Doctoral Researcher in biogeography/ecology of freshwater plants, Faculty o

at  Oulun Yliopisto

The University of Oulu is a multidisciplinary, international research university, with about 3,600 employees who produce new knowledge based on high-standards research and provide research based education to build a more sustainable, smarter, and more humane world. The University of Oulu community has about 17,000 people in total. Our northern scientific community operates globally and creates conditions for the emergence of innovations.
We are now looking for a

DESCRIPTION OF THE POSITION

We are looking for one (1) talented and highly motivated research-oriented person to carry out doctoral studies in “Unraveling the effects of contemporary and historical changes in climate and land use on freshwater biodiversity in high-latitude regions of Europe and North America” project. The objective of the project is to answer the following questions: (i) is land-use intensification a stronger driver of change than changing climate in explaining historical freshwater plant diversity and distribution?, (ii) are historical legacies of past climates and land use still shaping distribution and functions of present-day freshwater floras in Europe and North America?, and (iii) are there long-lasting biotic imprints affecting contemporary freshwater plant communities, and do these legacies differ between continents?
The doctoral researcher will conduct research in the project (a three-year fixed-term position), publish research results in the most esteemed international journals, attend doctoral courses, and complete the doctoral thesis within 3 years. Other duties include teaching in undergraduate courses (up to 5% of the total 1612 working hours per year), co-supervising master student(s) and presenting research in Kvantum Institute’s Researchers’ Seminar. In addition, they may be obligated to participate in administrative tasks of the university and/or the Geography Research Unit. The selected candidate will carry out their doctoral studies within the University of Oulu Graduate School (UniOGS) and must meet the requirements to receive doctoral study rights as defined in: http://www.oulu.fi/uniogs/requirementsforadmission.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RESEARCH TEAM

The doctoral researcher will work in a multi-national research team of biogeographers and ecologists. The core research team includes Dr. Janne Alahuhta (University of Oulu, Finland), Dr. Jorge Garcia-Giron (University of Leon, Spain), Dr. Daniel Larkin (University of Minnesota, USA) and Dr. Danelle Larson (US Geological Survey, USA). The position will be placed in the Physical Geography Research Group (PGRG), co-led by Senior Researcher Janne Alahuhta, and located at the University of Oulu, Finland, with opportunities to travel to the USA to work with fellow researchers. PGRG contributes to cutting-edge global change research by focusing on a wide range of complementing study questions related to abiotic and biotic earth surface systems.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS

In order to succeed and enjoy the position, we expect from you:

• Master of Science degree in Geography, Ecology, Environmental Sciences or Biostatistics (or a related discipline) completed with very good/excellent grades.
• Demonstrated experience in ecological modelling using R, advance level work with R (or Python) is considered an additional asset.
• Basic knowledge of GIS (e.g. ArcGIS or QGIS) is required.
• Fluency in both written and spoken English.
• Capability and interest to write scientific publications.
• Good communication and teamwork skills.
• See also the requirements of the University of Oulu Graduate School (UniOGS)

In addition, we value:

• Skills on big-data management is considered as a benefit.
• Background on aquatic ecosystems and aquatic plant ecology is considered a merit.

Please refer the Job description for details