The Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn is an international research university with a broad spectrum of disciplines. 200 years of history, around 38,000 students, more than 6,000 employees and an excellent reputation at home and abroad: The University of Bonn is one of the most important universities in Germany and has just been awarded the title of Excellence University

In the frame of the DFG Collaborative Research Centre 1211: Earth – Evolution at the Dry Limit (https://sfb1211.uni-koeln.de/), the University of Bonn invites applications for a

PhD position (f/m/d, 75 % TV-L E 13) in the field of plant sciences

to begin on January 1st, 2021 at the Nees Institute for Plant Biodiversity. The Collaborative Research Centre “Earth - Evolution at the Dry Limit” works at the interface between landscape evolution and biological evolution, which are mutually dependent. In its second phase, CRC 1211 wants to deepen our understanding of the mutual evolutionary relationships between Earth surface processes and biota in (hyper-)arid desert systems, where both are severely limited by water availability. The successful candidate will be a member of the CRC’s Integrated Research Training Group (IRTG), which aims at educating a generation of truly interdisciplinary doctoral candidates in the fields of Earth and Life Sciences, a combination of growing importance in the course of ongoing and accelerated global change. The here advertised PhD project aims at the identification of genetic mechanisms involved in the adaptation of plants to arid habitats.

Your duties

• Plant cultivation, sampling, wet-lab work, comparative transcriptomic/genomic analyses. 
• Participation in excursions to the Atacama Desert.
• Collaboration with the international and interdisciplinary team of the CRC 1211.
• Publishing and presenting results in international scientific journals and at conferences.

Your profile

• MSc or equivalent university degree in biology with a focus on plant sciences, evolution, genetics, and/or bioinformatics.
• Experience in handling of Illumina/PacBio datasets and programming languages.
• MSc or equivalent university degree in biology with a focus on plant sciences, evolution, genetics, and/or bioinformatics.
• Excellent communication skills in English (written/oral).

We offer

• an association with a graduate school offering a structured PhD program,
• a diverse and fair working environment in an international and interdisciplinary team,
• extensive advanced training opportunities,
• a position with state employment benefits.

The University of Bonn is committed to diversity and equal opportunities. It is certified as a family-friendly university. Its aim is to increase the proportion of women in areas where women are under-represented and to particularly promote their careers. It therefore urges women with relevant qualifications to apply. Applications are treated in accordance with the Land Equality Act. The application of suitable people with proven severe disabilities and persons of equivalent status is particularly welcome.

The temporary position is limited to the duration of the PhD, but restricted to a maximum duration of 3 years. Starting date of the position is January 1st, 2021.

Please send your application documents (letter of motivation, CV, abstracts of BSc and MSc thesis, copies of certificates, and two letters of recommendation) by October 1st, 2020 in English and in a single PDF file to Dr. Julia Bechteler at the following e-mail address: bechteler(at)uni-bonn.de (subject: PhD Application CRC1211).