Title: Postdoctoral Research Associate
Job Description: Post Doc
Working Title: Post Doc investigating the ecology of soil microbes and integrating findings and methods into middle school curricula
Work Location: Genomics & Microbiology Lab, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
(NCMNS)
Essential Job Duties: One postdoctoral position will be available to work in the Genomics &
Microbiology Lab at NCMNS in collaboration with North Carolina State University. The postdoc would work as part of a large team (across labs and institutions) to bring citizen science projects to schools to allow students to be involved in research in which the answers to the questions they ask are not yet known. The specific task of the postdoc will be to do research in which students (and the public) are active participants in data collection, hypothesis development and even analysis. In the summer, the postdoc will also work with teachers and education staff to develop curriculum modules related to the citizen science project. The citizen science components of this project will be modeled on successful work on the biodiversity of belly buttons (http://bbdata.yourwildlife.org), armpits
(http://armpits.yourwildlife.org) and homes (http://www.yourwildlife.org/projects/wild-life-of-ourhomes/). The focus of the research is intended to be on soil microbes, but there are opportunities for the innovation of other citizen science projects as well. With regard to soil microbes, the successful candidate will build on data collected and observations made by middle school scientists to study the ecology of soil microbes using a variety of techniques (genetics, genomics, chemical analysis, etc., as appropriate to the chosen candidate’s interests and expertise). This work complements ongoing work on the response of soil microbes to urbanization and flooding in New York and elsewhere and will parallel other efforts of our collaborators who are also seeking to integrate novel scientific investigations into middle school curricula, but whose projects encompass different, yet related fields of biology (i.e., entomology, mammalogy, and paleontology).
Ongoing work in our lab includes a variety of projects involving bacteria and fungi associated with diverse organisms – humans, non-human primates, mites, and insects. As such, a wide range of potential project topics and scientific questions could be addressed in this work, depending on the chosen candidate’s interests. Potential topics include, but are not limited to, investigation of decomposition or nitrogen fixation capabilities of soil microbial communities, fungal and/or bacterial symbionts of plants, identification of novel compounds produced by soil microbes, and response of soil microbial communities to urban and global warming. Once hired, this person will be involved in identifying and defining the scientific questions to be addressed, coordinating with schools to develop procedures by which middle school students can contribute useful data to the project, working with teachers to develop project-related activities (modules) that can be integrated into middle school curricula, and overseeing analysis and publication of scientific findings in peer reviewed journals and popular outlets.
In collaboration with: the NCMNS Genomics & Microbiology Lab’s Julie Horvath (Director) and Julie
Urban (Assistant Director); the Your Wildlife Team at NCSU led by Rob Dunn and Holly Menninger; scientists and educators at NCMNS including David Kroll, Meg Lowman, Roland Kays, Michelle
Trautwein, Lindsay Zanno, and Liz Baird; education professionals at NCSU’s Science House and the
Kenan Institute.
Length of appointment: Position appointment will last for 3 years, with annual reviews, with the possibility of extension to 5 years. Ideal start date is January 2014, but is flexible; work location (Raleigh,
NC) is not flexible.

Salary: $40,000, FTE: 1.0, Employer: This is an NSF grant funded position administered through
Friends of the NC Museum of Natural Sciences, a nonprofit organization.
Minimum Experience & Education: Ph.D. (awarded by start date) in ecology, evolution, genetics, microbiology, biology, entomology, botany, mycology, or related field. The applicant’s CV should indicate evidence of strong scholarship, including peer-reviewed publications in high ranked journals, and the ability and interest to communicate science to a broader audience.
Preferred Experience, Skills, & Training: Expertise in ecology and evolution and in addressing questions in a clear, hypothesis-testing framework is desired. A background in genetics/genomics, microbiology, botany, or mycology would be useful. The applicant’s CV should indicate evidence of strong scholarship, including peer-reviewed publications in high ranked journals. The successful candidate must be able to interact with a diverse group of researchers, educators and students and benefit from new and established intra- and inter-institution collaborations. The candidate should show strong evidence of the ability to finish projects.
This project integrates real science with education, and the applicant must have enthusiasm and interest, if not experience and training, in both fields. Once hired, this person will be working as part of a large team of scientists and educators whom they can draw on for support in areas they lack expertise. Science communication is big part of this project, and applicants should emphasize their experience and interest in this regard. The position will be based in the museum's
Genomics & Microbiology Lab, which is on exhibit to the public, with glass walls and weekly opportunities to share new results with the public. This position will have professional development opportunities both at the University and the Museum.
Departmental Required Skills: NC Driver's license required within 60 days of hire.
Application Procedure : Submit your application (CV, cover letter, 3 reference names & contact information) to julie.urban@naturalsciences.org. Review of applications will begin Nov. 1 and will continue until a suitable candidate is found.
Friends of the Museum is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status, or disability. In addition, Friends of the Museum welcomes all persons without regard to sexual orientation, and strongly encourages all qualified applicants to apply. Individuals with disabilities desiring accommodations in the application process should contact Julie Urban (julie.urban@naturalsciences.org) or Rob
Dunn (rob_dunn@ncsu.edu).