Applications are invited for a Hardy Research Fellowship, a research position (either Research Fellow or Senior Research Fellow) to investigate impacts of environmental change on marine organisms (from microbes to plankton to higher organisms) in coastal, rocky shore and oceanic ecosystems using historic and ongoing long-term data sets collected and curated by the MBA and its global collaborators.
The MBA is a cutting-edge independent marine research institute, supporting the careers of many Research Fellows over the past 135 years, including several Nobel Prize winners and over one hundred Fellows of the Royal Society (www.mba.ac.uk). In 2018, the MBA merged with the internationally renowned Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) Survey, formerly operated by the Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science (SAHFOS). As a large-scale global survey, it provides the scientific and policy communities with a basin-wide and long-term measure of the ecological health of marine plankton. Established in 1931, the CPR survey is the longest running and geographically extensive marine ecological survey in the world. The Hardy Fellowship is a new position to lead and further develop the science programme of the CPR survey, as well as the long-term data holdings of the MBA. These include the plankton, fish and benthos surveys in the western English Channel that date back to 1911.
The Hardy Fellow will interact with MBA’s current research groups, which consist of world-leading marine biologists tackling the biggest and most important questions facing our oceans. We are particularly keen to hear from visionary scientists with experience in motivating and managing teams, ideally with exceptional numerical and analytical skills. The research will address major scientific questions, in any area from fundamental cellular processes to global scale issues, with a focus on long-term time-series data capture and analysis.
The successful candidate will:
- Hold a PhD in a relevant subject area plus postdoctoral research experience.
- Be responsible for organising and delivering their own high-quality research programme and securing external funding to build and sustain a research group. A track record of winning grant income is desirable.
- Be a visionary scientist, ideally with experience of motivating and managing teams.
- Be responsible for long-term time-series monitoring research at the MBA.
- Have an excellent track-record of research and publications commensurate with career stage.
- Have experience of relevant research methodologies such as (but not limited to): numerical modelling, long-term dataset statistics, data curation, macroecology, field ecology, novel biological ocean-observing tools (e.g. eDNA, optical, acoustic), biological oceanography, artificial intelligence and machine learning tools.
Career options at the MBA may also be possible via a joint university position. The work location will be the MBA Laboratory in Plymouth, UK.
Salary is commensurate with experience, and based on the UCEA scale (£34,189 – £61,618); higher salaries will be considered for exceptional professorial-level candidates.
Please see attached for further information.
Application details are available from www.mba.ac.uk/about/vacancies. Informal enquiries can be made to the MBA Director (wilwil@mba.ac.uk). Applications should be submitted via email to hr@mba.ac.uk by the closing time/date of 1700h on Wednesday 22nd May, 2019.