4-year PhD position: The use of eDNA to study amphibian phenology in hybrid zones

Research Group: The Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research, National Institute of Biology (NIB, Ljubljana, Slovenia)
Supervisor: David Stanković; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., https://www.researchgate.net/profile/David-Stankovic-2

Project:
The Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research invites applications for a fully funded four-year PhD position based in the Biotechnological Hub of the NIB. The project is aimed at investigating the phenology of amphibians using eDNA with an emphasis on hybrid zones. The analysis will use state-of-the-art environmental genomics approaches, including quantitative PCR and high-throughput sequencing (Illumina, Oxford Nanopore Technologies) followed by bioinformatic data analysis. This will be a metagenomics/conservation genomics project part of a long-term research programme Communities, interactions and communications in ecosystems funded by Slovenian Research Agency. The PhD student will join our dynamic group of researchers and his supervisor, David Stanković, in our new Biotechnological Hub, where they will carry out their research in state-of-the-art laboratories and on field using modern equipment. The training programme of the young researcher and the exact content of the PhD will be finalised with the successful candidate.

Where we are based:
Our group is based at the National Institute of Biology, a leading institution for biodiversity research in Slovenia and wider. Members of the Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research study biological processes on different levels from cell to ecosystems. We create top-level knowledge, needed for integrated understanding of organisms and their role in the environment, from neuronal mechanisms of sensing the environment to evolutionary studies and interactions in ecosystems. Among others, our research focuses on aquatic organisms, particularly amphibians and fish, molecular systematics, conservation genomics, and the development of methods based on environmental DNA (eDNA). We are also at the forefront of developing and integrating novel technologies into innovative biodiversity monitoring and for proposing more efficient nature conservation strategies and more sustainable management of the environment.

We offer:
We offer friendly, creative and supportive environment of a international team, competitive salary (composed of 4-year full time employment covered by the Young Researcher programme in Slovenia) sufficient to comfortably cover living costs in Slovenia, fully covered health insurance and contribution to the social security system and the employees’ pension scheme, fully covered tuition for PhD studies in Slovenia, interdisciplinary experience through national and international  collaborations, possibility to attend international conferences and conduct part of his research abroad. Through work, research visits abroad and participation in various workshops and conferences the candidate will be able to develop the skills necessary for independent research work after the completion of the PhD.

We require:
We expect the candidate to have a desire to work in a molecular laboratory and to do fieldwork with amphibians, to be physically fit to carry out field work in day and night conditions, to have scientific curiosity, to be able to write scientific publications, to exercise critical judgement, to be able to work in a team and to be accurate. A good command of spoken and written English expected as communication with his/her supervisor and co-workers will be fully in English and due to international collaborations. The applicant should have a MSc degree or equivalent in biology or related fields that he/she obtained after January 2020 and at latest by summer 2023.

Please submit (1) your CV, (2) one-page motivation letter, (3) description of any previous research work/collaboration, (4) evidence of examinations and average grades on the BSc and MSc studies, (5) contact information for two references to David Stanković (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) with "PhD Student Position 2023" in the subject line. Review of applicants will begin on March 20, 2023, and continue until the end of April or until the position has been filled.  Human resources office of our institute will assist the selected candidate with submitting their PhD application. The position is expected to start in fall 2023.

For further inquiry, please contact:
Dr David Stanković (email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) or
NIB human resources office (email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).