DEPARTMENTS OF BIOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT
Pre-doctoral Marie Curie Early Stage Research Fellow
(Evolutionary management of fish stocks)
REF: DR05133
Further information for Candidates
This early-stage researcher post is funded as part of an EU Marie Curie Research Training
Network on Fisheries-induced Adaptive Change in Exploited Stocks (FishACE). The post is
intended to provide an opportunity for a researcher to study for a PhD in the area of fisheriesinduced adaptive change, and to contribute to a network of researchers across Europe in this
subject area. According to Fellowship rules, we seek applicants of non-British nationality who
have not resided in the United Kingdom for more than 12 months in the last three years.
(FishACE has up to twelve posts in other European countries which British citizens may apply
for.) You should be fluent in English, and should have a first degree which involves a
substantial component of biology or modelling of biological processes. Skills in ecological and
evolutionary modelling, and/or an interest in fisheries would be an advantage. You will join an
active group of theoretical ecologists involved in aspects of fisheries management at the
University of York, and will register for a PhD at the University of York. The research
programme at York will be supervised by Calvin Dytham, Richard Law, Jon Pitchford and
Callum Roberts.
BACKGROUND TO THE PROJECT
FishACE targets a major gap in current fisheries science and management—the analysis of
evolutionary change in fish stocks generated by fishing activities. What is known is that fishing
can generate substantial selection differentials on phenotypic traits such as growth rate and
maturation. These traits are important because they contribute to the productivity of fisheries.
It is also clear that the traits contain genetic variation, so that they change as a result of selective
fishing. There is also increasing evidence of life-history evolution in fish stocks consistent with
current selective fishing patterns. Although the possibility of fisheries-induced adaptive change
has been pointed out from time to time, management of fish stocks has yet to address these
issues.
The research programme at York will address the consequences of current and future fisheries
management methods for the evolution of life histories of fish stocks. Current management
methods include, for instance technical measures which leave fishing mortality of large fish
unrestricted. Management methods proposed for the future include substantial numbers of
marine protected areas. At present, rather little is known about the consequences of such
management for evolution of life histories of fish stocks. With understanding of the
consequences for life-history evolution, the intention is to look for management methods that
will both help maintain stocks in the short term and also put in place selection that is beneficial
in the longer evolutionary term. We envisage that this research programme will involve a
substantial amount of computer-based modelling of ecological and evolutionary dynamics of a
chosen fish stock, such as North Sea cod, under a variety of management scenarios.
We anticipate that the work will be greatly enhanced through interactions involving visits to
and meetings with other researchers in the FishACE network. The other centres in the network
include:
 Austria: International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg (coordinating
centre for the network)
 Denmark: International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, Copenhagen
 France: Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea, Marine Fisheries Laboratory, Porten-Bessin
 France: Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea, Genetics and Pathology
Laboratory, La Tremblade
 Iceland: Marine Research Institute, Reykjavik
 Iceland: Hólar University College, Hólar
 Netherlands Institute for Fisheries Research, Ijmuiden
 Norway: Institute of Marine Research, Bergen
 Sweden: Lund University, Lund
 Sweden: National Board of Fisheries, Department of Research and Development,
Öregrund
The combined expertise of these centres will be available to the appointee through the network,
and offers an exceptional opportunity for career development of an early-stage researcher.
Further information about FishACE may
http://www.iiasa.ac.at/Research/ADN/FishACE/ .
be
found
on
the
website
at:
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Qualifications
Essential
First degree involving a
substantial component of biology
or modelling of biological
processes.
Skills/abilities/competencies
Personal Attributes
Desirable
Ecological and evolutionary
modelling and/or an interest in
fisheries.
Must
be
of
non-British
Nationality and not resident in
the UK for more than 12 months
in the last three years.
DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF YORK
The Department is one of the leading centres for biological teaching and research in the UK. It
has an integrated approach to Biology, with no barriers between disciplines and both teaches
and undertakes research across the whole spectrum of modern Biology, from molecular genetics
and biochemistry to ecology. The Department occupies a single set of purpose-built teaching
and research laboratories at the west end of the University campus.
Our new laboratories, funded by a £21.6M JIF award from the BBSRC, opened in July 2002, and
include the innovative Technology Facility. This facility is key in enabling our researchers to
gain access to state-of-the-art equipment and the associated expertise to use such equipment
effectively. Created as part of the recent JIF award, the Technology Facility is centrally located
within the Department and has some 2,000m2 of laboratory space, £5 million of new equipment,
and 16 expert staff members. The Technology Facility has six specialist laboratories, each led by
an experienced technologist with trained technical support. These centres include a
computational facility with Windows and UNIX high performance computers, terabyte
hierarchical data storage system, specialised software tools, computing system and data
analysis expertise, which will be available for the research programme.
