Postdoc: Phylogenomics of the palm family (Arecaceae)

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The department of Biology, Aarhus University, Denmark invites applications for a 2-year postdoc position in plant phylogenomics.

The position is scheduled to start on 01/01/2022. Earlier or later starting dates as well as part-time working can be negotiated.

Job description
Complete species-level phylogenetic trees are key for understanding the evolution and distribution of plant diversity, but remain unavailable for larger, ecologically important tropical plant lineages. To remedy this issue, the Palm Phylogeny Working Group (www.palmphylogeny.net) has built a phylogenomic dataset covering nearly all species of the palm family (Arecaceae, ca. 2500 species), a classic model group for studies on tropical plant diversity. The postdoc will get the opportunity to analyse this unprecedented dataset, which has taken more than six years to assemble, and lead on its publication. Analysis should be based on state-of-the-art methods for analysing target sequence capture data. It should also include a thorough investigation of orthology in the data, and potentially the development of new strategies for using multi-copy genes in species tree inference. Once the species tree has been inferred, the postdoc will (time permitting) get the opportunity to use the tree to address biological questions related to the evolution of palms and tropical rainforest plant diversity, and lead on the publication of the outcomes. Other tasks can include contributions to teaching and supervision of graduate students.

The postdoc will be part of the Palm Phylogeny Working Group and collaborate closely with its other members throughout the project. The position is part of the research project “Explaining the hyperdiversity of Tropical rainforests using the Tree of Life (TropiToL)” funded by VILLUM FONDEN.

Your profile
You have a PhD degree (or submitted your PhD thesis for assessment before the application deadline) in biology or another relevant discipline (e.g. bioinformatics). You have experience with phylogenomic data analysis, ideally analysis of target sequence capture datasets, and publication of phylogenetic papers. You enjoy data analysis and paper writing and do not mind working on a project that does not involve any collection of new data. A plant background (i.e. familiarity with plant systematics and evolution) is an advantage, as is experience working on macroevolutionary and/or biogeographic research questions. You enjoy working in a highly collaborative environment including a good mix of ecologists and evolutionary biologists who are used to working across discipline boundaries.

International applicants who do not have English as their first language must prove strong English language writing skills and fluency.

Supervisors

Associate Professor Dr Wolf Eiserhardt (http://person.au.dk/wolf.eiserhardt@bio) (main day-to-day supervisor)
Dr William J. Baker, Senior Research Leader, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (https://www.kew.org/science/our-science/people/william-j-baker)
Dr Sidonie Bellot, Research Leader, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (https://www.kew.org/science/our-science/people/sidonie-bellot)
Dr Ángela Cano, Assistant Curator, Cambridge University Botanic Garden (https://www.botanic.cam.ac.uk/research-science/our-research/)
                                                                                             
Place of employment
The place of employment is Aarhus University, Department of Biology, Building 1540, Ny Munkegade 114, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark (https:/bio.au.dk/en/). You will be part of the Plant Evolution and Biodiversity Group (www.peb-group.net) led by Wolf Eiserhardt.  The group is part of the Section for Ecoinformatics & Biodiversity, an ambitious, collaborative and highly international research environment. Postdocs and PhD students are encouraged to collaborate within the group, across departments and with other universities.  You will have the opportunity to spend time at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, as part of the postdoc.

The Department offer a vibrant and informal research environment with long-standing traditions for collaboration with international university partners in the absolute elite.  The working language is English, and we welcome applications from men and women of all backgrounds. Read about the Danish work-life balance, special opportunities for junior researchers, and the services available when relocating to Aarhus University at https://international.au.dk/research/.  The campus of Aarhus University is located in a beautiful park close to the city centre (population 300.000). Life quality and time allocation to family life in Denmark is high, and international investigations usually report that no other nationality score higher in terms of life satisfaction.

Further information

Further information may be obtained by contacting Wolf Eiserhardt ([email protected], +45 2778 2857).
 Application procedure
Shortlisting is used. This means that after the deadline for applications – and with the assistance from the assessment committee chairman, and the appointment committee if necessary, – the head of department selects the candidates to be evaluated. All applicants will be notified whether or not their applications have been sent to an expert assessment committee for evaluation. The selected applicants will be informed about the composition of the committee, and each applicant is given the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that concerns him/her self. Once the recruitment process is completed a final letter of rejection is sent to the deselected applicants. Letter of reference
If you want a referee to upload a letter of reference on your behalf, please state the referee’s contact information when you submit your application. We strongly recommend that you make an agreement with the person in question before you enter the referee’s contact information, and that you ensure that the referee has enough time to write the letter of reference before the application deadline. Unfortunately, it is not possible to ensure that letters of reference received after the application deadline will be taken into consideration. Formalities and salary range
Natural Sciences refers to the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Danish Universities under the Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.

The application must be in English and include a curriculum vitae, degree certificate, a complete list of publications, a statement of future research plans and information about research activities, teaching portfolio and verified information on previous teaching experience (if any). Guidelines for applicants can be found here.

Appointment shall be in accordance with the collective labour agreement between the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. Further information on qualification requirements and job content may be found in the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities.

Salary depends on seniority as agreed between the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Confederation of Professional Associations.

Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants.

Research activities will be evaluated in relation to actual research time. Thus, we encourage applicants to specify periods of leave without research activities, in order to be able to subtract these periods from the span of the scientific career during the evaluation of scientific productivity.

Aarhus University offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including relocation service and career counselling to expat partners. Read more here. Please find more information about entering and working in Denmark here.

Aarhus University also offers a Junior Researcher Development Programme targeted at career development for postdocs at AU. You can read more about it here.

The application must be submitted via Aarhus University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aarhus University's website.