At the University of Vienna, over 10,000 people work together on the big questions of the future. Approximately 7,500 of them are academic staff members. These are individuals who, with their curiosity and their continuous pursuit of excellence, engage in international cutting-edge research and teaching. With us, you will also find space to unfold your potential. We are looking for a/an
University assistant predoctoral
50 Faculty of Life Sciences
Job vacancy starting: 10/01/2025 (MM-DD-YYYY) | Working hours: 30,00 | Classification CBA: §48 VwGr. B1 Grundstufe (praedoc)
Limited contract until:
Job ID: 3967
We invite applications for a PhD position in Plant Ecological Genomics at the University of Vienna, Austria. The position is part of an international research project co-funded by the Austrian Science Foundation (FWF) and the French National Research Agency (ANR), aimed at gaining novel insights into the accumulation of reproductive barriers in radiated versus non-radiated plant lineages. The PhD candidate will be integrated in the Vienna Doctoral School of Ecology and Evolution (https://vds-ecology-evolution.univie.ac.at/).
The project:
The PhD research will focus on the genomic drivers underlying the diversification of a highly speciose North and Central American group of Tillandsia subg. Tillandsia, compared to a slowly-radiating group within the same subgenus, found in the ancestral area of South America. The potential causal factors that will be investigated will include gene family evolution, transposable element polymorphism, signatures of selection (e.g., selective sweeps), patterns of non-synonymous variation, and heterogeneity in recombination rates along the genome. Previous findings in a handful of species indicate that the radiated clade exhibits increased dynamics of gene gain/loss, including some related to ecological adaptation. However, the role of structural variants in driving diversification remains to be rigorously evaluated, in particular against the non-radiated relatives. The results can be integrated in the general context of plant adaptive radiation, in line with ongoing projects in other plant systems in our group. Further reading: https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koae130; https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.11.16.567341; https://doi.org/10.1111/pce.13847; https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.05.09.593278
Your future tasks:
You actively participate in research, teaching & administration, which means:
- You are involved in research projects and scientific studies in the area of Plant Ecological Genomics
- We expect you to finalize your dissertation agreement within 12 months
- You work on your dissertation and its completion.
Your profile:
We are looking for a highly motivated candidate with:
- a MSc degree (or equivalent) in evolutionary biology, genomics, bioinformatics, plant biology or a related field;
- a strong interest in evolutionary genomics and ecological adaptation;
- good data analyses skills and programming knowledge (R, Phyton or bash);
- teamwork, communication and problem-solving abilities;
- proficiency in English (working language of the lab); knowledge of Spanish or French will be a plus for the activities within the project.
What we offer:
Work-life balance: Our employees enjoy flexible working hours and can partially work remotely.
Inspiring working atmosphere: You are a part of an international academic team in a healthy and fair working environment.
Good public transport connections: Your workplace is easily accessible by public transport.
Internal further training & Coaching: Opportunity to deepen your skills on an ongoing basis. There are over 600 courses to choose from – free of charge.
Fair salary: The basic salary of EUR 3,714,80 (on a full-time basis) increases if we can credit professional experience.
Contract duration: The employment duration is 3 years. With appropriate work progress, an extension to a total maximum of 4 years is possible.
Equal opportunities for all: We welcome every additional/new personality to the team!
It is that easy to apply:
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis starting May 5th 2025, until the position is filled. Please send a single pdf file including a motivation letter, curriculum vitae and contact details of two referees to ovidiu.paun@univie.ac.at.
If you have any questions, please contact:
Ovidiu Paun
ovidiu.paun@univie.ac.at
We look forward to new personalities in our team!
The University of Vienna has an anti-discriminatory employment policy and attaches great importance to equal opportunities, the advancement of women and diversity. We lay special emphasis on increasing the number of women in senior and in academic positions among the academic and general university staff and therefore expressly encourage qualified women to apply. Given equal qualifications, preference will be given to female candidates.
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Application deadline: 05/15/2025 (MM-DD-YYYY)
