Oferta de doctorado con plantas carnívoras (Cadiz, España y Sheffield, UK)

Offer for a 4-year FPI PhD contract based at Universidad de Cadiz (Spain), co-advised with Uni
Sheffield (UK) on the “Evolutionary demography and biogeography of the carnivorous plant
Drosophyllum lusitanicum (Drosophyllaceae)”

We are seeking a strong candidate to apply for a PhD contract FPI (Spanish acronym for research
scholarship) associated with the research grant “Revisiting the Biogeographical and Ecological
Uniqueness of the Mediterranean Heathland or Herriza of the Strait of Gibraltar”, supported by MINECO-FEDER funds (CGL2015-64007-P), and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Education.

The selected candidate will carry out a doctoral thesis based at the Universidad de Cadiz (Spain), with frequent visits to Sheffield University (UK), on the ecology, evolutionary demography and life history of the carnivorous, endemic plant species Drosophyllum lusitanicum (Drosophyllaceae) across its distribution (Portugal, Spain, Morocco) using cutting-edge genetic, biogeographic and demographic techniques. The candidate will explore the biogeographic origin, factors shaping its population dynamics, and demographic viability. The goals are described in more details in tasks 4.1 and 4.2 in the funded grant proposal: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5ZOvsHQiy_edmo3RXFaX1dPS2s/view?
usp=sharing

The call for applications for the FPI programme is not yet open, but we expect it take place by mid June 2016. The recipient of an FPI contract is guaranteed a salary for up to 4 years, will receive free health coverage under the Seguridad Social (Spanish Government Social Security), and will be able to apply for funds to go on research stays in other institutions across the globe. Details from previous FPI contract calls can be found here in Spanish: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2015-6508

As a successful candidate, you will have a Bachelors and Masters (or about to finish the latter) in
Biology, Ecology, Demography, Biotechnology, Forest Sciences, Environmental Sciences or similar. The following aspects will be positively assessed:

- Knowledge in life history evolution, population ecology and/or formal demography.
- Knowledge in botany, plant ecology, phylogeography and/or population genetics will be a plus.
- Knowledge in programming using R, Python and/or MatLab.
- Experience and independence to set up experimental designs, collect field data in remote locations, as well as quantitative and statistical skills.
- Excellent ability in spoken and written English. Spanish would be a plus, or at least the strong
determination to learn it during the PhD.

The candidate must contact Dr Fernando Ojeda Copete (fernando.ojeda@uca.es) and Dr Rob Salguero-Gómez (r.salguero@sheffield.ac.uk) with a CV (including two academic reference contacts) and a one-page letter of motivation. A pre-selection filter will be instituted via in-person or skype interviews.