3-Year Fully Funded PhD Position in Ecology – Quartz Island Flora

The Goethe-University Frankfurt is offering a fully funded 3-year PhD position (65%) in the field of ecology. The position is part of the DFG-Project “Quartz Islands II – Cross-scale determinants of plant diversity and endemism in quartz island archipelagos in southern Africa.” The project is a collaboration between Dr. Ute Schmiedel (University of Hamburg) and Prof. Severin Irl (Goethe-University Frankfurt).

Project Focus:
The research focuses on investigating plant diversity and endemism in unique quartz habitats (referred to as quartz islands) along the Western Cape of southern Africa. The project integrates approaches from vegetation ecology, island biogeography, remote sensing, and experimental ecology.

Tasks and Responsibilities:

• Conduct research on island biogeography and functional ecology of the flora of quartz islands in southern Africa.
• Collect field data (vegetation plots, species identification, functional trait measurements) and use large databases for macroecological analyses.
• Perform scientific project coordination and contribute to academic self-administration.
• Undertake scientific field trips to the study area under expedition conditions.
• Publish and present scientific results in international peer-reviewed journals and conferences.

University: Goethe-University Frankfurt
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Application Deadline: October 15, 2023

Qualifications:

• Above-average scientific university degree in Ecology, Biology, Physical Geography, or a related discipline.
• Advanced knowledge of island biogeography and vegetation ecology.
• Good skills in plant identification, botany, and soil chemistry.
• Proficiency in R and GIS for establishing databases, advanced statistical analyses, and GIS analyses.
• Willingness to conduct scientific field trips to the study area.
• Motivation for publishing and presenting scientific results.
• Fluency in English (oral and written).
• Remote sensing skills are helpful but not required.

Application Process:

• Send your application (CV, cover letter, list of publications if applicable) as a PDF to Rita Peters at rita.peters@em.uni-frankfurt.de.
• Mention the application ID “QISL2024” in the subject line.
• Application deadline: October 15, 2023.

Contact for Questions:
For further inquiries, you can contact Prof. Severin Irl:

• Telephone number: +49-69-798-40171
• Email: irl@geo.uni-frankfurt.de

This PhD position offers an opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge ecological research and work collaboratively on a significant project while obtaining a doctoral degree.