Postdoctoral Scholar, GiSRT, Arctic Institute of North America

Position Description

The Role of Genomics in Fostering and Supporting Arctic Biodiversity: Implications for Wildlife Management, Policy and Indigenous Food Security (GiSRT)

Area: Genomics, biodiversity monitoring, Science communication, Indigenous engagement
Start date: 1 April, 2023 or negotiable
Duration: 2 years (minimum)
Salary: $65,000/year plus benefits

Job Context and Description:

The Postdoctoral Scholar (PDS) will report to the Principal Investigator at the Arctic Institute of North America (AINA) at the University of Calgary, and the co-investigator at Athabasca University, working in a collaborative environment that includes other investigator and project partners. The PDS will work toward developing a suite of genomics knowledge-mobilization tools that will support environmental decision making. The focus is on supporting end-users, such as northern Indigenous Peoples, with responsibilities for ( or interests in) the areas of biodiversity, conservation, and wildlife management.

The PDS will be based at Calgary and work with a pool of experts (Genomics researchers, conservation groups, and Indigenous organization), co-plan community workshops (10%), create an inventory of the availability of Genomic Information on Arctic species of interest (30%), assist in biodiversity monitoring and conservation gap analysis (30%), including participation in workshops, discussion papers, and presentations at international conferences (15%); and the creation of communication and training materials (15%). The successful candidate may need to travel to other locations in Canada and internationally to attend conferences, workshops, and other project related activities.

Qualifications:

• PhD in Biology, Ecology, Conservation Biology, Genomics, Molecular Biology, Science communications or a related area.
• Strong expertise in Genomics
• Record of research productivity
• Experience in plain-language science communication
• Ability to work independently and resourcefully
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Good verbal and written communication skills
• Must be comfortable working in a diverse team and have good interpersonal skills
• Some experience of Arctic/Northern work will be considered an asset

Accountabilities, Tasks, and Duties (Results and outcomes expected when roles are carried out successfully, with supporting details on how results are accomplished):

Technical

• Compiling an inventory of genomics literature about Arctic species of interest
• Contributing to the project website, especially Species in Focus section
• Organizing and running workshops and consultations with Genomics experts, end-users, and stake holders
• Participating in regular project team meetings
• Creating communication and training materials
• Working with the computer science and language analytics tool developers for mining of data in scientific literature
• Collaborating with the various work package leads

Reporting and Publications

• Publication of work products in peer-review journals is expected
• Contribution to Genome Canada’s project progress report
• Compiling and writing workshop reports

Occupational Health & Safety:

• Understands and complies with the requirements of the University’s Occupational Health and Safety Policy.
• Has knowledge of and understands the expectations of the University’s Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSMS) and applicable Faculty/Departmental/Unit specific health and safety policies and procedures. 
• Ensures that all work conducted is in accordance with the Alberta Occupational Health and Safety Act, Regulation and Code and other health and safety legislation as applicable 

Application details:
Applications should be submitted by email with the subject line ‘AINA GiSRT Postdoc Position’ to Maribeth Murray, AINA Executive Director - Email: [email protected]

Please include a cover letter, your CV, and the names and contact information of three references

Applications will be accepted until a suitable candidate is found

Additional Information

The terms and conditions of employment are covered under the UCalgary and PDAC Collective Agreement. To find out more about postdoctoral scholar program at the University of Calgary visit our Postdocs website.  

To learn more about postdoctoral scholar opportunities at the University of Calgary and all we have to offer, view our Postdoc Careers website.

The University strongly recommends all faculty and staff are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

About the University of Calgary

The University of Calgary is Canada’s leading next-generation university – a living, growing and youthful institution that embraces change and opportunity with a can-do attitude. Located in the nation’s most enterprising city, the university is making tremendous progress on its Eyes High journey to be recognized as one of Canada’s top five research universities, grounded in innovative learning and teaching and fully integrated with the community it both serves and leads. The University of Calgary inspires and supports discovery, creativity and innovation across all disciplines. For more information, visit ucalgary.ca.

About the Arctic Institute of North America

The Arctic Institute of North America was created by an Act of Parliament in 1945 and today is a research institute of the University of Calgary. Its mandate is to advance the study of the North American and circumpolar Arctic through the natural and social sciences, the arts and humanities and to acquire, preserve and disseminate information on physical, environmental and social conditions in the North.

About Calgary, Alberta

Calgary is one of the world's cleanest cities and has been named one of the world's most livable cities for years. Calgary is a city of leaders – in business, community, philanthropy and volunteerism. Calgarians benefit from the strongest economy in the nation and enjoy more days of sunshine per year than any other major Canadian city. Calgary is less than an hour’s drive from the Rocky Mountains and boasts the most extensive urban pathway and bikeway network in North America.

The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy in line with the foundational goals of Eyes High, committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives in all that we do.

This role supports the continued indigenization of the University of Calgary. Click here to see more job opportunities with an Indigenous scope. 

As an equitable and inclusive employer, the University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here. In particular, we encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible/racialized minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities. Questions regarding [diversity] EDI at UCalgary can be sent to the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion ([email protected]) and requests for accommodations can be sent to Human Resources ([email protected]).