Doktorand (w/m/d)

External Job Announcement

Reg.-Nr. 4-11525/23-D

Modern, interconnected, conscious of tradition: Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) is the old-

est and largest university in the State of Saxony-Anhalt with a history dating back more than 500 years. Today

more than 20,000 students are enrolled at the university. MLU’s core research areas are in the nanosciences

and bio-sciences, the Enlightenment, as well as in social and cultural research. The university is also home to

a range of small disciplines, some of which can be found nowhere else in Germany. The university has excel-

lent national and international ties, and works closely together with leading research institutes, industry, and

more than 250 universities around the world.

The Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, in cooperation with the DFG-funded International Research

Training Group GRK 2324 "TreeDì - Tree Diversity Interactions: The role of tree-tree interactions in local

neighbourhoods in Chinese subtropical forests" (www.treedi.de) and the German Centre for Integrative Bio-

diversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, invites applications for the following position, starting 01 June

2024, limited to 3 years:

Doctoral Researcher (m/f/d) on the project

"Complementarity through trait variation" (P2G-3)
as part-time employment (65%).

The salary will be up to Entgeltgruppe 13 TV-L if the personal requirements and tasks are fulfilled.

The research topic:

Chemical and morphological leaf traits have been shown to vary among and within species and individuals. We

will quantify and compare trait variability of subtropical trees and shrubs, and relate trait variability to the ability

to respond to environmental variation, but also how traits and their variation influence species growth. Leaf trait

analyses will also include the analysis of leaf metabolites, as a novel approach in trait-based ecology, expected

to drive plant interactions.

The project is supervised by Prof. Dr. Sylvia Haider (Professor for Vegetation Ecology and Biodiversity Conserva-

tion at Leuphana University of Lüneburg; sylvia.haider@leuphana.de ; https://www.leuphana.de/en/institutes/in-

stitute-of-ecology/team/sylvia-haider.html) and Dr. Steffen Neumann (Head of the Computational Plant Bio-

chemistry Group at Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry; sneumann@ipb-halle.de; https://www.ipb-

halle.de/en/research/program-center-metacom/research-groups/computational-plant-biochemistry/). The

doctoral researcher will be integrated into the working group of Prof. Sylvia Haider.

Tasks:

• Leaf sampling of trees and shrubs on the experimental site of the BEF-China research platform

• Laboratory analyses of leaf nutrients and morphological leaf traits, such as LDMC and SLA

• Analyses of primary and secondary metabolites in leaves with mass spectrometry, and related bioinformat-

ics

• Application of a portable near-infrared spectrometer (FieldSpec) and development of calibration models to

predict traits for a large number of samples

• Statistical data analyses

• Preparation and publication of scientific papers and PhD thesis
  

veröffentlicht am 21.11.2023

The doctoral researcher will team up with the fellow on the Chinese side. Supervision and assistance will be

provided by a Joint German-Chinese PhD Advisory Committee (PAC), combining empirical and theoretical ex-

pertise. All TreeDì fellows will have to submit their PhD thesis as a cumulative thesis, comprising at least three

chapters in the form of first author papers in international peer-reviewed journals, of which at least one paper

has to be accepted or published at the time of thesis submission. TreeDì fosters early experience in autonomous

research, and thus, encourages to become engaged in synthesis, making use of available data from previous

projects. Moreover, the work will also include scientific exchange with other working groups, participation in the

TreeDì qualification programme, and presentations at international conferences.

Requirements:

• A completed scientific University degree (Diploma/ M.Sc.) in a project-related field (e.g. ecology, environ-

mental sciences)

• Very good ecological knowledge and great interest with regard to forest biodiversity research and chemical

ecology

• Good quantitative and statistical skills in R are essential

• Experience in plant functional traits, leaf trait measurements and laboratory experience

• Fluency in English (writing and speaking)

• A clear drive to do science

• Motivation to be a proactive team player in an international research consortium

• Flexibility and good organizational skills, hands-on mentality

• Applicants must be prepared to spend substantial time (approx. 2-4 months per year) in China for field-

work, lab visits and courses

• Willingness to work under subtropical field conditions; fieldwork experience would be advantageous

The Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg gives priority to applications from severely disabled candidates

with equivalent qualifications. Women are particularly encouraged to apply. Applicants with a degree that was

not obtained at a German higher education institution must submit a Statement of Comparability for Foreign

Higher Education Qualifications from the Central Office for Foreign Education (Zentralstelle für ausländisches

Bildungswesen) to prove equivalence. This Statement can also be submitted after successful completion of the

hiring process.

Queries concerning the application process should be directed to Dr. Stefan Trogisch

(stefan.trogisch@botanik.uni-halle.de), for project-related questions, please contact Prof. Dr. Sylvia Haider

(sylvia.haider@leuphana.de).

Please submit your full application dossier in English with registration number 4-11525/23-D 024.

Applications should be submitted on the website https://apply.idiv.de. Application portfolios submitted by post

will not be returned, application costs will not be reimbursed.Selected candidates will be invited to a recruitment

symposium taking place at iDiv in Leipzig on 4-5 March 2024.

All applications should include:

• Cover letter in English describing motivation for the project, research interests and relevant experience

• Complete curriculum vitae including names and contact details of at least two scientific references

• Digital copy of MA/BA/Diploma certificates

This announcement is subject to possible budgetary restrictions.

iDiv is committed to establishing and maintaining a diverse and inclusive community that collectively supports

and implements our mission to do great science. We will welcome, recruit, develop, and advance talented staff

from diverse genders and backgrounds.

veröffentlicht am 21.11.2023