|
PHD POSITION IN EVOLUTIONARY AND PHYSIOLOGICAL ECOLOGY (pdf)
Job description: The PhD position is part of the project ‘Evolutionary consequences of an urbanizing world’ funded by the Volkswagen-Foundation within the research initiative ‘Evolutionary Biology (http://www.volkswagenstiftung.de/index.php?id=3&L=1)’. In this project we study the urbanization of animals and its ecological and evolutionary consequences.
Project description: Human impact in the global biosphere now controls many major facets of ecosystem function. One of the most striking man-made environmental changes is the existence and rapidly ongoing spread of urban areas. Human ecological impact has enormous evolutionary consequences as well and can greatly accelerate evolutionary change in the species around us. Anecdotal observations and recent studies support the idea that urbanization affects daily and seasonal organization of activities such as daily activity pattern, reproduction and migration of individuals thriving in urban areas. Using automated biotelemetry techniques (e.g. activity transmitters and light intensity micro loggers) the PhD project is aimed at understanding on the individual level to what extend urban life changes daily and seasonal organization of European blackbirds and to elucidate the causes and consequences of altered daily and annual rhythms in an rapidly urbanizing world.
Requirements: We are looking for an enthusiastic person, who is interested in behavioral ecology, physiology (endocrinology) and evolution, with good organizational skills, able to work independently as well as in a team (field experience with birds is advantageous), who would like to take this unique opportunity to combine field with lab work at the well-equipped Max-Planck-Institute for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell.
Appointment: Starting date is January 1 2009 or later. The appointment will be on a temporary basis for a maximum of 4 years. The gross salary starts at approximately € 1400,- per month depending on age and experience (TVöD 13/2, Stufe 1).
Information: Additional information about this appointment is available upon request from Jesko Partecke (partecke@orn.mpg.de or ++49-7732-1501-67). More general information about the Max-Planck-Institute for Ornithology can be found on our website (http://orn.mpg.de/).
Application: Please send your application including complete curriculum vitae, a transcript of the university diplomas, a summary of the Master’s (Diploma’s) thesis and names and addresses of three referees to Jesko Partecke at the Department of Migration and Immuno-ecology, Max-Planck-Institute for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, Schlossallee 2, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany, or by email to partecke@orn.mpg.de. The closing date for application is November 30 2008, and the interviews will take place in the first week of December 2008.
PDF version of PHD position |
