Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences invites applicants to apply jointly for Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship 2022 (call ref. HORIZON-MSCA-2022-PF-01-01) in Environmental Sciences and Agriculture. 

We are located in the picturesque city of Wrocław, South-West Poland, which is an educational, cultural and economic centre of the Lower Silesia region with good connections to Germany and Czech Republic as well as the other EU member countries. The University employs over 1 600 staff, including 728 academics. The young academic staff consists of over 220 doctoral students and 380 scientists under 45 years of age. A broad spectrum of research is carried out within three priority research areas: Food Science (FS), Veterinary Science (VS) and Environmental Sciences (ES). International projects are carried out by our Leading Research Groups, interdisciplinary groups that will host the MSCA fellows, if funding is granted. What’s more, the University follows the Human Resources Excellence Logo in Research standards.

Leading Research Group Innovative Agriculture and Horticulture(InROg) is interested in the impact of climate change on the functioning of agroecosystems, including permanent grasslands. The group also researches flora, vegetation, the functioning of natural and anthropogenically variable ecosystems, and socioeconomic change directions, focusing on the food sector and rural areas. Associate Professor Szymura is a biologist whose research focuses on invasive species, their environmental impact, methods of elimination, and habitat restoration, particularly grassland habitats. She also studies methods for preserving the biodiversity of meadows and pastures.

The potential research areas on which the project could focus are:

• Methods of invasive species control, and invaded habitat restauration.
• Ecological impact of invasive plant species, including allelopathy effect on co-occurring species.
• Biodiversity of city grasslands.
• Analysis of possibilities of increasing the ecosystem services provided by city grasslands.

Eligibility:

• The postdoctoral fellows must hold a doctoral degree and research experience of no more than 8 years prior to 14. September 2022 - the call deadline.
• Periods of inactivity in research (e.g. unemployment, periods of employment outside research, parental or sick leave) do not count towards the time of research experience.
• The postdoctoral fellow may be of any nationality.
• The postdoctoral fellow cannot have resided or carried out his/her main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Poland for more than 12 months in the three years immediately before the call.

How to apply?

Interested applicants are invited to send the expression of interest consisting of:

• a 1-page covering letter outlining the project idea and how he/she could contribute to research profile of the Innovative Agriculture and Horticulture (InROg) research group
• CV (including a list of publications and projects experience)

Please send your expression of interest by 15 July 2022 to: andrzej.kotecki@upwr.edu.pl; magdalena.szymura@upwr.edu.pl

If you have any administrative questions, please contact the International Research Office at: international.research@upwr.edu.pl

Selected applicants will develop their MSCA-PF proposals in cooperation with the supervisor. There will also be an online proposal writing workshop in the latter part of July 2022 (the actual date tbc). Additionally, individual consultations and reviews of your MSCA-PF proposal will be offered.