Behavioral Ecology Group at LMU Munich
Application deadline: 01.12.2022
Description. We have an opening for a Research Associate in the Behavioural Ecology Group at LMU Munich, Martinsried, Germany. This fixed-term position is available intially for 3 years and is normally extended for another 3-years, after which a final extension is possible for candidates interested in doing a Habilitation (the highest educational degree in Germany). The position is available for early-career scientists holding a PhD-degree. Competitive candidates have (a) few years of postdoc experience.
Research. The Research Associate will closely collaborate on research programs developed by the Chair in Behavioral Ecology (Prof. Dingemanse), and/or develop a fully independent research program. Succesful candidates may do the former in the first three years, and the latter in the second three years. The Research Associate will finance the research through third-party funding acquired in open competition from e.g., the German Science Foundation (DFG), and produce high-quality research and papers.
Teaching. The position comes with the requirement to teach 5 SWS (Semester Wochenstunden) in both the summer (April-July) and the winter (Oct-Feb) semester. The Research Associate will co-teach basic courses in ecology in the 3rd and 4th semester of the BSc-Biology and Teacher (Lehramt) program. The Research Associate will further teach softskill and advanced courses (in evolutionary and behavioral ecology, statistics) in the MSc-program Evolution, Ecology and Systematics (EES-LMU), and supervise EES-LMU Individual Research Training (IRT), BSc- and MSc-thesis projects. Competitive candidates are able to give stimulating, engaging, and interactive presentations; prior teaching experience is not strictly required.
Requirements. The successful candidate should have a firm background training in behavioural ecology, life history, and/or quantitative genetics theory. Ideal candidates have advanced analytical and programming skills, are dedicated to contribute to open and reproducible science, and seek to actively contribute to a sustainable world. Competitive candidates have experience or interest in coordinating our longitudinal data collection of behavioural and life-history data in wild cavity-breeding passerine birds (tits, sparrows), managing our large relational databases, and collaborating with international collaborators (e.g. SPI-Birds members), for example on social selection and evolution, or eco-evolutionary dynamics. Our group is equipped with multiple climate rooms and tracking software suitable for experimental work on insect behaviour(al genetics); this offers many further opportunities for research and teaching using e.g. insects as a model. (We currently work with the southern field cricket Gryllus bimaculatus as main model).
Project duration and starting date. Successful candidates will be offered an A13 position for the duration of three years, which is normally extended by another three years. The earliest starting date is 01.01.2023, the latest starting date 01.04.2023.
Application package. Candidates should send a motivation letter and CV to Prof. N. Dingemanse over email (n.dingemanse@lmu.de). Submission deadline is 01.12.2022.