Doctoral appointment in Biology

Description

The Faculty of Health, Science and Technology is accepting applications for a doctoral student in Biology at the Department of Environmental and Life Sciences.  The doctoral student will focus on evolutionary ecology, using experimental evolution in fruit flies to understand how sexual dimorphism in diet and nutrition evolves, working closely with main supervisor Stephen De Lisle. 

You will be part of the new and expanding Evolutionary Biology group at KAU, with expertise in evolutionary genetics and evolutionary ecology and established research on several model organisms in the lab and field. The PhD project will involve using experimental evolution in Drosophila melanogaster to understand how mating systems and environmental factors influence the evolution of sexual dimorphism in diet, nutrition, and other traits.  This project will connect basic questions in community ecology and evolutionary biology, to understand how ecologically-important differences between the sexes evolve.  There is ample scope for a student to take the project in directions most aligned with their own interests and expertise, including e.g potential for genomics and gene expression analysis, behavior or metabolism, development of theory, eco-evo interactions or a field component. A student with interests in sexual antagonism, evolution of sexual dimorphism, and/or niche evolution would fit the project goals and scope.  

Duties

As a doctoral student, you will primarily dedicate time to your own studies. The doctoral programme comprises 240 credits for a Degree of Doctor and 120 credits for a Degree of Licentiate. The doctoral appointment is a paid position that offers a combination of studies and work, and a great opportunity for a potential career in academia. Doctoral students are expected to work independently and be prepared to contribute to the activities and development of the discipline and the department. Teaching and administrative duties may also be included upon agreement, but will not constitute more than 20% of full-time. Work as a doctoral student allows for great freedom and flexibility in terms of how you structure your day. It takes commitment, discipline and a structured approach in order to successfully complete a doctoral thesis. Experienced supervisors offer guidance and support along the way. To contribute to a positive work environment and further the department’s activities, we expect you to be a present and active part of the day-to-day operations and workplace community.

Qualification requirements

To be eligible for a doctoral studentship, applicants must meet the general and specific entry requirements (Higher Education Ordinance, Chap. 7, Sect. 35).

To meet the general entry requirements, applicants must have been awarded a second-cycle qualification, satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits were awarded in the second-cycle, or acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad (Higher Education Ordinance, Chap. 7, Sect. 39).

To meet the specific entry requirements for the doctoral programme in biology, applicants must hold at least 120 credits in biology, including a degree project at master’s level (of at least 15 credits). Applicants may also be eligible if they, in some other way, have acquired equivalent knowledge in Sweden or abroad.

Admission and assessment criteria

To be eligible for doctoral studies, the applicant must be considered to have the ability required to benefit from the programme (Higher Education Ordinance, Chap. 7, Sect. 35). Admission is based on individual assessment.

Special weight will be given to:

Documented research interest and experience in evolution, ecology or a related field. Peer-reviewed publications, preprints or the quality and scope of the master’s thesis.

Weight will be given to:

Quantitative skills. The ability to work independently as well as collaborating with others and sharing resources, exhibit creativity and initiative.  Experience of working with insects in a laboratory setting is desirable but not a requirement.

Terms

Upon admission to the doctoral program, one to two doctoral student positions will be offered (Higher Education Ordinance, Chap. 5, Sect. 3). Each position includes four years of full-time studies or five years with 80% study time and 20% teaching or other departmental duties. The position is initially fixed-term for one year, with the possibility of extension by up to two years at a time. The starting date is February 1, 2025, or as otherwise agreed.

The salary for the doctoral position follows the established salary levels for doctoral students, progressing according to a local collective agreement.

Application

Submit the application via the University’s web-based recruitment tool, Varbi.

Applicants are responsible for submitting a complete application in accordance with the advertisement, for providing translations of any documents written in a language other than Swedish, Norwegian, Danish or English, and for ensuring that the documentation allows for objective and qualitative assessments. A complete application should be submitted by the application deadline. An incomplete application may jeopardise a fair assessment of qualifications.

The application should include:

• a cover letter describing why you want to pursue a PhD and why the supervisor, department and project area are a good fit for your research interests,
• a list of qualifications (CV),
• degree certificate with a complete transcript of the courses included, or a certified list of completed courses with grades and dates,
• copy of master’s thesis or equivalent peer-reviewed publications or pre-prints,
• where applicable, copies of publications or certificates for other qualifications,
• a short (1 page) essay outlining what you consider to be the most exciting unresolved question in evolutionary biology or ecology and how you would solve it if given the opportunity,
• two references, such as a teacher, supervisor, or previous or current superior.

Attach all the documents and publications you wish to be considered to the electronic application (do not just provide links). Name each uploaded document to clearly indicate its content.

Documents that cannot be submitted electronically should be sent to the following address:

Karlstads universitet
HR-administratör
651 88 KARLSTAD

Application deadline: 5 December 2024

State the reference number: REK2024/193

Applicants with qualifications from abroad

If you have qualifications from a university outside Sweden or if they have not been recognised by a Swedish authority before, it is important that you attach degree certificates and official transcripts to facilitate the recognition of foreign qualifications.
Provide a contact for the degree-awarding institution (phone number or email) who can verify your qualifications.

We look forward to your application!

Karlstad University has chosen advertising channels for this recruitment and firmly declines any contact with advertising or recruitment agencies.