We are looking for a person interested in applying for a predoctoral contract to carry out a DOCTORAL THESIS on the relationships between multiple mutualisms in plant communities in the Pyrenees.
Are you passionate about ecology, species interactions in the context of global change, and would you like to learn more about how environmental changes transform the relationships between plants and their allies?
Project: In our recent MULTITUD project (PID2023-153173NB-I00) we want to find out whether mutualistic networks, such as mycorrhizal symbioses, interactions between plants and nitrogen-fixing bacteria, or even cooperation between plants through nitrogen exchange, break down when there is an excess of this nutrient in the soil. What happens when the costs of obtaining nutrients directly no longer outweigh the benefits of mutualism?
We propose: a) support you to design your own research project within this conceptual framework, with the questions that arouse your curiosity the most, and b) support you to apply for your own funding to do a PhD thesis with us.
Principal Investigators: Guillermo Bueno (cgbuenog@gmail.com; Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (Pyrenean Institute of Ecology), IPE-CSIC) and Alicia Montesinos (ali.montesinos@gmail.com; Centro de investigaciones sobre Desertificación, CIDE-CSIC-UV-GVA).
Work environment: We offer a dynamic and collaborative environment with the support of an expert team and access to state-of-the-art resources, as well as the opportunity to carry out international stays in leading laboratories. Interested individuals should be willing to join the research group in person, as we believe that participation in frequent meetings, both in groups and individually, promotes the acquisition of knowledge and skills in public presentations of progress, as well as being much more fun. You will also be able to actively participate in the regular activities of the department including weekly scientific seminars, book clubs and dissertation monitoring committees organized by the center. The nature of the research work (field work, laboratory, literature reviews, experiments) can be designed according to the questions and concerns of the applicant.
Possible sources of funding to apply for: Some of the sources of funding that could be applied for are Grants from the Generalitat Valenciana for the hiring of predoctoral research personnel (CIACIF) (open until 19/12/2024), FPU contracts (next opening in early 2025) or predoctoral contracts from the Government of Aragón (DGA, opening in June 2025). The duration of the project, and therefore of the thesis, is expected to be 4 years. The person hired will join a PhD Program, either in Valencia or in Zaragoza/Huesca and will have the opportunity to distribute his/her time between the two CSIC centers (CIDE and IPE), as well as participate in collaborations and apply for international stays in the framework of the project (MULTITUD; PID2023-153173NB-I00).
Requirements:
- Have curiosity and passion for scientific research and ecology.
- Possess bachelor's and master's degrees related to the area of knowledge.
- Motivation letter, CV and academic record.
- Contact of two reference persons.
It will be valued:
- Experience in aspects related to ecology.
- Experience in field and laboratory work.
- English proficiency.
- Knowledge of programming and statistics.
- Motivation to learn and proactivity.
Contact: Interested candidates should send as soon as possible a letter of motivation by e-mail (ali.montesinos@gmail.com, cgbuenog@gmail.com), with CV, copy of academic transcript and contact of two references. Selected candidates will be invited to an interview with the principal investigators (in person or online).
Please disseminate this information to those who may be interested.
Information about the principal investigators
Guillermo Bueno: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=es&user=Sg-yf84AAAAJ
Alicia Montesinos-Navarro: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=e-dAeDEAAAAJ&hl=es
