Paleonet: PhD and Research positions available in the Palaeobiology programme, Uppsala University

[Graham Budd]

Dear all, and with apologies for cross-posting:

We are happy to announce two positions in the Palaeobiology Programme  
of the Dept of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Sweden.  The first  
is a four year research position (Forskarassistenttjänst) and the  
second is a PhD position on the origin of insects.  Both  
palaeontological and evo-devo applicants are warmly welcomed for both  
positions.  Details follow for both.

Graham Budd

graham.budd at pal.uu.se

Uppsala University hereby declares the following position to be open  
for application:

Assistant Professor/Research Associate in Palaeobiology

at the Department of Earth Sciences.

Current research in the department includes Proterozoic biodiversity  
and ecology; the Cambrian Explosion and exceptionally preserved  
biotas, with particular expertise in arthropods, mollusks,  
brachiopods; Early organic-walled microbiota (prokaryotes and  
eukaryotes); and evo-devo.

Appointment period: The position can be held for a maximum of 4 years.

Nature of duties: The position is oriented towards research in  
Palaeobiology. It is principally a research appointment but will also  
involve teaching at basic, advanced and postgraduate level and  
supervision of students at postgraduate level.

Qualifications required: To qualify for appointment as Assistant  
Professor/Research Associate you must have a PhD or an equivalent  
foreign degree. Priority is given to applicants who have completed  
their PhD within 5 years of the application deadline. Furthermore,  
according to Uppsala University’s general employment regulations, it  
is also a requirement that teachers possess the necessary skills and  
qualifications to carry out their duties proficiently.

The ability to teach in Swedish or English is a requirement.

Criteria for ranking: In ranking qualified applicants particular  
importance will be attached to scientific excellence in palaeobiology.  
The teaching competence including the planning, carrying out and  
evaluation of teaching and examinations, as well as the supervision of  
students, will also be evaluated.

  A documented ability to initiate/lead and organise research  
project(s) is highly desirable. The ability to cooperate and good  
communication skills are required. The candidate’s aptitude in  
interacting with the surrounding community, informing people about  
research and development work are also important.

Ability to inform people about research and development work is  
demonstrated by popular scientific activities, for example  
participating in extramural education, publishing popular scientific  
papers and participating in public discussions on topics of education  
and research.

In filling this position, the university aims to recruit the person  
who, in a combined evaluation of competence, skills and documented  
qualifications, is judged most suitable to carry out and develop the  
work-in-hand and to contribute to a positive development of the  
department and programme.

Personal circumstances that may be of positive relevance to the  
application, for example parental leave, should be mentioned in the  
list of qualifications (CV).

Uppsala University is striving to achieve a more even gender balance  
in its research and teaching staff and women are especially invited to  
apply for this position.

How to apply: The application must be written in English and the  
applicant is required to submit two copies of documents and one copy  
of publications according to instructions found on the web site http://www.teknat.uu.se/english/instructions.php 
  or available from Jenny Lundström,  phone+46 18 471 1798, e-mail Jenny.Lundstrom at uadm.uu.se 
.

For further information about the position, please contact Professor  
Lars Holmer, phone +46 18 4712761, e-mail Lars.Holmer at pal.uu.se. The  
trade union representatives are Anders Grundström, SACO (the Swedish  
Confederation of Professional Associations), phone +46 18 471 5380,  
Carin Söderhäll, TCO/ST (the Swedish Confederation of Professional  
Employees), phone +46 18 471 1996 and Stefan Djurström, SEKO (the  
Union of Service and Communication Employees), phone +46 18 471 3315.

Applications should be directed to the Vice-chancellor and mailed so  
as to arrive at Uppsala University, Registrar´s Office UFV-PA  
2008/3116, Box 256, S-751 05 Uppsala, Sweden or fax +46 18 471 2000,  
no later than February 28, 2009. E-mail applications may be sent to registrator at uu.se 
. An application sent by fax or e-mail must be followed by a signed  
original of the application sent within a week of the deadline.



This advertisment is also available on the web at

http://www.personalavd.uu.se/ledigaplatser/3116forass_eng.html

__________________________________________________________



PhD position in: New approaches to the origin of insects


A Swedish research council (VR) funded four year PhD position is  
available in Uppsala, Sweden, jointly supervised by Dr Graham Budd  
(Uppsala) and Dr Gregory Edgecombe (NHM, London).

The origins of the hexapods including the insects remains one of the  
most challenging problems in evolutionary zoology. The traditional  
bonds between the myriapods and insects in the “Atelocerata” have been  
largely abandoned on the basis of molecular and neurobiological  
results.  Insects are indeed now often seen as an ingroup of the  
crustaceans – although if so, their sister group is unclear: a  
branchiopod relationship is currently considered most likely.  A  
further complication is that the traditional view of the insects being  
united with springtails (collembolans) in the Hexapoda has also been  
challenged by molecular results, which sometimes place springtails as  
the sister group to other crustaceans.

In the light of these new hypotheses, we intend to re-examine the  
already known fossil material of purported early hexapods and early  
crustaceans to search for specific synapomorphies, particularly in the  
head regions, where available.  The re-examination of the fossil  
material in the context of the new phylogeny is long overdue, and will  
be integrated with morphological analysis of living crustaceans and  
hexapods to evaluate the anatomical and functional consequences of  
alternative crustacean sister groups to Hexapoda

Together with this fossil-based approach, we also intend to examine  
key gene expression patterns in the heads of basal hexapods (e.g.  
collembolans – springtails, and zygentomans – silverfish and fire  
brats).  Although relationships between basal hexapods are unclear,  
these taxa almost always fall out as successive sister groups to the  
winged insects.  Thus, an understanding of their molecular development  
will enable the ground plan for the Insecta proper to be established;  
essential for comparison with the broad range of crustacean data now  
available.  The key taxa Lepisma (silverfish); Thermobia (fire brat)  
and Folsomia (collembolan) can all be kept in culture, and have rather  
large eggs that can be manipulated. The genes in question to be  
studied are those known to be involved in head formation; e.g.  
Distalless, Deformed, Proboscipedia, Labial, Buttonhead, Cap and  
Collar, empty spiracles and Col.

The balance between the various aspects of the project will be  
determined on the basis of the applicants, and we thus welcome  
students interested in either or both fossil and molecular-based  
projects.
This position is shortly to be announced formally by Uppsala  
Unversity, but in the meantime we invite expressions of interest,  
including a full CV and names of two referees, to be sent to Graham  
Budd at graham.budd at pal.uu.se by 28th February 2009.





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