[Taxacom] PhD-student position in Environmental and Evolutionary Biology

[pierfilippo cerretti]

We are pleased to announce a PhD-student position in Environmental and Evolutionary Biology targeted for an exciting project in the systematics and evolution of calyptrate Diptera (true flies). The project is available under a collaborative programme between the Sapienza University, Rome, Italy, and the Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. The position is for 3 years (36 months), and the student will be enrolled under a double-degree contract between the Sapienza University (host university) and the University of Copenhagen (partner university), with approximately two thirds of the time based in Rome, and one third of the time based in Copenhagen.
The collaborative programme is entitled “Calyptrate Origin and Evolution: How Flies Flourished after the K–Pg Extinction Event”. The overall ambition is to work towards a rigorous calyptrate phylogeny as a prerequisite for explaining calyptrate origin and evolution. More specifically, the successful candidate will address one or more of several unresolved issues, including: Family-level relationships in the Oestroidea; untangling the “calliphorid” lineages; placement of key taxa like Mystacinobia, ‘McAlpine’s fly’, bot flies, and rhiniid flies; genus-level relationships within a specific calyptrate family.
The evaluation of applicants will be based on a) exams, b) a written test, and c) an interview. The written test is a critical synthesis (in English) of a scientific paper chosen by the candidate among 5 papers proposed by the hiring committee. The written test takes 4 hours and will be held at the Sapienza University in Rome on Sept. 19th, 2017 (h9:30 am). The interview with shortlisted candidates can be given via Skype upon request. For more detailed information about formalities of the call and the evaluation procedure please refer to:
http://www.dba302.uniroma1.it/en/ricerca/phd-environmental-and-evolutionary-biology-program
Deadline for applications is July 31st , 2017!
The successful candidate is expected to combine classical methods of systematics with innovative laboratory techniques and analytical approaches, with travelling and field work depending on the nature of the project. The successful candidate is expected to demonstrate some previous experience with phylogenetic, evolutionary or taxonomic studies.
Experience with next generation sequencing methodology and/or Diptera taxonomy are a plus, and strong organization and communication skills are a must.
For further information please contact: Pierfilippo Cerretti (pierfilippo.cerretti at uniroma1.it) and Thomas Pape (tpape at snm.ku.dk)