Post-doctoral position (two years) at the University of Turin
https://archaeobiomics.com/aviarch-avifauna-in-archaeoecological-networks/
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We are seeking a post-doctoral researcher for a two-year position as part of a larger ERC project, AviArch, that investigates the long-term interaction between humans, birds and the environment. Building on existing datasets of bird remains from case study sites in Crete, Turkey and the Middle East, the project will develop novel techniques in identifying bird remains from bones and eggshells. The post-doc will then use this information to draw inferences about past bird distributions, including impacts of climate change and human modification of the landscape. Ultimately, this will facilitate a greater understanding of how environmental change effects bird communities both now and into the future.
The post-doc will be part of an interdisciplinary team that includes ecologists and archaeologists, the latter including researchers with expertise in advanced biomolecular methods. Building on remains identified in other Workpackages of the AviArch project, the post-doc will be expected to reconstruct past avian communities based on hindcasting species distribution models, analysing traits (e.g. habitat preferences, migratory strategy) that are associated with species at a given site, and identifying modern analogue communities. This will clarify the role of environmental change on two highly-debated processes: the transition to agriculture and the end of the Bronze Age. It will also facilitate the identification of climate-resistant and climate-sensitive species, and those species whose distributions have likely been influenced by human modification of the landscape.
The position is for two years (starting in early 2026). The net salary will be in the region of €2000 per month.
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Main tasks
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• Construction of a matrix of ecological traits of avian taxa identified from the archaeological remains based on key habitat and dietary requirements, behavioural strategies (e.g. migration, nesting, foraging), and traits of potential importance to humans (e.g. plumage, song, homing instinct)
• Identification of modern day analogous communities and their habitats to infer the past bird communities and habitat type(s) within the region of each site
• Development of species distribution models of modern day European birds based on climate and topography. These will be used to hindcast species distributions for the sites of interest based on available spatially referenced scenarios of past climates in time steps of 1-2000 years
• Estimate changes in past whole bird communities over time for the sites of interest based on trait analyses, species distribution models and archaeological evidence, identifying local vs non-local (migratory, transient, imported) and climate-sensitive vs resistant species (i.e. able to adapt to changing climate conditions without impacts on their distribution), and changes in migrant species over time. This will allow inference on how species may respond to climate change in the future
• Publication of outputs in ISI journals. It is expected that a paper showing how bird communities have been influenced by climate and human modifications of the landscape will be published in a high impact journal, e.g. Nature Communications or PNAS
• Collaboration with other members of a large interdisciplinary team in terms of providing data, statistical support and ecological interpretation
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Pre-requisites
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• A PhD in animal ecology with a strong statistical element
• A sound knowledge of the ecology of European birds, in particular their typical habitats and migration strategies
• Well-developed statistical skills, including experience of modelling approaches. Experience of species distribution models is desirable
• A proven track-record of publishing in ISI journals
• Good communication skills and a track record of presenting research at international conferences
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Application procedure
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The formal application procedure is now available on the university website (in Italian).
The deadline is 30th OCTOBER 2025.
Please contact Dan Chamberlain (dan.chamberlain99@gmail.com) or Beatrice Demarchi (beatrice.demarchi@unito.it) for help with the application procedure WELL IN ADVANCE of the deadline, or for any other general queries about the post.
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JOB DETAILS
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The PDF of the official call can be downloaded here (https://lavorainateneo.unito.it/details.html?id=c61834fa-0cee-4024-a738-bb334bbc1bf2 – click on the small downwards-pointing arrow at the bottom of the page) – as you see it’s a general call for all postdoc positions at the University. Our post-doc is on page 18-19 (code 25/CDR).
The key information is written in both Italian and English. Also included (in Italian-only) are the conditions of the contract (number of hours of work per year and reporting requirements) and the gross annual salary (€40652). There are also some important details at the end of this document. A translation of the most relevant parts is also given below.
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HOW TO APPLY
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The link is on the platform called « PICA »:
https://pica.cineca.it/unito/docenti-2025-cdr4/
You will have to create a profile on the « PICA » platform first, then you’ll be able to start filling in your application.
Choose DIPARTIMENTO DI SCIENZE DELLA VITA E BIOLOGIA DEI SISTEMI and select the second option (i.e. our post-doc). You will also need to tick the boxes lower down on the page (not shown above).
Then click on Successiva/Next on the bottom right and carry on. From that point onwards it should be self-explanatory, but if help is needed please don’t hesitate to contact me (dan.chamberlain99@gmail.com).
During the procedure, you will have to:
a) add personal data (date of birth, nationality, address etc)
b) upload PDF of your PhD certificate and/or possibly other supporting documents (if your PhD was done outside Italy)
c) upload PDFs of 5 of your publications
d) tick relevant boxes to declare various things in various pages
e) upload your CV – please add date and signature at the bottom of the CV as this is a legal requirement
f) upload a scanned copy of your ID/passport
g) write a brief proposal of how you would address the research project (maximum 2 pages) and attach as a PDF
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ASSESSMENT
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The panel will score your CV on the basis of criteria that are based on the job description given in the official call, and attribute points for each of the criteria and for the research proposal. Once the panel is done with this first round of assessment, candidates who reach the minimum score based on their CVs will be invited for interview. Interviews in Italy are public and will be held online. We will inform you as soon as possible of the date, time and link for the interviews.
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