[ECOLOG-L] 12 PhD positions in Organismal Biology
The International Max Planck Research School (IMPRS) for Organismal Biology offers several fully-funded PhD positions. The IMPRS is based in southern Germany and is jointly organized by the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in Seewiesen and Radolfzell and the University of Konstanz. Outstanding students of all nationalities with a deep commitment to basic research in Organismal Biology are invited to apply. More than 25 internationally recognized research groups actively participate in the PhD program and offer challenging, cutting-edge PhD projects in the fields of Behavioral Biology, Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, Physiology, and Neurobiology. For a list of all available PhD projects visit www.orn.mpg.de/projects. All students accepted to the program will be supported by stipends or contracts. The program offers a dedicated teaching program, high quality research experience, and outstanding research facilities in an inspiring research and living environment. The working language is English. Each PhD student receives individual supervision and mentoring and is guided in her/his research work by a PhD advisory committee. Deadline for the application is January 15, 2014. Interviews with the applicants are scheduled for Mid-March. Candidates accepted into the program may start latest September 2013. The Max Planck Society and the University of Konstanz are equal opportunity employers. Qualification: Applicants should hold a MSc or equivalent degree in biology or a related discipline at the point of enrollment. Queries should be mailed to the program office: im...@uni-konstanz.de Application: For the online application process visit www.orn.mpg.de/application . More information at www.orn.mpg.de/IMPRS and www.facebook.com/OrganismalBiology
[ECOLOG-L] milk cartons for nesting boxes?
I've occasionally seen mention of half-gallon milk cartons being used for nesting boxes in field experiments. Not being a bird guy myself, I don't have any sense of whether or not this is widespread, either for research or for general efforts towards improving nest success in threatened species. It would be great if it were, since I can't recycle milk cartons in my area (#%$@!! red state) and would like them to have a new life as nesting cavities. If anyone uses milk cartons for their research, or knows of someone who does, please contact me off-list, I'd appreciate it very much. - J.
[ECOLOG-L] Job: StonyBrookU; Plant Ecological/Evolutionary Genomics (6 genomics positions)
As part of a six-position cluster hire in genomics, we are searching for a Plant Ecological or Evolutionary Genomicist. The Genomics cluster is part of an exciting interdisciplinary plan to hire 250 faculty members at Stony Brook University. In addition to this position, the cluster will be composed of new faculty working in the general areas of: Experimental Marine Genomics; Experimental Genomics; Computational Biology; Ecological Genomics of Marine Microbial Communities; and Merging Genomics, Microfluidics, and Nanotechnology. These new faculty will most likely be housed in one of the following units: the Department of Ecology and Evolution, School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Departments of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Computer Sciences, or Biomedical Engineering, and may also be affiliated with the Laufer Center for Physical and Quantitative Biology and/or Institute for Advanced Computing. For the Plant Evolutionary or Ecological Genomics position, we seek to add a faculty member with a research focus on evolutionary or ecological genomics of plants. We expect this person to apply the functional, experimental, comparative, or computational study of plant genome or transcriptome conservation and diversification across population or evolutionary time scales or in different ecological contexts. A genomicist studying questions in plant evolution and ecology will fill a vital role in the interdisciplinary development of genomics at Stony Brook. We are searching broadly for an excellent scientist working on either model or non-model species, and possessing specialized expertise in plant experimental genomics, plant comparative genomics, plant population genomics, or plant ecological genomics. These are tenure track positions. It is expected that the positions will be filled at the Assistant Professor level; however, exceptional candidates at higher ranks will also be considered. The positions are expected to begin September 2014. Applications will be accepted until all positions are filled. For best consideration, applications should be received before 1/31/2014. A detailed description of all six positions is available at http://tinyurl.com/SBUgenomics. Information about the Department of Ecology and Evolution is available at http://life.bio.sunysb.edu/ee/. Application Procedure: Applicants should complete the application process online at https://genomics-hiring.cs.stonybrook.edu/. The complete dossier should include a State employment application, cover letter, CV, statements of research and teaching interests and a list of four professional references. Electronic submission of materials is highly preferred. For additional information, contact: genomicsclus...