Postdoctoral Research Associate Positions

About the Job

IEG, University of Oklahoma is seeking multiple highly motivated and collaborative postdocs with demonstrated skills in microbiome, microbial ecology, and/or soil science research. The postdocs will mainly work on grassland microbiome responses to experimental nutrient enrichment and climate change. One of the projects is a 5-year NSF-sponsored collaboration between the University of Oklahoma (PI Jizhong Zhou), University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, and Tsinghua University and Lanzhou University in China. The project aims to understand and predict the interactive responses of global grassland soil microbial biodiversity to nutrient addition, and the underlying mechanisms and consequences on soil C dynamics. The postdocs will be responsible for sample collection and management, soil and microbiome analysis, data processing, and integration to reveal the microbiome responses to nutrient additions, and also participate in ecosystem modeling for this project. Besides, the postdocs could participate in and/or further develop our long-term efforts on microbiome responses and feedback to experimental climate change. The postdocs will also be encouraged to collaborate with other members of the laboratory on diverse research projects related to microbial ecology.

The postdocs will be employed in the Institute for Environmental Genomics (IEG, http://ieg.ou.edu) and the Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology at the University of Oklahoma and supervised by Dr. Jizhong Zhou and Daliang Ning. The position term can be up to 5 years and is annually renewable depending on performance. The successful candidates will receive training in professional and personal development, research collaboration, presentation and publication of results, proposal development, outreach, and mentoring. The positions include a competitive salary and health insurance. Review of applications will begin Feb. 15, 2022, and will continue until the positions are filled. Near-term start date is desired.

Qualifications
 

Required Qualifications:
1) Ph.D. in biology, or microbiology, or soil science, or environment science, or other relevant disciplines.
2) Strong background, interest, and experience in microbial ecology, metagenomics, soil science, and/or theoretical ecology.
3) Demonstrated ability to code in R, Matlab, Java, or equivalent.
4) Excellent quantitative, writing, and presentation skills.
5) Experience publishing peer-reviewed publications.

Preferred Qualifications:
1) Demonstrated ability to direct and run independent research project(s).
2) Specific knowledge of and experience with bioinformatics, mathematics, computer science, and/or statistics.
3) Experience collaborating with diverse and geographically distant teams.
 

How to Apply
 

Interested individuals should send their curriculum vita to Dr. Jizhong Zhou (jzhou@ou.edu) and Daliang Ning (ningdaliang@ou.edu). The salary will be commensurate with experience, expertise, and skills. Further information about the institute can be found on the IEG website: http://ieg.ou.edu/.

The University of Oklahoma is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and encourages diversity in the workplace.  Protected veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.


Special Instructions: If you are selected as a final candidate for this position, you will be subject to The University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Tuberculosis Testing policy. To view the policy, visit https://hr.ou.edu/Policies-Handbooks/TB-Testing.