Applications are invited for a Temporary 36 month post of a UCD Post-doctoral Research Fellow Level 1 or Level 2 within School of Biology and Environmental Science.

MARBEFES (MARine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning leading to Ecosystem Services) is an EU-funded project which aims to determine the links between the biodiversity and functioning of coastal and marine ecosystems and the resulting ecosystem services and societal goods and benefits. It will achieve ecological and socio-economic valuation through a validated set of innovative tools in a distributed toolbox to enhance policy and management of European seas.

Involving 23 highly experienced partners, the project outputs and outcomes are based on developing and validating a set of ecological, economic and socio-cultural valuation tools using existing and new information in 12 transnational case studies. These cover the breadth of European marine biodiversity, from the Arctic to semi-tropical areas, across dominant habitats and iconic species, and from shallow to deep areas and encompass a range of socio-economic contexts.

As such, and through stakeholder co-creation for policy relevance, MARBEFES aims to present the tools to value different natural capital resources and inform planning from financial allocations to management and with monetary and non-monetary benefits. In this, the project will advance our knowledge through linking marine biodiversity and its ecological structure and functioning to ecological and economic valuation.

This is a research focused role, where you will conduct a specified programme of research supported by research training and development under the supervision and direction of a Principal Investigator. The primary purpose of the role is to further develop your research skills and competences, including the processes of publication in peer-reviewed academic publications, the development of funding proposals, the mentorship of graduate students along with the opportunity to develop your skills in research led teaching.

In addition to the Principal Duties and Responsibilities listed below, the successful candidate will also carry out the following duties specific to this project: 

• Play a lead role in a transnational case study encompassing a broad belt transect from Dublin Bay to Liverpool.
• Undertake collation, review and analysis of relevant environmental, biological and other data, identify key knowledge gaps and undertake some additional research as necessary. 
• Work with colleagues and stakeholders in Ireland and the UK to facilitate research in the area on blue carbon, e-DNA and cultural ecosystem services.
• Ensure that the work in this case study is aligned with that in the 11 other case studies in the MARBEFES project. 
• Communicate findings to a range of audiences.
• Contribute to the synthesis of MARBEFES findings to develop tools in support of policy and management of marine ecosystems.

PD1 Salary range: 41,209 - 46,180 per annum

PD2 Salary Range: 48,813 - 50,189 per annum

Appointment on the above range will be dependent upon qualifications and experience.

Closing date: 17:00hrs (local Irish time) on 7th of December 2022.

Applications must be submitted by the closing date and time specified. Any applications which are still in progress at the closing time of 17:00hrs (Local Irish Time) on the specified closing date will be cancelled automatically by the system. UCD are unable to accept late applications. UCD do not require assistance from Recruitment Agencies. Any CV's submitted by Recruitment Agencies will be returned.

Prior to application, further information (including application procedure) should be obtained from the Work at UCD website: https://www.ucd.ie/workatucd/jobs/.