The Department was graded 5 in both the 1996 and 2001 Research Assessment Exercises and
has an annual research income of over £7M. We have 45 academic staff plus 25 senior Research
Fellows, approximately 100 contract research staff, 150 graduate students, nearly 100 technical
staff, 37 administrative staff, and approximately 400 undergraduates. Several senior positions in
the Department are funded by charities or industry, including eight Research Professorships,
two funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research, one by York Against Cancer and five by the Garfield
Weston Foundation. A research lectureship is funded by Smith & Nephew. We have numerous
independently-funded research fellows, with support from the Wellcome Trust, BBSRC, the
Royal Society, the Lister Institute and the Arthritis Research Council. These external links are an
essential feature of the Department.
Further information about the
http://www.york.ac.uk/depts/biol/ .
Department
may
be
found
on
the
website
at:
ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT, UNIVERSITY OF YORK
The Environment Department aims to bridge the gap between the disciplines of ecology,
economics and environmental science, and to use this interdisciplinary focus to incorporate
ecological and environmental principles into decision making. The Department undertakes
research and teaching in the ecology, economics, management and sustainable use of natural
resources. It has a strong global focus and offers several undergraduate and postgraduate
degrees attended by students from all over the world. There is a major emphasis on developing
country problems both in teaching and research.
THE UNIVERSITY OF YORK
The University of York occupies an attractive campus environment 2 km from the city centre.
The University comprises a relatively small number of high-quality departments, and enjoys an
excellent reputation in both teaching and research (which, regardless of index used, places York
among the top 10 universities in the UK). The University has three very large Science
Departments (Chemistry, Biology and Physics), with increasing prominence given to both
Health Sciences and Economics, Psychology, and particularly Computer Science, all of which
did outstandingly well in the research assessment. The new Hull York Medical School is a
further addition to the university.
The historic City of York enjoys excellent rail links with the rest of the UK: the high-speed East
Coast line provides a regular service which enables access to London within 1 hr 40 min and to
Edinburgh within 2 hr 15 min. There is also a direct rail link to Manchester and Manchester
Airport.
INFORMAL ENQUIRIES
Informal enquiries may be made to Dr Richard Law (+44 1904 328586, RL1@york.ac.uk).
SALARY
Starting salary will be £19,460 per annum on Grade IB of the scales for Research staff, plus
travel and career exploratory allowances. This post is available for a period of three years,
starting between 1 May and 1 October 2005.
The candidate appointed may, immediately upon starting his/her employment, join USS – the
Universities’ Superannuation Scheme – which involves a personal contribution of 6.35% of
salary and a University contribution equal to 14% of salary.
ASYLUM & IMMIGRATION ACT (1996)
In accordance with the Asylum and Immigration Act (1996), if you are successful in your
application for this post you will be required to provide, before you start work at the
University, one document from a specified list to evidence that you are legally entitled to live
and work in the UK. Further details about this requirement are enclosed with the formal written
offer of employment.
HOW TO APPLY
Please send four copies of the following:


letter of application;
full curriculum vitae, including the names and addresses (and e-mail addresses
wherever possible) of three referees.
Your application should be sent, together with one copy of your completed equal opportunities
monitoring form, to the Personnel & Staff Development Office, University of York, Heslington,
YORK YO10 5DD. Please quote reference number DR05133 when applying. Please note that emailed applications will not be accepted.
The closing date for receipt of applications is Thursday 2 June 2005.
The University will assume that it is free to approach referees at any stage unless the candidate
states otherwise in his/her application (i.e. candidates who wish a referee or referees to be
approached only with their specific permission and/or if they were called to interview, are
asked to state such requirements explicitly alongside the details of the relevant referee(s)).
It is anticipated that interviews for the post will be held as soon as possible and certainly no
later than one month after the closing date for applications. If you have not been invited for
interview within that time scale, we should like to thank you for the interest you have shown in
working for the University, but you should assume that on this occasion your application has
been unsuccessful. Applicants who are short-listed for interview will be sent details of time and
venue as soon as possible.
The University regrets that it is unable to give feedback to candidates who are not short-listed
for interview. For some posts we can receive more than one hundred applications and the
reason why an applicant is not short-listed is often because there were a large number of
applicants, rather than because of any deficiency in the individual’s application. Short-listed
applicants may seek feedback, although again the reason why candidates are unsuccessful is
rarely because of any failing on their part that may be dealt with by remedial action, but rather
that there was an outstanding individual amongst the excellent candidates invited for
interview.
As soon as reasonably practicable after the interviews have taken place the Personnel and Staff
Development Office will write to the successful applicant offering him/her the post. Upon
receipt of formal written acceptance of the post we will write to notify unsuccessful candidates.
Whilst we try to do this in as effective and efficient manner as possible, sometimes the process
can take rather longer than is ideal because of the need to recall candidates for a second
interview and reconvene interview panels and/or due to routine disruptions caused by leave
and other absences. We apologise for any delay and inconvenience caused in these
circumstances.
Should you have any queries regarding your application, please do not hesitate to contact the
Personnel & Staff Development Office (tel: 01904 434835).
*** *** *** *** ***
With the compliments of the Personnel & Staff Development Office
Ref:
DR05133
Date: 4 May 2005