: http://www.slu.se/vico;
Researcher ID: A-6296-2010; ORCID: 0000-0002-7849-2653