PhD student in historical geology and palaeontology - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

The Department of Earth Sciences of Uppsala University is one of the most complete such academic departments in Europe. Our research focuses on subjects that range from the Earth’s core to the atmosphere, on scales from submicroscopic structures in minerals to the formation of mountains and oceans. We have teaching at undergraduate and graduate levels. Our courses offer a wide range within the geoscience area and several of the department's programs have received the highest rating in evaluations by the Swedish National Agency for Higher Education (Högskoleverket) and the Swedish Higher Education Authority (Universitetskanslersämbetet). Please visit: https://www.geo.uu.se/?languageId=1 for more information about the department.

A four-year PhD position in Historical geology and Paleontology focusing on marine micropaleontology and paleoceanography is available at the Department of Earth Sciences, Palaeobiology Programme. Our research programme focuses on education and research across the interface between the Earth and Life Sciences, encompassing the time span from the origin of life to the significant climatic changes of recent millenia.

Read more about our benefits and what it is like to work at Uppsala University.

Duties
This project aims at improving our understanding of the long-term adaptation and evolutionary history of marine algae by studying deep-sea sedimentary records. In particular, Cenozoic fossil time series of calcareous nannofossils (including coccoliths) offer some of the most detailed and well-sampled records of evolutionary change spanning millions of years which can also be readily compared to proxy records of past climates to address a range of process-oriented questions. Yet, to date, many challenges remain in explaining well-established patterns of biostratigraphy from a palaeobiological point of view, including for example the role of ecological influences vs. evolutionary controls. You will study deep-sea records provided by the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP; www.iodp.org) to target such questions across selected time intervals of the Cenozoic era.

Requirements
We are looking for a highly motivated candidate who has practical experience in (micro)palaeontology and microscopy, and keen interests in marine geology/biology, palaeoceanography, and/or palaeoecology. The successful candidate should have a Master’s or corresponding University degree in Earth Sciences or (Palaeo)Biology equivalent to 120 ECTS points. The applicant must be proficient in spoken and written English.

Additional qualifications
Evidence of good scientific writing skills is a merit, and the ranking of the candidates will also accord weight to evidence of analytical thinking, the ability to collaborate, as well as creativity, initiative, and independence. Experience in biometry and statistical methods as well as knowledge of marine microfossils and/or phytoplankton are welcomed. The ability to work with R or MATLAB is advantageous.

Rules governing PhD students are set out in the Higher Education Ordinance chapter 5, §§ 1-7 and in Uppsala University's rules and guidelines.

The application
The application should contain a cover letter stating your scientific interests and what motivates you to apply for this position, your curriculum vitae, a verified list of course grades and copies of degree certificates, your degree project/thesis (finished or in draft form), as well as the contact details (incl. email and telephone number) of two personal references.
The candidates will be short listed based on the materials in the application, the top ranked candidates will be interviewed digitally and the references will be collected. 

About the employment
The employment is a temporary position according to the Higher Education Ordinance chapter 5 § 7. Scope of employment 100 %. Starting date 2022-10-15 or as agreed. Placement: Uppsala

For further information about the position, please contact: Jorijntje Henderiks, jorijntje.henderiks@geo.uu.se.

Please submit your application by 5 of September 2022, UFV-PA 2022/2994.

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