A fully funded PhD position is available at the Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology, in the group of Dr. Melissah Rowe. The PhD candidate will work on an ERC-funded project where the overarching aim is to determine whether reproductive microbiomes impact host fitness and evolution in wild animals and reveal the role of host genetics and immune functioning in shaping reproductive microbiome variability.

Over the last decade we have seen a veritable explosion of work on the microbiome. This work has revealed the importance of the microbial communities in the gut, oral cavity, and skin for host biology. Indeed, microbiomes are emerging as fundamental modulators of host phenotype, fitness, and evolution. But what about microbes in the reproductive system: how does the ‘reproductive microbiome’ impact host fitness and evolution? Which microbes have the largest effects? And what factors determine whether these microbes are present? Studies of host-associated microbial communities have largely ignored the reproductive microbiome, especially in wild animals. This ERC-funded project will address these outstanding questions in order to elucidate the causes and – more importantly – the consequences of variation in reproductive microbiomes.

What you will be doing
In this project, the student will use quantitative genetics to test the hypotheses that (a) variation in the microbiome is linked to individual fitness in a wild population, and (b) microbiome diversity and/or composition is heritable. The successful candidate will make use of a wild house sparrow population residing on a remote island in the Atlantic (Lundy Island), where the genetic pedigree is of high density, allowing the estimation of quantitative genetic parameters from data of a few generations.

The PhD position will involve fieldwork on wild birds to collect samples for the characterisation of host microbiomes and quantification of reproductive success of males and females, as well as laboratory analysis, bioinformatic and statistical analysis of data, manuscript preparation, and supervision of students. There is scope for the candidate to develop complementary avenues of research that may involve additional tasks.

What you will be contributing

We are looking for a highly motivated, independent, and productive person, who thrives in a collaborative and international environment and is willing to work in the field and the lab and contribute intellectually to the project. The candidate should hold a MSc degree in ecology/evolution, molecular biology, microbial ecology, or a related discipline by the time of starting the position. The candidate must have excellent communication skills, including writing and presentation of research, and must be fluent in English, as this is the working language of the group.

Experience with bird field work is highly preferred; The candidate will be expected to, after initial training, conduct fieldwork on Lundy Island for a few months every year (https://www.landmarktrust.org.uk/lundyisland/).

The candidate should also have an interest in quantitative analysis, be comfortable working with big datasets, and have some experience with R statistical software and linear mixed models.

Fixed-term contract: Initially for 1 year and upon satisfaction to be prolonged for a maximum of 4 years (1.0 FTE).

What do we offer

This PhD project will be embedded in the Rowe Group within the Department of Animal Ecology at the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), located in Wageningen, the Netherlands. The candidate will also work with the larger ERC project team, including postdocs and research assistants, based at the NIOO. The project will be in close collaboration with Dr Julia Schroeder (Julia.schroeder@imperial.ac.uk) from Imperial College London.

The student will receive training and supervision in all aspects of the work, from field work and molecular laboratory techniques, to statistical analysis and bioinformatics. We provide resources to join workshops aimed at improving specific skills e.g. bioinformatics, and for travel to conferences.

This is a temporary appointment, initially for 1 year and upon satisfaction to be prolonged for a maximum of 4 years (1.0 FTE).

Terms of employment
Depending on education and experience the minimum salary is 2.770 and the maximum salary is 3.539 gross per month for a full-time appointment (scale P cao Nederlandse Universiteiten/KNAW). This is exclusive of 8% vacation allowance, 8.3% year-end bonus, travel allowance, internet allowance, home working allowance and pension accrual with ABP.

The KNAW offers its staff an excellent package of secondary benefits. A package that meets the different needs of employees depending on their stage of life, lifestyle or career ambitions. For example, by working an extra two hours a week, it is possible to increase the number of days off from 29 to 41 days a year (with full-time employment).

For a complete overview of the terms of employment, please refer to the web page: werken bij de KNAW.

Applying for a Certificate of Good Conduct can be part of the employment procedure.

The Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO)

About NIOO
The Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO) is a national research institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW). NIOO performs leading ecological research on biodiversity, climate change and sustainable use of land and water, stimulates ecological research of the Netherlands and shares its ecological knowledge with society. Based on our core values, NIOO strives to be a collaborative, inclusive, innovative, impactful, and responsible organization.

Animal Ecology

Information on the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) and the Department of Animal Ecology can be found at the website: http://www.nioo.knaw.nl/.