Post-doctoral Research Fellowship on Climate Change Ecology (Canada)

Project title: Improving predictions of biodiversity to global environmental change

Project overview: Our ability to capture the relationships between organisms and climate is essential for understanding and predicting the vulnerability of species to climate change. Scientists are applying increasingly sophisticated models by including demographics, biotic interactions, and dispersal, to assess consequences of climate change over broad spatiotemporal scales. Despite the importance of increasingly mechanistic models, they are data-intensive and rely on species-specific parameterizations informed by extensive research and monitoring. While targeted data collection to inform mechanistic models is essential to improve our ability to predict the consequences of climate change, insights into whether and when simpler models or metrics are useful for informing climate change vulnerability assessments will be essential where data is limited or even absent. The goal of this research is to gain insight into when simpler models (e.g., correlative species distribution models) or metrics (e.g., climate velocity) provide concordant predictions to mechanistic models in the context of predicting outcomes to climate change. The candidate will develop a framework to help guide model type selection based on species life-history traits and other attributes. The candidate will work collaboratively with biologists and climate scientists to produce relevant climate metrics and will be required to build and use previously existing population dynamics models/species distribution models for select case study species to address project goals.

Criteria: We are seeking a candidate that fulfills the following criteria:
- Strong quantitative skills: including statistical modelling, population dynamics modelling
- Strong background in climate change ecology, wildlife biology, landscape ecology
- Experience with climate change vulnerability assessments
- Ability to work with large spatiotemporal datasets, and experience working with historical and future projections of various climate data products
- Extensive knowledge and proficiency using the statistical programming language R and various R packages
- Self-motivated, able to interact with a diversity of people - Demonstrated scientific writing skills (authored one or more peer-reviewed articles)

Academic qualifications: The successful applicant must hold a PhD degree within a relevant scientific area (ecology, wildlife biology, etc.). The applicant must document expertise and interest in the research subject.


Location: The scientist will be based at the National Wildlife Research Centre (NWRC) in Ottawa and will work as part of the Landscape Science and Technology Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada. The NWRC is located on Carleton University campus, a setting that presents a diversity of opportunities.



Fellowship description: The position is available through a Visiting Fellowship in Canadian Government Laboratories administered by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). This program provides promising young scientists and engineers with the opportunity to work with research groups in Canadian government laboratories and research institutions. For more information on the NSERC Visiting Fellowships in Canadian Government Laboratories Program, including eligibility criteria, and application forms, please consult: http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Students-Etudiants/PD-NP/Laboratories-Laboratoires/index_eng.asp


Deadlines & additional Information: The position will start January 2017. Applications are currently
being accepted and the position will remain open until filled. Candidates should apply to the NSERC VF Fellowship by October 7th.
Applications may be accepted after this date. The position is initially for a 1-year term, up to a maximum of three years pending annual review and availability of funds.

The candidate must: (1) apply via the NSERC Fellowship application process, and (2) send a cover letter describing their interest in the position and how they fulfill the job criteria, a CV, and a sample of their writing (peer-reviewed publication preferred) to:


Dr. Ilona Naujokaitis-Lewis Landscape Science and Technology
Division Science and Technology Branch
Environment and Climate Change
Canada National Wildlife Research Centre,
Carleton University, Ottawa, ON
Email: ilona.naujokaitis-lewis@canada.ca



Questions about the research should be directed via email to Dr. Naujokaitis-Lewis.