About this role
Lund University was founded in 1666 and is consistently ranked as one of the world's leading institutions of higher education. It has around 47,000 students and more than 8,800 employees in Lund, Helsingborg, and Malmö. We are united in our pursuit to understand, explain, and improve our world and the conditions of human life.
Lund University welcomes applicants from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Gender equality, equal opportunities, and diversity are fundamental principles for all aspects of our operations.
**Special Subject Description**
Over the past century, climate change and altered land use have significantly impacted ecosystems, shifted species distributions towards higher latitudes and altitudes, and affected species' phenology and morphology.
This project investigates how bumblebee communities respond to climate warming and changes in land use, focusing on changes in body size and their significance for pollination services.
We aim to:
(i) analyze temporal and spatial changes in body size among bumblebee species in Sweden, and assess whether these changes are linked to species resilience in changing landscapes and climates,
(ii) determine the underlying mechanisms for changes in body size – whether they are driven by genetic adaptation or phenotypic plasticity, and
(iii) evaluate agricultural landscape management strategies to preserve pollination services in light of changes in bumblebee community composition and body size.
The project will integrate data from historical bumblebee specimens in Swedish natural history museums with contemporary field collections and advanced genomic techniques.
The research is funded by BECC's (Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in a Changing Climate) Incubator Grant “The role of bumblebee body size variation in resilience of populations and crop pollination to global changes,” awarded to Prof. Bengt Hansson, Dr. Anna Persson, Dr. Romain Carrié, and Dr. William Sidemo Holm at Lund University (LU), as well as Dr. Christine Bacon at the University of Gothenburg (UGOT).
The postdoctoral researcher will be placed with Prof. Bengt Hansson at the Department of Biology (LU), in close collaboration with Dr. Anna Persson at the Centre for Environmental and Climate Science (CEC, LU).
**Job Responsibilities**
The primary responsibility of the postdoctoral researcher will be to conduct research. This includes collecting bumblebees from museum collections and fieldwork in central and northern Sweden, genomic sequencing, data analysis, and scientific writing. The position will also involve spatial analyses related to changes in habitat density and their impact on crop yields.
The postdoctoral researcher is expected to actively contribute to the development of BECC as a research environment, for example, by participating in annual meetings and workshops. Involvement in student supervision is desirable. Teaching may be included in the responsibilities, but will not exceed one-fifth of the working hours.
The position also offers opportunities to participate in international conferences and meetings, as well as visits to partners. Within the framework of the employment, there will be an opportunity for three weeks of higher education pedagogical training.
**Detailed Description of Responsibilities:**
- Conduct field collections of bumblebees in central and northern Sweden.
- Morphological quantification of bumblebees from museum collections and field samples.
- DNA extraction and sequencing.
- Analysis of ecological and genetic data using advanced methods.
- Scientific writing.
**Eligibility**
To be eligible for employment as a postdoctoral researcher, candidates must have obtained a doctoral degree, or a foreign degree deemed equivalent to a doctoral degree, in the relevant field of study, awarded no more than three years prior to the date of the employment decision. If there are special reasons, the doctoral degree may have been obtained earlier.
**Other Requirements:**
- Documented ability to develop and conduct high-quality research.
- Good understanding of ecological and evolutionary theory.
- Experience in fieldwork and basic molecular biology laboratory work.
- Proven experience in handling large-scale DNA sequencing data and conducting bioinformatics analyses.
- Curious, collaborative, and interdisciplinary approach.
- Interest in biodiversity conservation.
- Excellent oral and written proficiency in English.
**Assessment Criteria**
This is a merit-based position primarily focused on research. The employment is intended as an initial step in the career, and the assessment of applicants will primarily be based on their scientific merits and potential as researchers.
Particular emphasis will be placed on scientific capability within the subject area.
In the hiring of the postdoctoral researcher, the following will be the basis for assessment:
- Strong ability to develop and conduct high-quality research.
- Pedagogical skills.
**Additional Qualifications:**
- Extensive knowledge in conservation biology and evolutionary biology.
The assessment will also take into account:
(i) good collaborative skills, drive, and independence,
(ii) how the applicant's experience and competence are assessed to complement and strengthen the ongoing research within the department, and
(iii) the applicant's potential to contribute to the future development of the research environment.
All qualified applicants will be considered. Candidates who contribute to diversity and competence at our institution through their