W 2-Professorship in Marine Ecology / Adaptation to Ocean Extremes – Deadline 25 November 2021

Kiel University and GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel aim to attract more qualified women to professorships.

The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at Kiel University, Germany and GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel jointly invite applications for a: W 2-Professorship in Marine Ecology / Adaptation to Ocean Extremes, to start at the earliest possible date.

The Professorship is located at GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (www.geomar.de) and will lead the Research Unit „Experimental Ecology-Benthic Ecology” within the Research Division „Marine Ecology”.

The ocean is by definition an extreme habitat, with large regions being oligotrophic, below the reach of sunlight, and sometimes even anoxic, yet life is thriving. New extremes, such as heat waves, upwelling of oxygen deficient waters, pollution, or ocean acidification are induced by human activity, adding to naturally occurring extremes. A key question is thus how marine life adapts to such spatially or temporarily extreme conditions.

The successful candidate will have already established a successful and internationally visible research line that addresses adaptation of marine life in its broadest sense to natural and anthropogenic challenges. This may address (but not exclusively):

• the analysis of contemporary or past evolutionary adaptation
• the restructuring or migration of communities
• the physiological and plasticity of reactions of species
• metabolic and biochemical adaptations

We welcome applications from researchers using a diverse portfolio of approaches, encompassing experimentation, bioinformatics, expeditions, field observations or modeling. The advertised post is a key professorship within the research program ” Changing Earth – Sustaining our Future”, topic: “Adaptation of Marine Life: from Genes to Ecosystems” of the Helmholtz-Society division “Earth and Environment”. The species and communities studied should focus on multicellular organisms and thus, be complementary to the substantial microbial expertise already present in research division „Marine Ecology” at GEOMAR. We are especially interested in research lines that encompass benthic ecosystems. Moreover, research approaches on pelagic-benthic coupling are welcome, as are approaches that bridge the divide between biogeochemistry and marine biology.

The position is substantially equipped with scientist and technician positions. The successful candidate will have full access to a broad range of ocean going infrastructure, as well as to state-of-the art laboratory and cultivation facilities. Access will be provided to high-performance computing and to next-generation sequencing facilities. Further informal inquiries can be addressed to Prof. Thorsten Reusch (treusch@geomar.de).

The Professorship is associated with a teaching position in the Kiel Master’s program in Biological Oceanography. Relevant teaching experience is required. Non-German speaking applicants are expected to acquire German language skills and to teach courses in German after three years at the latest.

For further formal information, please refer to the recruitment requirements of § 61 of the Higher Education Act of the State of Schleswig-Holstein. More information can be found here (in German).

Kiel University and GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel are striving to increase the number of female scientists in research and teaching and therefore encourages qualified women to apply. Women will be given priority if their aptitude, qualifications and professional performance are equal.

Applications with the usual documents (curriculum vitae, list of publications, third-party funding, teaching experience, brief teaching and research concept) along with your private and business address, telephone number and e-mail address should be sent (in electronic form in a single pdf-file) to the following address by November 25, 2021: Dean of the Faculty for Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Kiel University, 24098 Kiel (berufungen@mnf.uni-kiel.de).