@stonybrook.edu Campus Description: Stony Brook University, home to many highly ranked graduate research programs, is located 60 miles from New York City on Long Island's scenic North Shore. Our 1,100- acre campus is home to 24,000 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students and more than 13,500 faculty and staff, including those employed at Stony Brook Medicine, Suffolk County's only academic medical center and tertiary care provider. The University is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities and co-manager of nearby Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), a multidisciplinary research laboratory supporting world class scientific programs utilizing state-of-the-art facilities such as the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider, the National Synchrotron Light Source, and the Center for Functional Nanomaterials, and the NewYorkBlue IBM BG/L+P supercomputer, owned by Stony Brook and managed by BNL. Stony Brook is a partner in managing the Laboratory for the Department of Energy, and is the largest institutional scientific user of BNL facilities. As such, many opportunities exist for collaborative research, and in some cases, joint appointments can be arranged. == Joshua Rest Assistant Professor Department of Ecology and Evolution Stony Brook University http://life.bio.sunysb.edu/ee/restlab/ joshua.r...@stonybrook.edu
[ECOLOG-L] Graduate Research in Ecology
The Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology at Iowa State University has a strong and growing group of ecologists. The following faculty are actively recruiting MS and PhD students for the fall 2014: Brent Danielson: Community ecology, especially of small mammals or mammal-driven - plant communities. We are interested in learning how the interactions between species affect community structure, habitat structure, or ecosystem function in large-scale landscapes ranging from prairie restorations and maintenance to regulation of agricultural weed and insect pests. http://www.public.iastate.edu/~jessie/ Diane Debinski: Grassland restoration, pollinator conservation and climate change. We study grassland restoration, pollinator communities, and climate change in Midwestern grasslands and montane meadows. Our approach integrates community ecology, conservation biology, and restoration ecology. We use observational and experimental field ecology, modelling, and macroecological approaches. http://www.public.iastate.edu/~debinski/ Stan Harpole: Biodiversity, species coexistence and global change. We study the mechanisms that control species diversity to better predict the consequences of global change to diversity. Our work is centered on testing and developing biodiversity theory using experimental and observational studies of plant communities, from the scale of local field sites to global experimental networks. http://www.public.iastate.edu/~harpole Kirsten Hofmockel: Metagenomics of microbial communities. We are especially interested in how plant-microbe interactions mediate biogeochemical responses to global climate change. Our approach integrates physiological, metagenomic and ecosystem process data. kirstenhofmockel.org. Kirk Moloney: Plant population and community ecology in a spatial context, with an emphasis on invasive species. Our lab employs a number of approaches, ranging from experimentation, GIS analysis, field biology, simulation modeling and theory. http://kmoloney.public.iastate.edu Brian Wilsey: Ecology and restoration of prairie grasslands. How biodiversity is maintained in prairie grassland systems, how it is altered by non-native species, how it alters ecosystem resistance and resilience to changes in the environment. www.public.iastate.edu/~bwilsey/homepage.htm Research and teaching assistantships and a variety of fellowship opportunities are open to students. Students may apply to one of the interdepartmental graduate programs, such as Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (http://www.grad-college.iastate.edu/EEB/), Interdepartmental Genetics (http://www.genetics.iastate.edu/) or Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (http://www.bcb.iastate.edu/). The deadline for receipt of all application materials for graduate programs is 10 January 2014, although earlier submission is encouraged to ensure full consideration for available fellowships.
[ECOLOG-L] Call for Applications: Parameter Estimation for Dynamic Biological Models, a NIMBioS Tutorial
The National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS) is now accepting applications for its Tutorial, Parameter Estimation for Dynamic Biological Models, to be held May 19-21, 2014, at NIMBioS. *Objectives: *Modeling biological data requires powerful mathematical and statistical tools and techniques. This tutorial is for biologists interested in doing statistics with more complex non-linear models of their data and for mathematicians interested in learning how to apply their modeling skills to the unique demands of real dynamic biological data. Methods for parameter estimation that will be taught include maximum likelihood and ordinary least squares. Additional tools of model identifiability and sensitivity analysis will be covered. Through a mixture of introductory instruction and hands-on computer-based learning, participants will learn software and tools they can use for biological data. Familiarity with simple differential equation models or difference equation models is a prerequisite. *Location: *NIMBioS at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville *Co-Organizers: *Ariel Cintron-Arias, Mathematics and Statistics, East Tennessee State Univ.; Marisa Eisenberg, Epidemiology and