The Swiss Ornithological Institute in Sempach is a non-profit foundation supported by the public and works on a wide range of research topics on wild birds within and beyond Switzerland. With the starting date of 1st of January 2024 or by agreement, we are seeking to fill a
PhD position in avian population ecology (100%)
What we offer
A four-year PhD position in avian population ecology, fully funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation. The main goal of the project is to advance landscape demography, i.e., to make progress in our understanding of how local demographic processes combine and scale up to govern population changes at larger spatial scales.
The task of the PhD is the development of methods to assess the impact of demographic processes at different spatial scales on population processes at larger, e.g., national, spatial scales. The methods will be tested on simulated data and then applied to white stork and/or kestrel data sets analyzed with spatially integrated population models. The analytics developed and the knowledge gained from the proposed research are highly relevant to population ecology in general, and conservation and management in particular. In addition to Schaub, the PhD student will collaborate closely with a postdoctoral researcher working on the same project.
Requirements
Applicants must have an MSc or equivalent degree in biology, a related field with a focus on ecology, or statistics. The successful candidate must be able to work both independently and in a team, have excellent knowledge of written and spoken English and strong skills in statistical modeling and computation (e.g. in R, Python, Julia). We also expect knowledge in Bayesian inference and the necessary software (e.g. NIMBLE) or else a strong motivation to get well-versed in both soon. No field work is performed during this PhD.
The ideal starting date is 1 January 2024. Salary is in accordance with the regulations of the Swiss National Science Foundation (www.snf.ch) and the Swiss Ornithological Institute.
Application and contact
The Swiss Ornithological Institute is committed to promoting diversity and looks forward to receiving applications from as many qualified individuals as possible. For more details on the position, please contact Michael Schaub, head of the Population Biology unit (reachable from 1st of August).
We look forward to receiving your online application by 31 August 2023. Please upload your application documents (cover letter with statement of motivation [in English], CV, list of publications, academic transcripts and copies of diploma, contact details of 2-3 references) in a single pdf file on our online-application-tool. Interviews for invited applicants are expected to take place from 18-20 September 2023.
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Schweizerische Vogelwarte
Seerose 1
6204 Sempach
Schweiz
Website: http://www.vogelwarte.ch/de/home/
Schweizerische Vogelwarte
Seerose 1
6204 Sempach
Schweiz
Website: http://www.vogelwarte.ch/de/home/