진학프로석·박사 채용 접수 플랫폼

We are looking for a 2-year postdoctoral research fellow within the European Research Council project PlantSoilAdapt - “Eco-evolutionary dynamics in plant-soil interactions during land use transition: consequences for soil functioning and resilience to drought”, led by Prof. Marina Semchenko.

European grasslands have been shaped by millennia of low-intensity management and are unique cultural and biodiversity hotspots providing critical ecosystem services. However, the area of traditionally-managed grassland has declined dramatically during the last century, with land-use intensification on productive soil and abandonment of unfertile land both causing species loss and deterioration of ecosystem services. Recent evidence suggests that land-use change also leads to genetic and phenotypic changes in plant populations. How population-level processes mediate the impact of land use on ecosystem functions and affect adaptive potential to future perturbations, such as climate change, is entirely unknown. PlantSoilAdapt confronts this major knowledge gap using a highly interdisciplinary approach – combining evolutionary ecology, population biology, soil microbiology and ecosystem and landscape ecology – and incorporates the world’s longest running fertilisation experiment and three networks of well-studied grassland systems across Europe, representing different histories and contrasting management regimes. The project will involve laboratory tests of the mechanisms underlying eco-evolutionary dynamics in plant-soil interactions during land-use change and community-level experiments to uncover the consequences of adaptation for soil functioning and resilience to drought. The project will provide a step-change in our understanding of the selective pressures imposed on plant-soil systems by human land use and will inform future policies for sustainable land management and maintenance of adaptive potential in the face of climate change.

Work assignments

ㆍContribute to designing and carrying out field and greenhouse experiments.

ㆍContribute to laboratory work and measurements of plant phenotypes, soil microbial communities and ecosystem functions.

ㆍPerform statistical analysis of existing and resulting data.

ㆍCommunicate the findings via conference presentations and publications in leading journals in the field.

ㆍTake a leading role in setting up, implementing and publishing results of some of the experiments.

ㆍActive participation in group meetings and collaboration with team members by offering help and co-supervising students.

ㆍWillingness to learn new techniques to perform interdisciplinary research.

Education

PhD or an equivalent qualification.

Work experience

ㆍUnderstanding of plant interactions with soil microbial communities, eco-evolutionary dynamics in plant-soil interactions and their consequences for ecosystem functioning and ecosystem response to global change.

ㆍExperience in setting up manipulative ecological experiments in the field and/or laboratory setting.

ㆍExperience in laboratory techniques associated with plant and soil microbial research.

ㆍCompetence in statistical data analysis, preferably in R.

ㆍA significant advantage is the experience in using molecular techniques to characterize soil microbial communities, measure root exudates and metabolome, and/or use stable isotopes.

ㆍPublication record as a leading/first author in internationally recognised journals will be an advantage.

ㆍAbility to synthesise literature, produce good graphics and present information effectively at conferences and in publications.

ㆍExperience in plant identification and vegetation surveys will be an advantage.

Personal qualities

ㆍStrong collaboration and communication skills for working in an internationally diverse scientific community.

ㆍWillingness to promote inclusive and supportive work environment.

Language skills

Strong written and verbal English communication skills.

The documents required for applying

1. A letter of application to the Rector.

2. A curriculum vitae.

3. A list of research publications (if necessary, enclosing copies or offprints of more important publications).

4. A copy of a document (including its annexes) which shows the candidate to hold the required qualification (with authorized translation into Estonian, English or Russian if the credential is not in Estonian, English, Russian, Finnish, Swedish, French, Italian, Ukrainian and Belarussian languages). A candidate can be required to submit the original or a certified copy of the document (including its annexes) showing the candidate to hold the required qualification. If the candidate has acquired the higher education in question abroad, he or she may be required to submit an assessment issued by the Academic Recognition Information Centre (the Estonian ENIC/NARIC) of his or her qualification in respect of the qualification requirements for the position.

5. Other materials considered relevant by the candidate (a list of such materials must be included in the application or annexed to it).

6. A motivation letter.

7. The names and contact details of 2 referees.

Additional information

Kasuks tuleb kehtiv juhiluba.

Job description, incl. requirements for academic staff.

Salary Rules.

More information about application documents.

We value the diversity of university employees and encourage all people to apply for jobs, regardless of their personal differences or specific features. Creating an inclusive working environment and promoting equal treatment are important to us.

Read more about what we have done to promote diversity.

Company/organization offers

ㆍOpportunity to work within a vibrant and internationally recognized scientific community.

ㆍOpportunity to develop interdisciplinary skills.

ㆍCompetitive salary.

ㆍOpportunity to grow research network. The main collaborators in the project are Richard Bardgett (the University of Lancaster, UK), Andy Macdonald (Rothamsted Research, UK; Park Grass Experiment), Honor Prentice (University of Lund, Sweden) and Pierre Petriacq (INRAE & University of Bordeaux, France). In addition, there are extensive collaborations between groups of plant ecology, macroecology and landscape ecology within the University of Tartu, which the research fellow can take part in and extend their network of collaborations.

Benefits/salary details: Salary will be agreed on. Additional possibility to use health promotion support.

Contract period: 01.09.2025 - 31.08.2027

Workload: 1