The University of Helsinki, founded in 1640, is one of the worlds leading universities for multidisciplinary research. The university has an international academic community of 40,000 students and staff members. The University of Helsinki offers comprehensive services to its employees, including occupational health care and health insurance, sports facilities, and opportunities for professional development. The International Staff Services office assists employees from abroad with their transition to work and life in Finland.

The Department of Biosciences situated at the Viikki science park belongs to the Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences of University of Helsinki and is the largest research and teaching unit in biosciences in Finland. The Department of Biosciences is one of the largest departments of Helsinki University with its c. 25 million euro budget and over 400 staff members.

The Department of Biosciences invites applications for a

FOUR-YEAR PHD STUDENT POSITION

in the research group of Marjo Saastamoinen as part of the ERC funded META-STRESS project (Starting Grant scheme). The successful applicant will join the Centre of Excellence in Metapopulation Research at the University of Helsinki.

The PhD project aims to understand the life-history responses and underlying mechanisms that allow organisms to cope with environmental stress in the wild. The large metapopulation of the Glanville fritillary (Melitaea cinxia) butterfly gives a unique opportunity to study processes operating from genes within individuals all the way to metapopulation-level dynamics (> 20 years of data). The PhD project will focus on individual variation in stress tolerance within and among local populations and the role of local adaption. In addition you will assess the impact of stress tolerance on other key-life-history traits. There is also potential to use recently developed genomic tools to identify mechanisms involved in stress tolerance. 

In practice, you will carry out field work in the Åland Islands archipelago (SW Finland) and conduct experimental work in the laboratory and under semi natural field conditions. You are expected to present your findings in scientific meetings and workshops, as well as prepare publications for international scientific journals.

Motivated students with a MSc degree in ecology, evolutionary biology or molecular biology (or other related fields) are encouraged to apply. Prior expertise in experimental design, statistical analysis or laboratory work are a bonus but your most important assets are enthusiasm for research, motivation to learn new things, and ability to work independently while being an active member of a research team.

Please send your application to biotiede-mrg@helsinki.fi by 16 February 2015 with title PhD META-STRESS. Attach a CV (with possible publications included), a copy of your transcript records (printout of the courses youve completed during your MSc), contact details of two references (e.g. MSc thesis supervisor), and a letter (MAX 1 page) with a description of your researcher interests and why you would be a suitable candidate for the project.

The salary will follow the University of Helsinki YPJ salary system and will start from level 2/2 (2043 €/ month).

The work is scheduled to start in the spring/early summer 2015. The employment contract includes a trial period of 4 months.

For more information, please contact Dr Marjo Saastamoinen (marjo.saastamoinen@helsinki.fi) and visit the website at http://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/msaastam/index.html

For information on the University of Helsinki, please visit: http://www.helsinki.fi/university/index.html

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