Interdisciplinary Postdoc Position in Salt Marsh Ecology and Ecosystem Services

We are looking for a two-year postdoc in salt marsh ecology focusing on assessing and quantifying ecosystem services in Nordic salt marshes with a particular interdisciplinary focus on climate regulation (e.g. C sequestration), coastal protection and biodiversity related ecosystem services, management and governance, and co-production of knowledge with deep stakeholder integration. You would also be expected to help with both field and mesocosm experimental work together with other members of the NordSalt consortium. Furthermore you would have to participate in stakeholder workshops focusing on developing conceptual models and future scenarios of the ecosystem services of these Nordic coastal marshes.

This two-year postdoctoral position is available at the Department of Biology at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU), Odense as part of the BiodivERsA project “NordSalt: Climate Change Impacts and Biodiversity Interactions in Nordic Salt Marshes” funded by the Danish Innovation foundation and EU. The candidate will work with Head of Department Gary Banta in collaboration with other researchers at the department in the Ecology Group and within the NordSalt project consortium.

Starting date: 1 May 2021 or ASAP. Application deadline: 22 March 2021.

Description of the Position:
The postdoc will be employed within the BiodivERsA project “NordSalt: Climate Change Impacts and Biodiversity Interactions in Nordic Salt Marshes” jointly funded by Innovation Foundation, Denmark and the EU. BiodivERsA is a network of national and regional funding organizations funded under the Horizon 2020 ERA-NET COFUND scheme promoting pan-European research on biodiversity and ecosystem services, as well as offering innovative opportunities for the conservation and sustainable management of biodiversity. The NordSalt project is transdisciplinary and focuses on biodiversity and climate interaction in Nordic salt marshes and coastal wetland habitats.

Coastal marshes in the Nordic region (“Baltic coastal meadows”) are largely understudied and differ substantially from “classic” macrotidal salt marshes (which are well-studied globally) due to the wide climate and salinity gradients and microtidal nature of the Baltic Sea. In NordSalt we will investigate salt marsh ecosystem services (biodiversity, carbon sequestration) in relation to plant community structure, climate change, anthropogenic pressures and management strategies.

About You:
The candidate should have a PhD in biology, ecology, environmental studies, political science or sociology with an environmental emphasis, environmental/resource economics or similar. Experience with climate or biodiversity topics, coastal or marsh habitats, or ecosystem service assessments from any of these disciplinary angles is desirable. Expertise in, for example, ecosystems ecology, field work, environmental sociology, stakeholder engagement and integration, conceptual modelling or multivariate statistics is also an advantage. Your specific focus and tasks within this project are described above.

Department of Biology:
The Department of Biology (approximately 150 employees) conducts a wide range of research within the broad and diverse field of biology. Our research is organized in five research groups focusing on more specific, but still diverse, disciplines and biological focus areas. The department’s current research groups are: Sound and Behaviour - focusing on neuroscience, communication and behaviour; Nordcee - focusing on biogeochemistry of Earth systems; Ecology - focusing on the assessment, protection and reestablishment of ecological and ecosystems processes in a changing world; Ecotoxicology - focusing on environmental effects of anthropogenic chemicals, especially endocrine disrupting chemicals, and materials (e.g. plastics) and CPop-Biology – part of SDU’s interdisciplinary centre on aging and demography. Research at the department is characterized by using state-of-the-art technology, methodologies and facilities in both disciplinary and interdisciplinary ways to address scientifically and societally relevant biological questions and challenges at local, regional and global scales.

The department is responsible for teaching in the Bachelor and Master’s programmes in Biology and a new interdisciplinary one-year Danish Master’s programme in Climate Adaptation. Teachers at the department also contribute to other teaching programmes (e.g. pharmacy, audiology) at the University.

At the department, staff and students develop collaborative networks both within and outside the department as they conduct research. These collaborative efforts foster the sharing of ideas, techniques, and technologies, thereby greatly increasing research potential and productivity. The department believes in fostering a stimulating and inspiring environment for both staff members and students. It wishes the staff to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.

Additional Information on Odense/SDU:
The University of Southern Denmark is Denmark’s third largest university with campuses across the country. As part of the Faculty of Science, the Department of Biology is located in Odense, the University’s largest campus. Odense is the country’s third largest city and is centrally located with easy commutes to Copenhagen and Aarhus (approximately 1½ hour).

For further information please contact Head of Department Gary Banta at [email protected].

Application, salary etc.
The successful applicant will be employed in accordance with the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and AC (the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations). Please check links for more information on salary and taxation.

The application must include the following:
• A curriculum vitae including information on previous employment.
• A full list of publications stating the scientific publications on which the applicant wishes to rely.

Shortlisting may be used in the assessment process.

Incomplete applications and applications received after the deadline will neither be considered nor evaluated.

To qualify you must have passed a PhD or equivalent. Applications will be assessed by an expert assessor/committee. Applicants will be informed of their assessment by the university.

The University wishes our staff to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.

Applications must be submitted electronically using the link "Apply online". Attached files must be in Adobe PDF or Word format. Each box can only contain a single file of max. 10 Mb. We strongly recommend that you read How to apply before you apply.

Further information for international applicants about entering and working in Denmark.