A PhD Position Available: Restoring Function in Grassland Ecosystems

Description: A Ph.D. Assistantship as part of the ReFuGE Project is available beginning in January 2017.  We seek a Ph.D. student to investigate the effects of tallgrass prairie restoration and management (prescribed fire, bison grazing, and predator exclusion) on insect community assembly and plant-insect interactions. 

Requirement: Experience with arthropod identification, quantification of functional traits, or stable isotope analysis are desirable.  Applicants should have a B.S. in ecology, environmental science, wildlife science, entomology, natural resource conservation, or closely related discipline, with at least one peer-reviewed publication or an M.S. degree; a M.S. is preferred.  Preference will be given to candidates who have past experience leading their own research project, with strong basic ecology backgrounds, and those that have experience working in inclement conditions.  The assistantship includes two years of support (tuition, stipend, and research funds) after which the student will be supported by a departmental teaching assistantship. 

Northern Illinois University is a 20,000-student research university located in DeKalb, IL, a diverse community with a low cost of living west of the Chicago suburbs.  The Department of Biological Sciences at NIU is a highly collaborative department with a supportive graduate program and ideal opportunities for students to develop research, teaching, and science outreach skills.  Field work for the ReFuGE project takes place at The Nature Conservancy’s Nachusa Grasslands, a landscape-scale tallgrass prairie restoration project 40 minutes from NIU’s campus. 

How to apply: Qualified candidates should submit the following to Nick Barber (nbarber@niu.edu) by September 9, 2016:

1) Cover letter explaining your research interests and qualifications

2) CV including GRE scores

3) Names and contact information of three references

For details please contact:
Nick Barber
Assistant Professor

Department of Biological Sciences

Northern Illinois University

DeKalb, IL 60115

Lab:  317 Montgomery Hall

Office: 449 Montgomery Hall

Phone: (815) 753-4215

Email: nbarber -AT- niu.edu