Post-doctoral Associated Researcher in Earth Sciences, Soil Sciences or Geochemistry

Join our ERC Starting Grant Project
Working at the interface between Geoarchaeology and ancient Genetics

Position: Post-doctoral Associated Researcher in Earth Sciences, Soil Sciences or Geochemistry

Application Deadline: 25 Jul 2023 – 23:59 (Europe/Lisbon)

We invite applications for a post-doctoral associate researcher position available in the framework of the ERC Starting Grant project “MATRIX”. The MATRIX project aims to investigate the transition from Neanderthals to early Modern Humans in Eurasia by integrating high-resolution molecular and archaeological micromorphological records.

The successful candidate will work on experimental research with sediments and archaeological deposits. The goals are to better understand the movement, taphonomy and binding potential of sedimentary DNA in a variety of sediment types and under a diversity of depositional environments. The key aspects of the work will involve experimental design, running experiments, and conduct sedimentological, geochemical, mineralogical, and elemental analyses.

Candidates do not necessarily need to have a prior experience on ancient DNA and will work in close collaboration with Dr. Matthias Meyer with research stays at the Department of Evolutionary Genetics at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany to be acquainted with DNA extraction protocols.

The successful candidate will integrate the research team of Dr Vera Aldeias, the PI of the MATRIX project, and be part of the international and dynamic research community of the Interdisciplinary Center for Archaeology and the Evolution of Human Behavior located in southern Portugal (Faro).

How to apply:

Admission requirements:

  • Hold a doctoral degree in Earth Sciences, Soil Sciences, Geochemistry or similar research fields.
    • Have experience with research and experimentation in the scientific fields of earth sciences, sedimentology, soil sciences or related areas.
    • Have an established track record of peer-reviewed scientific publications in international journals.
    • Be willing to integrate a research team and establish contacts between researchers from several institutions.
    • Be motivated to learn and develop interdisciplinary research topics.
    • Have excellent knowledge in English (oral and written).

Desirable (non-mandatory) requirements:

  • Familiarity and experience with sediment/soil analytical techniques (e.g., mineralogy, crystallography, grain size analysis, pH analysis, etc).
    • Proficiency in statistical analysis.
    • Familiarity with techniques of molecular biology or biochemistry.
    • Have international doctoral or post-doctoral experience.

Selection Criteria:

The selection process will have two steps. First, the selection committee will evaluate the applications (CV and cover letter) to produce a short-list of candidates. Second, the committee will conduct remote or personal interviews with selected candidates.

We offer:

  • A 3-year term contract, which includes vacation days, parental leave, medical coverage, and unemployment benefits.
  • A gross salary of 30,885 euros per year, to which is added a monthly lunch subsidy of c.1200 euros per year.
  • The grantee will integrate an ERC research project at the Interdisciplinary Center for Archaeology and Evolution of Human Behaviour (ICArEHB) at the University of Algarve in Faro (Portugal) with work secondments at the Department of Genetics at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig (Germany)

Application Procedure:

It is advisable to contact Dr Vera Aldeias (vlaldeias@ualg.pt) prior to submission.

  • All the application documents must be sent to srhconcurso@ualg.pt until 11.59pm of the last day of the tender application period.

The candidates need to provide the following documents:

  1. Applicants must download and fill the application form that can be found at here
  2. A cover letter in English with the most significant scientific activities and contributions over the last five years (maximum of 3,000 characters including spaces), and it should include a list of published articles considered by the applicant to be representative or most impactful in the subject field.
  3. A detailed curriculum vitae containing information about the applicants scientific & curricular background and containing the names and contacts of three references.
  4. Copy of doctoral certificate or diploma (following Portuguese law, at the time of the contract signature, the degree of the selected candidate must be recognized by the Portuguese education system).
  5. Optional: Other documents that the applicant considers relevant for assessing his/her application can be attached to the application.

You can read the official Announcement of the tender at https://www.euraxess.pt/jobs/116761