Post- doctoral Fellow- Invasive Species Management 115 views0 applications

CABI BACKGROUND

CABI is an international not-for-profit organization that improves people’s lives by providing information and applying scientific expertise to solve problems in agriculture and the environment. CABI is an intergovernmental organization that can trace its origins back to 1910. Our 50 member countries guide and influence our core areas of work, which include International Development and Publishing.

We have over 500 staff based in 16 countries. We have offices in Brazil, China, Ghana, India, Kenya, Malaysia, Pakistan, Switzerland, Trinidad & Tobago, the UK, the USA and Zambia.

CABI’s Knowledge Business

CABI produces key scientific publications, including CAB Abstracts – the world-leading abstracting and indexing database covering applied life sciences. We also publish multimedia compendia, books, eBooks and full text electronic resources aiming to further science and its application to real life. CABI invests its publishing surpluses directly into development projects, helping to improve livelihoods worldwide.

International Development projects and research

Through knowledge sharing and science, CABI helps address issues of global concern such as improving global food security and safeguarding the environment. We do this by helping farmers grow more and lose less of what they produce, combating threats to agriculture and the environment from pests and diseases, protecting biodiversity from invasive species, and improving access to agricultural and environmental scientific knowledge.

For more information go to www.cabi.org and www.plantwise.org

Purpose of the role:

CABI seeks to recruit a highly motivated Postdoctoral Research Fellow to join an established interdisciplinary team dedicated to the development of sustainable integrated pest management (IPM) approaches for the management of priority invasive species affecting Zambia. The successful candidate will employ a balanced basic and applied research plan, with a focus on developing adaptable IPM strategies for priority invasive species of major interest to CABI and its stakeholders. The successful candidate will develop their potential to become an excellent researcher within a structured mentored training environment provided by CABI. The position will be based at CABI Southern Africa Centre at Lusaka, Zambia and also involves travel to project action sites in the region. The position will be offered for an initial contract of Three (3) years’, renewable subject to continued needs, funding for the position, and performance of the fellow. Qualified candidates from Zambia (and especially females) are invited to apply.

Key accountabilities:

The candidate will work closely with a research group (team) as well as relevant stakeholders in planning and conducting basic and applied research targeted at developing an integrated pest management approach (IPM) for priority invasive species of interest to CABI and its stakeholders. The candidate will be expected to perform the following duties;

· Conduct surveys to identify natural enemies of key invasive species, and field trials to validate their effectiveness on target pests;

· Survey and screen for a range of pathogens (viruses, fungi, bacteria) that are responsible for mortality of priority invasive species, and establish their potential role in control strategies as a component of an IPM approach;

· Test novel commercial low-risk plant protection products from CABIs private sector partnerships, for their effectiveness on priority invasive species and explore options for their wider use by small-holder farmers;

· Contribute to documenting an evidence base on the impacts of priority invasive species in Zambia, and the region;

· Contribute to building capacity of national institutions through the identification and co-supervision or mentoring of graduate students on specific research topics;

· Publish research outcomes in peer-reviewed journals, as well as contribute to the dissemination of research findings to stakeholders through presentations, media and other outreach materials;

· Any other duties as required.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

Knowledge & Skills

· Ability to design and run biological and behavioural assays in the laboratory and screen house settings, and conduct field experiments involving invasive species and their natural enemies;

· Good knowledge of a wide range of invasive species and their impacts to crops, humans and the environment;

· Knowledge and experience of biological control with natural enemies of pests;

· Proficiency in use of statistical tools and other related statistical software.

· Demonstrated oral and written English communication skills.

Qualifications

· PhD in entomology and crop protection from a recognised university, with a good understanding of plant/weeds–pest–natural enemy interactions at both basic and applied levels;

· expected to have been awarded or defended their PhD theses not more than 5 years prior to this application

· Good track record of research demonstrated by peer-reviewed publications in renowned journals;

Personal Characteristics

· Ability to supervise and mentor technical staff and students and demonstrate leadership skills;

· Ability to engage with farmers as well as with scientists;

· An effective, innovative, and energetic team player team player with ability to work in multidisciplinary, multi-institutional and multicultural environment;

· Eagerness to learn new techniques and work with minimal supervision.**

· Commitment to pursuing a research career in Zambia, and engaging policy makers and the public in their research work

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

CABI is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from candidates irrespective of age, gender, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, disability, religion, sexual orientation or marital status. No applicant will be disadvantaged by conditions which cannot be shown to be justified and selection will be based on merit.