Mathematics, Univ. of Michigan; and Paul Hurtado, Mathematical Biosciences Inst., Aquatic Ecology Laboratory, The Ohio State Univ. For more information about the tutorial and a link to the online application form, go to http://www.nimbios.org/tutorials/TT_data.html There are no fees associated with this tutorial. Tutorial participation in the tutorial is by application only. Individuals with a strong interest in the topic, including post-docs and graduate students, are encouraged to apply, and successful applicants will be notified within two weeks of the application deadline. If needed, financial support for travel, meals, and lodging is available for tutorial attendees. *Application deadline:* January 31, 2014 The National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS) (http://www.nimbios.org) brings together researchers from around the world to collaborate across disciplinary boundaries to investigate solutions to basic and applied problems in the life sciences. NIMBioS is sponsored by the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture with additional support from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. * Catherine Crawley, Ph.D. Communications Manager National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS) University of Tennessee 1122 Volunteer Blvd, Ste. 106 Knoxville, TN 37996 e ccraw...@nimbios.org mailto:ccraw...@nimbios.org t +1 865 974 9350 tel:%2B1%20865%20974%209350 f +1 865 974 9461 tel:%2B1%20865%20974%209461 http://www.nimbios.org http://www.facebook.com/nimbios http://twitter.com/nimbios To receive email notifications of blog updates, click here To subscribe to our bi-monthly newsletter, click here
[ECOLOG-L] Four postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Queensland in Environmental Decisions
Hi, Please see below for details of four postdoctoral fellowships in environmental decisions at the University of Queensland: Postdoctoral Research Fellow (2 positions) The role Two postdoctoral fellowships are available for three years with the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions. Research in areas including: multispecies management, restoration ecology, ecosystem services, prioritisation, adaptive management and monitoring. The fellows will work closely with Chief Investigators of our ARC Centre for Excellence - see http://ceed.edu.au/ceed-researchers/chief-investigators.html Remuneration $72,443 - $77,764 p.a., plus up to 17% super. Full-time, 3-year fixed-term, at Academic Level A. Applications close 17 January 2014 Reference No. 495304 More Information: http://uqjobs.uq.edu.au/jobDetails.asp?sJobIDs=495304stp=AW Postdoctoral Research Fellow (2 positions) The role Two postdoctoral fellowships are available until 30 December 2018 with the Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science. Appointees will look at conservation decision-making, restoring habitat, habitat loss, and spatial scales. All of these tasks require quantitative and synthesis skills. No ecological fieldwork. The fellows will work closely with Professor Hugh Possingham who is both the mathematics and ecology departments - http://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=9-veEp8Jhl=enoi=ao . Remuneration $72,443 - $77,764 p.a., plus up to 17% super. Full-time, fixed-term appointment until 30 December 2018, at Academic Level A. Applications close 10 January 2014 Reference No. 495300 More Information: http://uqjobs.uq.edu.au/jobDetails.asp?sJobIDs=495300stp=AW Cheers, Jonathan Rhodes Senior Lecturer Landscape Ecology and Conservation Group (LECG) and Environmental Decisions Group (EDG) School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Management The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia Phone +61-(0)7-33656838 Web Links UQ Home Page: http://www.gpem.uq.edu.au/jonathan-rhodes/ Blog: http://rhodesconservation.com/ Landsape Ecology and Conservation Group: http://www.gpem.uq.edu.au/lec/ Environmental Decisions Group: http://www.edg.org.au/ School of GPEM: http://www.gpem.uq.edu.au/ Decision Point: http://www.decision-point.com.au/ Where I sit (usually) Mon, Tue Thu: Room 505, Chamberlain Building, St. Lucia Campus Wed Fri: Room 256D, Goddard Building, St. Lucia Campus
[ECOLOG-L] M.S. Graduate Opportunity - Social Behavior of Gopher Tortoises
M.S. Graduate Opportunity: Social Behavior of Gopher Tortoises Location: UGA (Athens, GA) / Archbold Biological Station (Venus, FL) Start Date: Fall 2014, with option to conduct field research starting April 2014 as an intern based at Archbold Biological Station Last Date to Apply: 1 January 2014 Description: The University of Georgia’s Savannah River Ecology Lab (http://www.srel.uga.edu/) is seeking a highly motivated student with strong academic credentials and an avid interest in reptile and behavioral ecology to join a collaborative research team investigating the social behavior of gopher tortoises. Our team is/will be using a combination of approaches, including long-term mark-recapture data, behavioral observations via wildlife cameras and other remote monitoring devices, and genetic analyses. The successful applicant would be enrolled in UGA’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources (http://www.warnell.uga.edu/) and conduct their field research at Archbold Biological Station (http://www.archbold-station.org/), south-central Florida, where there is an ongoing long-term population study of gopher tortoises. We seek a candidate able to work independently with minimal supervision yet work