Marie S. Curie PF 2021 – Host in Crayfish Spatial Ecology and Behaviour - Call for Expressions of Interest

Call PostDoc

Are you a researcher interested in carrying out your research in Freshwater Ecology, Biogeography, Spatial Ecology or Animal Behaviour?

Are you a promising scholar eager to have a unique research experience and a boost in your career? Crayfish Research Centre is happy to support your application for a Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship at the West University of Timișoara, Romania.

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships ― funded under Horizon Europe Programme – are the main tool to support the transnational mobility and career development of the most talented researchers.

All research topics can be funded: from physics to life sciences, from humanities to mathematics. The grant covers the remuneration costs for the researchers (with an allowance for researchers with family), and the costs for training, research and networking.

1. WHO WE ARE

Crayfish Research Centre (CRC)

CRC is a research centre, founded around the expertise of Assoc. Proffesor Lucian Pârvulescu. CRC studies aims offering multi-disciplinary approaches integrating field surveys, spatial ecology (digital environmental descriptors - remote sensing), molecular data from population genetics to genomics. The centre is about the complementarity between research and digitalisation in order to obtain immediate results with an applicative character in the trans- and interdisciplinary spectrum.

Info Mentor

Lucian Pârvulescu (Mrs. PhD) is a Senior Researcher at West University of Timisoara and the executive president and founder of CRC. Dr. Pârvulescu has a doctoral degree and habilitation in crustaceans ecology from the Babeş-Bolyai University. He coordinated several post-doc teams as the PI of research grants: „Idle Crayfish: from the unknown to the next generation of species conservation assessment” (http://idle.crayfish.ro/), „Mechanism of alien crayfish invasion in the lower Danube” (http://inv.crayfish.ro/). His curriculum and list of publications can be found here: http://www.lucianparvulescu.crayfish.ro.

1. THE HOST INSTITUTION

Info UVT

Universitatea de Vest din Timișoara (UVT) / West University of Timişoara (WUT) is the main higher education institution and research pole in Western Romania. Its community comprises roughly 16000 students and over 700 academic staff. It is a comprehensive university in character and includes 11 faculties with their respective departments, as well as a Department of Teacher Training. The faculties functioning within the framework of UVT offer nationally accredited study programmes at Bachelor, Master and PhD level in the following subject areas: Arts and Design; Chemistry, Biology, Geography; Economics and Business Administration; Law; Letters, History and Theology; Mathematics and Computer Science; Music and Theatre; Physical Education and Sports; Physics; Political Sciences, Philosophy and Communication Sciences; Sociology and Psychology.

The university’s strong focus on quality within an increasingly international and globalized academic world is endorsed by UVT’s affiliation to various regional, European and international higher education associations, as well as its’ position in rankings worldwide (for example, QS World University Rankings Top 701+ and QS Rankings by Subject Top 150 in the field of Modern Languages, in 2019). West University of Timisoara offers students the opportunity to combine theoretical and practical knowledge, in a multi- and inter-disciplinary environment, preparing them to enter a globalized labour market. With more than 5% of the student body being international, the university is intensively involved in processes of internationalization with our faculties offering study programmes in foreign languages (English, German, or French) at Bachelor, Master and Doctoral level.

1. WHAT WE OFFER

During the stay at West University, the researcher will be able to:

• Develop a research project on the chosen topic;
• Receive training in the host organisation adapted to the researcher’s needs;
• Attend international conferences, workshops, research collaboration events, project planning, and other meetings within the international networks;
• Supervise ongoing Master’s and Bachelor’s degree Theses and teaching;

1. ELIGIBILITY

To be eligible for the Marie Curie Postdoctoral fellowship, the researcher must meet the following conditions:

• To hold a PhD title at the call deadline (12 October 2021)
• To have less than 8 years research experience after PhD
• For European Fellowship: Not to have resided or carried their main activity in Romania for more than 12 in the 36 months before call deadline (12 October 2021).
• For Global Fellowship: Not to have resided or carried their main activity in the selected third country for more than 12 in the 36 months before call deadline (12 October 2021) AND to be an EU citizen or long-term resident.

Candidates are expected to be fluent in English, to have excellent teamwork attitude, organizational skills and ability to work in a multidisciplinary environment.

1. AREAS OF INTEREST

We are looking for applicants for a Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship supported by CRC at the West University of Timișoara as host institution, under the mentorship of Dr. Habil. Lucian Pârvulescu.

We welcome expressions of interest in the following research areas:

• multidisciplinary use of digital environmental descriptors and molecular data with the aim to offer practical solutions for freshwater species conservation, mainly focused on crayfish species: the natives Austropotamobius bihariensis, A. torrentium, Astacus astacus, Pontastacus leptodactylus, and the invasive Faxonius limosus and the associated crayfish plague pathogen, Aphanomyces astaci
• behavioural ecology for a betteer understanding of the relationship between species

Selected candidates will be offered full academic and administrative support from the UVT during the process of proposal development and submission.

1. APPLICATION:

Candidates should send their application to lucian.parvulescu@e-uvt.ro

• A one-page cover letter
• A short CV including personal data (name, date of birth, present position, the name of a referee who has agreed to send a reference letter for you)
• A two-pages research proposal

7. DEADLINE AND EVALUATION

Application deadline is on 10 September 2021.

CRC decides whether to accept the applicant and to support the application on the basis of an academic evaluation by its scientific board. The result (positive or negative) will be communicated to the applicants no later than 13 September 2021.

Further information

• Short presentation of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship: https://ec.europa.eu/research/mariecurieactions/actions/postdoctoral-fellowships
• UVT: https://www.uvt.ro/en/
• CRC: https://www.researchgate.net/lab/Crayfish-Research-Centre-Lucian-Parvulescu

The city of Timisoara and its surroundings

Located in the Banat region, part of the larger Transylvania, Timisoara offers all the facilities of a large but welcoming and safe city. Timisoara is the European Capital of Culture 2023, which means that many cultural projects and positive urban changes have taken place in the last couple of years. It is also surrounded by beautiful multicultural authentic countryside. From Timisoara, you can easily visit other Transylvanian cities (such as Oradea, Sibiu, Cluj, Brasov), remote villages or the Carpathian Mountains (within max 2 hours of travel), experience high quality authentic Romanian stays, travel to Budapest or Belgrade (3 hour highway trip), Vienna (5 hour highway trip) and the rest of the world through the International Airport Traian Vuia.

Facilities

Fellows will be offered an office, full access to the library and software programs, support for administrative issues, assistance during relocation.