Postdoctoral Research Associate Position in University of Münster, Germany

Designation/Position- Postdoctoral Research Associate Position

University of Münster, Germany invites application for Postdoctoral Research Associate Position from eligible and interested candidates

About- Münster’s Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity seeks a Postdoctoral Research Associate. The position is part of the SFB/TRR 212 project. We are offering a full-time position until December 31, 2025. It is time for a new Principal Investigator at the IEB. Candidates will conduct behavioral field and lab studies.

Research/Job Area- Biology

Location- University of Münster, Germany

Eligibility/Qualification–

  • The successful candidate will be a highly motivated scientist, interested in interdisciplinary work in the framework of the NC3 network.
  • They will have a doctoral degree (or a comparable qualification) in biology, preferentially with a focus on evolution, behavioural ecology, sociobiology, genomics, epigenetics or another related field.
  • They will also have a background, and ideally some postdoctoral experience, in at least two of the following areas: working with live insects, molecular lab skills, genomics/transcriptomics and bioinformatics.
  • They will have excellent communication skills and be able to work both independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.
  • The working language of the Institute and the lab is English, and good proficiency in spoken and written English is a requirement.
  • German language skills are not a requirement, but a willingness to learn is desirable.

Job/Position Description- 

The position is part of the Collaborative Research Centre (SFB/TRR 212) entitled “A Novel Synthesis of Individualisation across Behaviour, Ecology and Evolution: Niche Choice, Niche Conformance, Niche Construction (NChttps://www.uni-bielefeld.de/fakultaeten/biologie/forschung/verbuende/sfb_nc3/3)

  • The project focuses on the genetic, epigenetic and transcriptomic basis of social niche construction during colony founding. Individual Pogonomyrmex californicus ant queens can choose to start a new colony alone (haplometrosis) or they can join or accept other co-founding queens (pleometrosis).
  • During the first two weeks of colony founding, co-founding queens interact in multiple ways and so construct their individualized social niche.
  • They either accept additional queens or they evict/kill them. Matched interactions, where pleometrotic queens interact with each other, lead to a fitness gain whereas mismatched interactions, where haplometrotic and pleometrotic queens interact, lead to a fitness loss (for one or both).
  • The frequency of these alternative founding strategies varies within and among subpopulations.
  • The first funding period revealed the genomic and genetic architecture of this social niche polymorphism.
  • In the second funding period, we will focus on three aims.


1. Confirming and experimentally testing candidate genes and epigenetic mechanisms (histone modification and DNA methylation), that we identified in the first funding period.
2. Develop a generalized evolutionary framework/model that takes into account the relation between genotype, phenotype, individualized social niche and fitness.
3. Understand why colony founding above a certain number of cofounding pleometrotic queens will always fail. Is this a constraint (division of labour) or an adaptation (spitefulness) in the context of the evolution of pleometrosis.

The Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity provides a stimulating research environment with a number of scientific groups researching diverse topics centred on different aspects of evolution.

As a part of the Collaborative Research Centre SFB/TRR 212 the project will involve intensive collaboration with consortium partners at the Universities of Münster and Bielefeld.

How to Apply- 

Send your application, written in English, in one single PDF file, by 6 January 2022.

Applications should be sent to Prof Jürgen Gadau at: gadauj@uni-muenster.de.

Please note that we cannot consider other file formats. Applications should include

1) a cover letter with a statement of research interests and motivation (max. 1 page),

2) a CV including details about research experience and publications, and

3) contact details for at least two referees.

Last Date for Apply6 January 2022

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