Download PDFCountry: Netherlands
Type:
Post-Doc
Deadline: January 13, 2025
The One Health Entomology group of the Laboratory of Entomology at
Wageningen University and Research is looking for an ambitious postdoctoral
researcher with experience in the ecology and population dynamics of
blood-feeding insects. The research interests of the group are to understand
the factors that determine the presence and/or emergence of vector-borne
diseases and to unravel the underlying mechanisms from molecular to ecosystem
level. With this knowledge, the group ultimately aims to design novel strategies
for vector control that are affordable, safe for use, and sustainable in the
context of our changing environment. The team consists of ambitious scientists
that employ interdisciplinary approaches, both in the lab as well as in the
field. The postdoctoral position will involve the coordination of and data
collection for a new European project, funded via the European Biodiversity
Initiative (Biodiversa+), with partners in France, Spain and Morocco. The
position is for 3 years.
About the Project
By 2050, 70% of the global population will live in urban areas, leading to
increased environmental challenges such as pollution and biodiversity loss. The
"greening" of cities, through green spaces and water bodies, offers a
nature-based solution to promote sustainability, biodiversity, and human
health, for example by reducing heat island effects, air pollution, and
improving physical and mental well-being. However, they may also provide
habitats for disease-transmitting vectors, such as mosquitoes and sandflies.
The impact of urban greening on vector populations is expected to depend on
local conditions, highlighting the need for effective surveillance and control,
particularly in both public and private spaces. Wageningen University is now
leading a new project that aims to explore the relationships between public and
private urban green spaces on the one hand, and diversity of blood-feeding
arthropods and their implications for vector-borne disease transmission to
humans and animals on the other.
Your responsibilities
You will be responsible for developing and executing vector sampling protocols
in collaboration with the European partner institutes. Within the Netherlands,
you will be coordinating field sampling activities in diverse urban areas
across the country. Your work will involve the use of molecular approaches for
vector identification and for assessing biodiversity indices, e.g. via eDNA
techniques. You are expected to integrate and analyze findings from different
country settings and write scientific publications. In collaboration with the
head of the One Health Entomology group, you will facilitate national and
international meetings for partner institutes and stakeholders.
Requirements
The successful candidate is/has:
- an excellent academic
record (PhD) in medical/veterinary entomology or related ecological
discipline;
- experience with
(field-based) research on mosquito/vector (community) ecology;
- experience with diverse
molecular lab techniques
- good knowledge of
statistical methods, including multivariate analyses
- excellent oral and written
English communication skills;
- a good organizer and team
player.
In our international working environment there is
an increasing amount of communication in English. For this position it is
about language level C1 .
Conditions of employment
Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our
Collective Labour Agreement include:
- sabbatical leave, study
leave, and partially paid parental leave;
- working hours that can be
discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life
balance;
- there is a strong focus on
vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus
for a small fee;
- a fixed December bonus of
8.3%;
- excellent pension scheme.
In addition to these first-rate employee benefits,
you will of course receive a good salary. Depending on your experience, we
offer a competitive gross salary of between € 3.378,- and € 5.331,- for a
full-time working week of 38 hours, in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale 10). Additionally, a contract for 0,8 FTE can be discussed.
As for your contract, we initially offer a one-year contract that can be
extended on good performance.
Wageningen University & Research encourages internal advancement
opportunities and mobility with an internal recruitment policy. There are
plenty of options for personal initiative in a learning environment, and we
provide excellent training opportunities. We are offering a unique position in
an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere.
You are going to work at the greenest and most innovative campus in Holland,
and at a university that has been chosen as the “Best University” in the Netherlands for
the 19th consecutive time.
Coming from abroad
Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for
life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the
world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot
to offer to international employees.
Because we expect you to work and live in the Netherlands our team of advisors
on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application
procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.
Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. Wageningen
University & Research's International
Community page contains practical information
about what we can do to support international employees coming to Wageningen.
Furthermore, our Welcome Center can assist you with any
additional advice and information about for example housing, opening a bank
account, dual career programs or schooling. Finally, certain categories of
international staff may be eligible for a tax exemption on a part of their
salary during the first five years in the Netherlands
Employer
Wageningen University & Research
The mission of Wageningen University & Research is “To explore the
potential of nature to improve the quality of life”. Under the banner
Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen University and the specialised
research institutes of the Wageningen Research Foundation have joined forces in
contributing to finding solutions to important questions in the domain of
healthy food and living environment. With its roughly 30 branches, 7,600
employees (6,700 fte) and 13,100 students and over 150,000 participants to
WUR’s Life Long Learning, Wageningen University & Research is one of the
leading organisations in its domain. The unique Wageningen approach lies in its
integrated approach to issues and the collaboration between different
disciplines.
Additional information
For more information about this position, please contact, Sander
Koenraadt, Professor at the Laboratory of Entomology, by email: sander.koenraadt@wur.nl
For more information about the procedure, please contact vacaturemeldingen.psg@wur.nl
