PhD fellowship in local adaptation during range expansions

We are seeking for highly motivated candidates to apply for a PhD associated to the project CGL2014-53120-P “Local adaptation of plant POpulations during Range EXPANsions: the effect on life-history traits and genetic variability (POREXPAN)”. This contract is offered within the call for 4-year pre-doctoral contracts (FPI grants) recently launched by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competiveness (closing date for application, June 29, 2015):

The project will investigate the effects of range expansions on life-history traits and genetic variability of plant populations using two “non-model” species, Leontodon taraxacoides and Mercurialis annua. These questions will be addressed assessing the genetic basis of the phenotypic variability in life-history traits through common garden experiments, and characterizing the signatures of range expansions in genes and gene networks associated with key adaptive traits (dispersal ability, growth, reproductive effort, phenology, and defense response).

The PhD student will be supervised by Maria Mayol (http://www.creaf.cat/en/personal/maria-mayol-martinez), Miquel Riba (http://www.creaf.cat/en/personal/miquel-riba-rovira) and Santiago C. González-Martínez (https://sites.google.com/site/santiagocgonzalezmartinez/) at the Centre for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications (CREAF) located at the campus of the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB). The candidate is also expected to interact with the international members of the research team (Prof. John R. Pannell from UNIL, Switzerland: http://www.unil.ch/dee/home/menuinst/research/group-pannell.html; and Dr. Giovanni G. Vendramin from IBBR-CNR, Italy; http://ibbr.cnr.it/ibbr/people/giovanni-giuseppe-vendramin).

Apart from the requirements specified in the call, the candidates should be highly motivated and interested in research, and be a fluent speaker/writer in English. A background in evolutionary biology, population genetics and genomics and/or bioinformatics will be positively valued. Interested candidates should send their CV and a short motivation statement to Maria Mayol (Maria.Mayol@uab.es) indicating “FPI 2015” in the subject.

http://www.idi.mineco.gob.es/portal/site/MICINN/menuitem.791459a43fdf738d70fd325001432ea0/?vgnextoid=fed2bf0be2c6d410VgnVCM1000001d04140aRCRD&vgnextchannel=a365a2852aaa8210VgnVCM1000001d04140aRCRD&vgnextfmt=formato2&id3=2e42e0096f2dd410VgnVCM1000001d04140a____

http://www.boe.es/boe/dias/2015/06/12/pdfs/BOE-A-2015-6508.pdf