Postdoctoral Researcher in the BeeSYNC Project

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Specific Subject Description

The position of postdoctoral researcher is part of the research project “Predicting climate driven shifts in the past and future of crop pollination synchrony (BeeSYNC)”.

The project investigates historical and future changes in the phenology of crops and pollinators, with a particular focus on climate variables as drivers behind these changes over time. The goal is to examine whether climate change has led to a desynchronization between the timing of crop flowering and pollinator activity, as well as to predict how pollination may develop under different future climate scenarios. The research combines field experiments, AI-based analysis of museum collections, and advanced climate modeling to provide a deeper understanding of the ecological and economic consequences of climate change.

Job Responsibilities

The main task in this position is to conduct research. The postdoctoral researcher will have a leading role in the BeeSYNC project, with a particular focus on the following areas:

• Computational Natural History. The researcher will develop deep learning models to predict individual bee ages based on wing morphology. The model will be trained on existing wing images and then applied to images of museum collections to estimate historical age structures of bees over the past 150 years.
• Forecasting changes in pollination time windows. The researcher will use Bayesian inference (e.g., Integrated Nested Laplace Approximation, INLA) to investigate whether the age structure of bees has changed over time as a result of climate change. These estimates will also be used to forecast future changes in pollination services under different climate scenarios according to the IPCC.

Eligibility

Eligible for employment as a postdoctoral researcher is someone who has obtained a doctoral degree, or a foreign degree deemed equivalent to a doctoral degree, in the relevant subject area and who has completed it no more than three years before the date of the employment decision. If there are special reasons, the doctoral degree may have been obtained earlier.

Other Requirements:

• Excellent command of English, both spoken and written.
• Documented experience with computational methods, particularly deep learning and computer vision.
• Understanding of, or a willingness to learn, advanced statistical modeling is meritorious.

Assessment Criteria

This is a merit-based position primarily focused on research. The employment is intended as an initial step in the career, and the assessment of applicants will primarily be based on their scientific merits and potential as researchers. Particular emphasis will be placed on scientific ability within the subject area.

When hiring a postdoctoral researcher, the following will be the basis for assessment:

• Good ability to develop and conduct high-quality research.
• Pedagogical ability.

Other Merits

• Strong ability to independently develop and conduct high-quality research.
• Experience using deep learning methods and computer vision on biological data.
• Experience working with large datasets or natural history collections.

Consideration will also be given to good collaboration skills, drive, and independence, as well as how the applicant, through their experience and competence, is assessed to complement and strengthen ongoing research within the department and contribute to its future development.

Conditions

The employment is temporary for a maximum of 2 years and is full-time. The employment is limited according to the agreement, “Agreement on Fixed-Term Employment as a Postdoctoral Researcher,” between the labor market parties dated 2022-02-01 (The Swedish Agency for Government Employers, OFR, and Saco-S).

Application Instructions

The application must be written in English and include:

• Curriculum Vitae including a publication list.
• A general description of previous research work and future research interests (maximum two pages).
• Contact details for at least two references.
• A copy of the doctoral degree certificate and any other certificates/grades.

At the Faculty of Science, research and education are conducted in astronomy, biology, physics, geosciences, chemistry, mathematics, medical radiation physics, environmental science, and physical geography. The activities are conducted within the northern university area. The faculty has about 1,900 students, 330 doctoral students, and 730 employees.

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