We are seeking a highly motivated PhD candidate with a genuine interest in reproductive and evolutionary biology to conduct and coordinate a 3-year German Science Foundation (DFG) funded project on sexually selected traits and their evolution. Candidates with a Diplom/Master degree in Biology or a related field should preferentially have experience in designing behavioural experiments and/or in molecular techniques (microsatellite/SNP genotyping). The annual salary according to German TV-L E13 (50%) allows a good living and approximates 15,000€ after taxes depending on experience and marital status.
The project at the Animal Evolutionary Ecology group (http://www.evoeco.uni-tuebingen.de/) aims at quantifying how the social environment and within-individual trade-offs affect the sex-specific intensity and direction of sexual selection in a hermaphroditic model system, the freshwater snail Biomphalaria glabrata. A basic framework for integrating effects of self-fertilisation and variation in offspring quality into fitness quantifications has recently been developed (Anthes et al. 2010, Amer. Nat. 176:249-263) and seeks innovative further development within this project.
Tuebingen is a lively and picturesque city in a beautiful landscape, and its university ranks among the top 5 for Biology in Germany. Embedded in the Evolution and Ecology Forum Tübingen (www.eve.uni-tuebingen.de), our research group offers a stimulating and intense training environment with strong background in experimental evolutionary biology, molecular ecology, and behavioural studies.
Applicants preferentially submit a single pdf-file containing a short motivation letter, a CV including 2 reference addresses, and a brief summary of their thesis to nils.anthes@uni-tuebingen.de. Applications will be reviewed until the position has been filled. In case of equal quality, applicants with disabilities will be preferred. The University of Tuebingen aims at increasing the representation of women and therefore encourages female students to apply.