IRSTEA Grenoble and Duke University invite postdoctoral applications for positions funded by the Make Our Planet Great Again initiative of France, the Belmont Forum, and the National Science Foundation for analysis of climate change effects on ecological communities. Analysis will involve implementation of hierarchical Bayesian models for multi-trophic level community data. In this study we will integrate data and models incorporating biogeography, geography, statistics and trophic web ecology. Broader objectives of our study include i) the assimilation of biodiversity and habitat data, remotely-sensed ecosystem attributes, and regional soils and climate data for habitat prediction under climate change, ii) generative modeling for synthesis, and iii) web-based forecasts of climate vulnerability, together with a workflow for applications by scientists, managers, and decision makers. Aspects of this research will build from NSF and NASA-funded projects MASTing Inference and Forecasting (MASTIF) and Predicting Biodiversity with Generalized Joint Attribute Modeling (PBGJAM).
Collaborators include Jim Clark (Duke Univ, IRSTEA, Univ Grenoble), Benoit Courbaud and George Kunstler (IRSTEA), Wilfried Thuiller (Univ Grenoble), and Steve Higgins (Univ Bayreuth). The position will be based at in attractive surroundings in the heart of the French Alps. The University of Grenoble-Alpes has an office to facilitate the arrival of international students. The position is available for 24 months.
We seek candidates with a doctoral degree in ecology or related field, experience with Bayesian statistics, and a demonstrated ability to communicate in English and to publish in international scientific journals.