collaboratively as part of a multi-organization research team. The candidate should be able to work in the field under adverse conditions and have excellent organizational skills. A strong interest in the research topic is essential; prior experience with mark-recapture and radio-telemetry of chelonians is also helpful. Acceptance is conditional on the applicant being selected for a teaching assistantship or graduate fellowship through UGA starting Fall 2014. The PIs have obtained funding for an initial season of field work via a graduate research internship, with preference given to candidates available to begin field work in April 2014, prior to beginning their graduate coursework. The student would have wide latitude in selecting a research project that overlapped with their research interests while still achieving the project’s long-term study goals. The student would be expected to take the lead on (preferred) or (alternatively) contribute to peer-reviewed manuscripts based on data collected as part of his/her project. Applicants should submit their CV (including GPA and GRE scores), contact information for at least three references, and a one-page letter describing their research interests as they relate to this position to Dr. Tracey D. Tuberville (tuber...@uga.edumailto:tuber...@uga.edu). More information about Dr. Tuberville’s lab, including people and publications, can be found at: http://www.srel.uga.edu/facstaffpages/tuberville/index.html. The collaborating PIs are Dr. Betsie Rothermel (http://www.archbold-station.org/station/html/aboutus/staffpages/brothermel/brothermel.html) and Dr. Kelly Zamudio (http://www.eeb.cornell.edu/zamudio/KZ_Home/Welcome/Welcome.html). Application deadline to be considered for assistantship support in UGA’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources is 1 January 2014. Information about the application process can be found at: http://www.warnell.uga.edu/grad/application-process.php. Qualifications: Minimum qualifications include a B.S. degree in ecology, wildlife biology or related discipline. Warnell requires an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 and GRE scores of 1000 (or ~300 in new scoring system) for admission. Because higher scores will be necessary to be competitive for an assistantship, only applicants with a strong academic record should apply. Contact person: Dr. Tracey Tuberville (tuber...@uga.edumailto:tuber...@uga.edu)
[ECOLOG-L] Last call for papers on Sustainable Payments for Ecosystem Services --2014 AAG
Dear Ecologers, Please spread the following call to people with interest you know of. Thanks. Call for Papers*: AAG Annual Meeting, 8-12 April 2014 *Session Title: *Paths toward Sustainable Payments for Ecosystem Services ** Co-organizers: Li An, Conghe Song, Stephen Crook Co-chairs: Li An, Xiaodong Chen, Douglas Stow Payments for ecosystem services (PES) are direct incentives paid to resource users to take actions (or to refrain from previous actions) to secure ecosystem services such as clean air and water, food, soil fertility, forest resources, and eco-tourism.Governments, the private sector, and many non-governmental organizations worldwide invest billions of dollars each year in PES programs. Despite reported successes in restoring and conserving ecosystems and their corresponding services, lack of sustainability has become a serious concern for many PES programs worldwide; one of the problems is that PES participants may return to their previous behavioral patterns when payments end. This session will explore possible pathways toward PES sustainability, addressing the complex reciprocal relationships between PES programs and corresponding socioeconomic, demographic, and environmental systems. We particularly encourage review and research articles to address theoretical, methodological, and empirical issues related to (but not limited to) the following topics: 1. Potential mechanisms for successful (or unsuccessful) PES programs 2. Ecological effects of PES programs (e.g., wildlife habitat or behavioral change, biodiversity change) 3. Socioeconomic, demographic, and political consequences of PES programs 4. Methodological issues: collection of qualitative and quantitative data related to PES, data analysis and modeling, application of GIS techniques and spatial statistics, integration of multidisciplinary and multi-scale data, and addressing complexity in PES related coupled natural and human systems (CNH). Analyses using similar integrated frameworks including coupled human and natural systems (CHANS), social-ecological systems, or social-environmental systems are also welcome. This session (sessions) is co-sponsored by the AAG Spatial Analysis and Modeling group, the Geographical Information Science and Systems group, and the Human Dimensions of Global Change group. To be considered for the sessions: 1. Please register and submit your abstract online following the AAG Guidelines (http://www.aag.org/cs/annualmeeting); and 2. Please send your paper title, PIN, and abstract no later than Friday, November 29 to Stephen Crook (scr...@gmail.com mailto:scr...@gmail.com) and cc to Dr. Li An (l...@mail.sdsu.edu mailto:l...@mail.sdsu.edu). -- * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Li An (??), PhD Professor Department of Geography San Diego State University http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/~lian/ (Personal website) http://complexity.sdsu.edu/ (Group Website) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
