University Assistant (prae doc) at the Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research

The University of Vienna (20 faculties and centres, 178 fields of study, approx. 9.800 members of staff, about 90.000 students) seeks to fill the position as soon as possible of a


Reference number: 11815

We are looking forward to receiving your application including a two-page application letter describing your motivation for applying for this position and a CV (including, if applicable, a list of scientific publications and presentations). Please submit your application via the website of the Job Center at the University of Vienna (http://jobcenter.univie.ac.at; email: jobcenter@univie.ac.at); no later than March 12, 2021 and labeled with the above reference no. In addition, please provide names and contact information of two potential referees.

For further information please contact the supervisors of this PhD project: Jürg Schönenberger (juerg.schoenenberger@univie.ac.at) and Agnes Dellinger (agnes.dellinger@univie.ac.at).



Duration of employment: 4 year/s

Extent of Employment: 30.0 hours/week
Job grading in accordance with collective bargaining agreement: §48 VwGr. B1 Grundstufe (praedoc) with relevant work experience determining the assignment to a particular salary grade.

Job Description:
This PhD-thesis will be embedded in an on-going project that aims to develop a broad perspective on the floral diversity, floral evolution, and pollination biology of the pantropical flowering plant family Melastomataceae. The family contains approximately 5000 species and harbours a great diversity of different pollination strategies, including buzz-pollination by bees, pollination by hummingbirds, bats, rodents, and passerines as well as generalist pollination systems. --



The PhD-candidate will make use of a recently collated database on published pollinator observations of more than 250 Melastomataceae species. He*She will investigate and score pollination-relevant floral traits for these species using a variety of techniques for morphological/structural analyses (Scanning Electron Microscopy, Light Microscopy, High Resolution X-Ray Computed Tomography). The resulting data set will be analysed using multivariate statistics and phylogenetic comparative methods to test for convergence into distinct pollination syndromes and decipher patterns of flower diversification in different tropical ecosystems. In addition, these analyses will allow to identify particularly interesting melastome clades in terms of pollination biology (i.e., distinct floral phenotypes indicating potential pollinator shifts). The PhD-candidate may then conduct observational and experimental fieldwork to in-depth investigate such clades (e.g., in tropical Asia). -- The main place of work will be in the Division of Structural and Functional Botany (https://sfb.univie.ac.at/en/), which is part of the Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research. The division's research covers a wide range of topics, from the evolution of flowers and flowering plant systematics, over plant-animal interactions to paleobotany and palynology. In addition, the department houses various botanical, ecological, and zoological research groups as well as an herbarium, and a botanical garden. Altogether, the department offers a stimulating working environment and excellent research facilities including state-of-the-art laboratories for morphological as well as for molecular work. The PhD-candidate will be part of the University's recently founded Vienna Doctoral School of Ecology and Evolution (https://vds-ecology-evolution.univie.ac.at/).

Profile:
A Diploma or MSc degree in biology, ideally with a specialization in botany or ecology
- Experience either in pollination biology, floral morphology, and/or phylogenetic analyses
- Excellent knowledge of English in speaking and writing


Experience in field work in the tropics is of advantage


Research fields:

Main research field	Special research fields	Importance
Biology	Evolutionary research;Botany	MUST

Education:

Educational institution	Educational level	Special subject	Importance
University	Biology, Botany, Zoology	-	MUST

Languages:

Language	Language level	Importance
English	Excellent knowledge	MUST

Applications including a letter of motivation (German or English) should be submitted via the Job Center to the University of Vienna ( http://jobcenter.univie.ac.at) no later than 12.03.2021, mentioning reference number 11815.

For further information please contact Schönenberger, Jürg +43-1-4277-54080.

The University pursues a non-discriminatory employment policy and values equal opportunities, as well as diversity (http://diversity.univie.ac.at/). The University lays special emphasis on increasing the number of women in senior and in academic positions. Given equal qualifications, preference will be given to female applicants.

Human Resources and Gender Equality of the University of Vienna
Reference number: 11815
E-Mail: jobcenter@univie.ac.at
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