Ledig stilling ved NMBU
PhD scholarship within applied ecology: Bats and energy infrastructure
Deadline: 19.03.2020
Are you interested in bats and applied ecology?
About the position
The Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management (MINA) at Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) has a vacant 3-year PhD position in Applied Ecology: Bats and energy infrastructure – developing knowledge to avoid future conflicts between renewable energy and biodiversity conservation.
Wind energy is a popular form of renewable energy that will likely be a crucial part of the shift away from fossil fuels. For this shift to be sustainable, we must understand how these kinds of infrastructures impact biodiversity in general and bats in particular.
Many studies from other European countries and North America have established that wind turbines can have negative impacts on bats. Because bats have strong legal protection (Europe: EUROBATS; North-America: Endangered Species Act) it is common practice in many countries to conduct environmental impact assessments to assess the risk of adverse effects on bats before building new wind turbines. However, such pre-construction assessments often have low accuracy with respect to predicting impacts on bats. Another option is to carry out post-construction monitoring where actual effects are observed and then use the results to develop effective mitigation measures. There is a need for more knowledge about potential impacts of wind turbines on bats, in order to develop better protocols for pre-construction assessments and post-construction monitoring.
Norway is currently home to >30 wind farms that account for approximately 4% of the annual energy supply to the country. The Norwegian government aims to increase the wind energy production. The establishment of wind farms also entails the need for upgraded or new powerlines to transport electricity from power plants to users. Impacts of wind turbines or powerlines on bats in Norway have not yet been studied, and potential risks of adverse effects on bats are not included in current environmental impact assessments.
The PhD position will build on an ongoing project on bats and wind farms, funded by the Norwegian Environment Agency (Miljødirektoratet). The main objective of this project is to develop protocol for future environmental impact assessments to inform bat friendly management practices in Norway.
The core project team consists of applied ecologists and bat biologists with experience from bats and wind farm studies in the UK and the US. The PhD candidate will be included in a strong scientific working environment within applied and quantitative ecology at MINA.
Main tasks
The PhD student’s tasks will include:
- Planning, preparing and executing fieldwork studies
- Laboratory work (e.g. analysis of insect DNA from insect or bat feces samples)
- Screening and preparation of acoustic data
- Statistical analyses and writing scientific papers
- Collaboration with wind farm and powerline operators
- Collaboration with Norwegian management authorities
The PhD student will be involved in study design and development of specific research questions.
The successful candidate is expected to submit a plan for the progress of the work towards a PhD degree during the first months of the appointment, with ambition to complete a doctorate within the PhD scholarship period.
Qualification requirements, desired experiences, knowledge and personal qualities
The successful applicant must meet the conditions defined for admission to a PhD programme at NMBU. The applicant must have an academically relevant education corresponding to a five-year Norwegian degree programme, where 120 credits are at master's degree level. The applicant must have a documented strong academic background from previous studies and be able to document proficiency in both written and oral English. For more detailed information on the admission criteria please see the PhD Regulations and the relevant PhD programme description. The applicant must document expertise and interest in the research subject.
Required academic qualifications:
- A background (MSc) in basic/applied ecology, wildlife biology or wildlife management
- Ability to perform laboratory and field work
- Ability to perform statistical analyses in R
The following experiences and skills will be considered advantageous:
- Experience with conducting independent (bat) field work
- Experience with environmental impact assessments
- Practical skills in dog (scent) training
- Ability to communicate with local people in a Scandinavian language
In addition, the applicant should have the following:
- Strong scientific capacity and analytical skills
- Technical and computer skills
- Good social and collaboration skills
- Flexibility with respect to work tasks
- Good capabilities in English, both orally and in writing
- Creativity and ability to find solutions to practical problems
- A valid driving license
The successful applicant must undergo mandatory rabies vaccination.
Remuneration and information
The position is placed in government pay scale position code 1017 PhD Fellow. PhD Fellows are normally placed in pay grade 54 (NOK 479.600,-) on the Norwegian Government salary scale upon employment and follow ordinary meriting regulations.
Employment is conducted according to national guidelines for University and Technical College PhD scholars.
For further information, please contact:
- Dr. Katrine Eldegard (Associate Professor), E-mail: Katrine.eldegard@nmbu.no; phone +47 99163592
Information for PhD applicants and general Information to applicants
Application
To apply online for this vacancy, please click on the 'Apply for this job' button above. This will route you to the University's Web Recruitment System, where you will need to register an account (if you have not already) and log in before completing the online application form.
Application deadline: 19.03.2020
Applications should include (electronically) a letter of intent, curriculum vitae, full publication list, copies of degree certificates and transcripts of academic records (all certified), and a list of two persons who may act as references (with phone numbers and e-mail addresses). Publications should be included electronically within the application deadline. The relevant NMBU Faculty may require further documentation, e.g. proof of English proficiency.
Printed material which cannot be sent electronically should be sent by surface mail to the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management (MINA), P.O. Box 5003, NO-1432 Ås, Norway, within 19.03.2020. Please quote reference number 20/00859.
If it is difficult to judge the applicant’s contribution for publications with multiple authors, a short description of the applicant’s contribution must be included.