Two PhD positions in plant invasion biology at the University of Bern, Switzerland

We are seeking two PhD students highly motivated to work on determinants of
plant invasiveness. The work will involve experimental assessment of
establishment success of horticultural species, and comparative
multi-species experiments to assess the life-history traits and extrinsic
factors associated with establishment success. Ideally, the candidates for
these two positions should have a background in experimental ecology and
basic knowledge of statistical methods (including generalized linear models).

The positions will be with Dr Mark van Kleunen and Prof. Dr Markus Fischer
in the Plant Ecology group at the Institute of Plant Sciences of the
University of Bern (http://www.botany.unibe.ch/planteco/index.php), Switzerland.

We offer a stimulating research environment in a beautiful city close to the
Alps. In addition to projects on invasive plants, our group is involved in
projects on evolutionary and molecular plant ecology, plant population
biology and community ecology. The positions are funded by the Swiss Science
Foundation (NSF-NRF for a period of three years starting on January 1, 2008.
Salaries rise from CHF 34 200 in the first year to CHF 40 200 in the third year.

Requirements for the positions include a Master's degree (or equivalent) in
biology, a driver's license, fluency in German and English and good
collaboration skills.

Applicants should e-mail a letter of application, a curriculum vitae and
contact details of two references to Mark van Kleunen at
vkleunen@ips.unibe.ch. In the letter of application, the applicant should
motivate why she or he wants to do a PhD and why she or he wants to work on
plant invasions. The applicant should also present details on her or his
experimental and statistical skills. The application deadline is October 1,
2007.

For more information on these positions, the project and research in our lab
contact Mark van Kleunen at vkleunen@ips.unibe.ch.


Mark van Kleunen


Institute of Plant Sciences
University of Bern
Altenbergrain 21
3013 Bern
Switzerland

Phone Tel. +41 31 631 49 23
Fax +41 31 631 49 42
e-mail vkleunen@ips.unibe.ch