Will global warming favour residency over migration? Establishing a new model to
predict the impact of a changing world on migrating pollinators.
We invite applications for a fully funded, 3-year postdoctoral position focusing on pollinator migration, based at the Faculty of Biology, University of Białystok, Poland and performed in collaboration with the Department of Biology, University of Florence, Italy and Institut Botànic de Barcelona: Insect Migration and Phylodiversity Lab, Spain. This position is part of the Sonata project “Will global warming favour residency over migration? Establishing a new model to predict the impact of a changing world on migrating pollinators” (2023/51/D/NZ8/02402) funded by the National Science Centre in Poland.
Short description of the research project:
Global climate is changing fast, affecting a broad range of organisms in many aspects of their biology. The distribution of mobile species is shifting towards high altitudes, modifying the composition of natural communities and ecosystem services provided by biotic elements. It has become fundamental to understand unavoidable distribution shifts and to integrate them into realistic and continent-wide conservation plans and assess their relevance to ecosystem services. This project’s main objective is to predict the impact of climate change on pollinator migration using the widespread hummingbird hawkmoth, Macroglossum stellatarum, as a model species. Due to its ubiquity and wide distribution, hypothesized phenotypic plasticity, migratory behaviour and significance in pollination services, M. stellatarum is an apt model for studies of the effects of climate change. Does climate-driven selection favour residency over migration in lepidopteran pollinators? Will the reduction of habitable range due to global warming shift the proportion between migratory and resident populations across taxa, with migrants becoming residents in increasingly higher latitudes? If residents shift northward, can they keep up with climate change? Or will temperatures change faster than insects can move, leaving them with a climatic debt?
Requirements:
- A doctoral degree in biology or a closely related field, obtained no earlier than seven years before the year of employment in the project (excluding maternity leaves).
- Experience in conducting entomological fieldwork.
- Proficiency in data management.
- Computer skills, including statistical analysis and species distribution modelling, preferably in R.
- At least five scientific publications in international peer-reviewed journals from the JCR list, including at least one as the lead author.
- Fluent spoken and written English, with the ability to independently write scientific texts.
- Ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
- A valid driving license.
- The candidate must meet the conditions specified in the annex to Resolution No. 60/2022 of the NCN Council (June 9, 2022) regarding the amendment of regulations for funding research projects (Chapter 2.1.1):
https://www.ncn.gov.pl/sites/default/files/pliki/uchwaly-rady/2022/uchwala60_2022-zal1.pdf
Job description:
- Fieldwork across Europe, North Africa and Macaronesia focused on Lepidoptera sampling;
- Insect metabolism measurements and analyses;
- Sample preparation for DNA and isotope analyses;
- Rearing Lepidoptera under laboratory conditions;
- Developing species distribution models for M. stellatarum using high resolution
climate scenarios to investigate the influence of climate change on population dynamics;
- Data analysis
- participation in the writing of scientific articles and presentation of obtained results;
- Cooperation with the research team.
Employment conditions:
- Full-time, 36 month contract;
- A position with 100% focus on research (no teaching obligations);
- Work at the Department of Zoology and Genetics (Faculty of Biology, University of Białystok, Poland) offering academic support and opportunities for professional development;
- Planned start date: May 2025;
- Full-time salary for a postdoctoral position: PLN 140,000 per year (gross, plus employer’s fees). The net salary depends on tax regulations and social security contributions in Poland, which may vary depending on the candidate's country of origin;
- The postdoctoral researcher will not receive additional remuneration from funds awarded as direct costs in other NCN projects during the contract period.
- The postdoctoral researcher will not be employed under another employment contract while receiving this remuneration.
Application procedure and deadline:
Applicants should send the following documents as a single PDF file to m.skowronvolponi@uwb.edu.pl:
- Cover letter briefly describing research interests and scientific achievements,
- CV including a list of publications and other scientific achievements,
- Contact details of at least 2 referees (including Ph.D. supervisor),
- A copy of the Ph.D. diploma or equivalent confirmation of obtaining a Ph.D. in biology or a related field, or a statement confirming that the doctoral degree will be obtained before the employment start date.
In the email subject include "Post-doc SONATA:" and your first and last name. Please provide also the statement that you grant us permission to process your personal details for the recruitment process: “I hereby give consent for my personal data included in the job offer to be processed for the purposes of recruitment conducted by the University of Białystok”.
Closing date for applications is 01.05.2025. Candidates will be notified individually by e-mail of the results of the application. Only selected candidates will be notified about the date of the possible interview at the email address included in their applications. Interviews will be conducted online. The application is the first stage of the employment procedure for the post-doc position and a successful outcome of the application is the basis for further proceedings.
For more details regarding the project contact the principal investigator – Marta Skowron Volponi, PhD – m.skowronvolponi@uwb.edu.pl
