A graduate research assistantship (MS or PhD) is available in Fish & Functions Lab of Dr. Simon Brandl (www.brandllab.com) at the University of Texas at Austin Marine Science Institute (www.utmsi.utexas.edu) in Port Aransas, TX.
Closing date: July 30th, 2020
Virtual interviews: August 2020
Start date: January 16th, 2021 (US students) or August, 2021 (US or international)
Research context: Our research revolves around the links between organisms, communities, and ecosystem functioning. We focus on coral reef ecosystems and the roles of fishes, with a specific emphasis on small, bottom-dwelling (cryptobenthic) reef fishes. For more information, please take a look at our research themes (http://brandllab.com/research) and previous papers (http://brandllab.com/publications).
Requirements: Applicants must have a Bachelor?s degree in an appropriate scientific discipline, a strong academic background, experience conducting marine field- or lab-based research, and a demonstrated capacity to contribute to a diverse, respectful, and collaborative research environment. Desirable skills include scientific diving, small boat operation, fish husbandry, proficiency with R, and strong quantitative training. Candidates from demographic groups currently underrepresented in STEM due to historic and ongoing inequalities will receive prime consideration. Please take a moment to review our Lab Code of Conduct (www.brandllab.com/join).
Research environment: UT Austin is the flagship institution of the UT system. The successful candidate will be based at UT Austin?s Marine Science Institute (UTMSI), a world-leading coastal marine research institution that is located in Port Aransas, TX, a small community on the Gulf coast (~3.5hrs from Austin). The successful applicant will spend 6-12 months at the main campus in Austin.
Appointment: The successful candidate will receive appropriate training and mentorship, access to research and travel funds, and opportunities for professional development. The dissertation topic is flexible, but will relate to the ecology, evolution, and functional role of cryptobenthic fishes. Within this topic, there is scope for acquiring skills in marine biology, physiology, molecular biology, ecological modeling, isotope ecology, phylogenetics, biotelemetry, or paleoecology.
To apply: Interested candidates should submit the following materials via email to Dr. Simon Brandl (simon.brandl@austin.utexas.edu) in a single pdf document by 5pm, July 30th 2020 (CST).
(1)    Your current CV.
(2)    A 2-page letter, detailing your interest in the position, background, and research ideas.
(3)    Names and contact information for two academic references.
I will conduct virtual interviews with several shortlisted candidates in August. Successful applicant(s) will need to formally apply for admission to the UTMSI Graduate Degree by September 2020 (for a start in Jan 2021), which requires undergraduate course transcripts and GRE scores. For more information, please consult https://utmsi.utexas.edu/academics/graduate.
The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.
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