Postdoc position: Microbial ecology, land use change, and ecosystem services in the US Midwest

A research associate (postdoctoral position) is available in the Evans Lab at Michigan State University’s Kellogg Biological Station in soil microbial biogeography and conservation in the US Midwest. The postdoc would work on a USDA-funded grant examining effects of conservation zones (zones of native prairie or perennial grasses embedded in agricultural lands) on ecosystem services in the US Midwest. Our team of collaborators is examining how these perennial areas affect carbon sequestration, nematode communities, pollinators, and microbial communities, at local and regional scales, and working closely with stakeholders to implement and test zones on managed lands.

The successful candidate would synthesize patterns of shifts in microbial communities and microbial function with prairie/perennial restoration in existing studies across the Midwest, with the goal of predicting how shifts in Midwest land use (including widespread conservation zone implementation) might improve or alter microbial biodiversity and services. Thus experience working with sequencing pipelines (bioinformatics and statistical analysis), public sequencing databases, and meta-analysis are desired and should be highlighted in a cover letter, as should any experience or interest in learning spatial biogeographical microbial modeling, or experience probing microbial function.

Start date: The postdoctoral appointment is for one year with expected reappointment to two years. Ideal start date will be between October 2025 and May 2026.

Postdoc development: KBS and the Evans Lab are committed to postdoctoral research career development. The postdoc will have professional development opportunities in the form mentoring, teaching, grant writing, public communication and others, while working on highly collaborative research projects to meet the postdoc’s defined career goals. In the Evans Lab we have prioritized creation of a diverse environment that supports individuals regardless of cultural background, race, orientation, or ethnicity.

*Apply by Sept 1 for full consideration, but applications can be accepted after this date.. Inquire via email if you are unsure whether applications are still being accepted.

Desired Qualifications

• Knowledge of one or more of the following: Mining metagenomic or genetic profiling sequences from existing databases (e.g. ITS data from NCBI), knowledge of perennial systems, switchgrass or prairie, spatial modeling of microbial biogeography
• Favorable skills are knowledge of land use change and ecosystem services, experience with isotope tracer studies or other methods for probing microbial function and carbon stabilization.

 

Required Application Materials

1) cover letter (2 page max) that includes: research accomplishments; experience and demonstration of skills relevant to the project (see Qualifications); your interest in this project; and leadership experience

2) a CV, and

3) contact information (name, position, phone, email) for three references

To apply, by Sept 1: search Job number 1061358 at careers.msu.edu