Postdoctoral Research Associate

This new full-time post is available from January 2025 until January 2028 on a fixed-term basis. Please note that this role is foreseen for the duration of 3 years. However, we note that funding is allocated on an annual basis and that the post is subject to future annual funding being agreed.

The post
The Faculty of Health and Life Sciences wishes to recruit a Postdoctoral Research Associate to support the work of Dr Sam Ellis. This National Institutes of Health funded post is expected to be available 6^th January 2025 to 5^th January 2028. The post will be based at the University of Exeter Streatham Campus and there is some limited flexibility on start date. The successful applicant will contribute to our recently awarded grant called Social modifiers of Primate Lifespan. This role is foreseen for the duration of 3 years. However, we note that funding is allocated on an annual basis and that the post is subject to future annual funding being agreed.

This post is part of an international collaborative project which aims understand why species vary in how long they live. The successful applicant to this post will lead the comparative life-history branch of the project. We currently have limited knowledge of how long most animals live - which makes it very difficult to understand what drives variation in lifespan across species, including humans. The aim of this project is to characterise the lifespans of humans and other primates and to explore the biodemographic, ecological and life-history drivers of primate lifespan variation. To achieve these aims the successful applicant will: (1) optimise a Bayesian life history model (doi.org/10.1101/2023.02.22.529527) for primate data; (2) apply this model to data collated from the literature to build a database of primate lifespans; and (3) use the database to explore the biodemographic, ecological and life-history correlates of lifespan in primates. Extended job advert and FAQs here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_1VYxSpQ9TRVuLsPZyK8_d-KTPr-K_x_rmGDBnb9-DI/edit?usp=sharing.

About you
The successful applicant will be able to present information on research progress and outcomes, communicate complex information, orally, in writing and electronically and prepare proposals and applications to external bodies.

Applicants will possess a relevant PhD (or be nearing completion) or possess an equivalent qualification/experience in a related field of study and be able to demonstrate sufficient knowledge in the discipline and of research methods and techniques to work within established research programmes. The successful candidate will have experience of developing and applying statistical models.

Please ensure you read the Job Description and Person Specification for full details of this role.

The University of Exeter
We are a member of the prestigious Russell Group of research-intensive universities and in the top 200 universities in the world (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024 and QS World University Ranking 2024). We combine world-class teaching with world-class research, achieving a gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework Award 2023, underpinned by gold ratings for Student Experience and Student Outcomes.

Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Commitment
We are committed to ensuring reasonable adjustments are available for interviews and workplaces.

Whilst all applicants will be judged on merit alone, we particularly welcome applications from groups currently underrepresented within our working community.

We are proud signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant and welcome applications from service people.

Further information
For further information please contact Dr Sam Ellis, e-mail: s.ellis@exeter.ac.uk or telephone (01392) 724638.

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