Post-doctoral Fellowship in Metabarcoding for Identification of Terrestrial Mammals

The Laboratory of Molecular Biodiversity and Conservation (LabBMC), under the coordination of Pedro Manoel Galetti Junior and Patrícia Domingues de Freitas, Department of Genetics and Evolution, Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), participates in the FAPESP Thematic Project Evaluation, recovering and conservation of the endangered fauna of the Pernambuco Endemism Center (CEP), which is coordinated by Luis Fabio Silveira (MZUSP, São Paulo), and offers a post-doctoral fellowship for a highly qualified foreign or Brazilian candidate. The fellow will develop activities of Reassessment of the species of mammals that are believed to be locally extinct in the Center of Endemism Pernambuco (CEP), from DNA of mixed samples (metabarcoding), having as specific objectives:

• Metabarcoding analyzes for identification of the vertebrate community based on mixed DNA samples from the blood of hematophagous mosquitoes and other potential arthropod fauna samplers;
• Evaluation of the occurrence of medium and large mammal species in the area;
• Survey of the mammal species occurring in CEP, generating a DNA barcode database of these animals.

The candidate should preferably have training in the area either of genetics, zoology, ecology or biology, satisfactory CV and scientific knowledge in the research area of the scholarship. It is essential the candidate be able to read, write and speak English and ability to write scientific articles and readiness to reside in São Carlos, São Paulo State, Brazil. The candidate will also need to be able to make periodic field trips to the Brazilian state of Alagoas (10-15 days each). The selected candidate will be involved in the planning and execution of the research activities and also work in the administration of the laboratory and co-orientation of graduate and undergraduate students. The professional should be familiar with bibliographic search tools, know how to plan and conduct experiments independently.

Among the knowledge and techniques necessary for the development of this project we emphasize:

1. Field experience and collecting biological material for metabarcoding analysis in the project study area, as well as assisting the other project field collections when necessary;
2. Extraction and preparing DNA for large-scale sequencing and obtaining metabarcoding;
3. Understanding bioinformatics reasonably and ability to analyze the metabarcoding data produced.

Contract period and start of work
The scholarship lasts until 36 months. The forecast is to begin in November 2019.
Values and conditions

1. Monthly income (free of taxes) of R$ 7,373.10 (Brazilian currency), plus 15% of the annual value for expenses related to research (Technical Reserve);
2. Financial support for travel and installation expenses may be requested for selected applicants and the merits will be analyzed by FAPESP upon acceptance of the concession;
3. The candidate must have completed a doctorate not more than six years before the start of the scholarship;
4. The scholarship requires full dedication to the research project (except under the conditions described in resolution PR 13/2009 of July 15, 2009);
5. The grantee may not have any formal or informal employment, nor receive, during the period of the fellowship, a scholarship from another entity, salary or remuneration derived from the exercise of activities of any nature;
6. For the implementation of the scholarship the selected candidate must present all the documentation required by FAPESP.

For more details, go to: http://www.fapesp.br/5427 .

How to apply
The submission deadline is September 30, 2019. Registration exclusively by email (pmgaletti@ufscar.br). Include the subject Postdoctoral ARCA project, followed by your name, and send the following files in PDF format:

1. An English text with a maximum of 2 pages explaining your motivations to work on this project;
2. Summarized CV (maximum 3 pages), including published papers attesting to the capacity to carry out the project;
3. Two letters of recommendation from researchers who should send them directly to the email above.

Selection
The selection will be made based on the candidate's CV (experience in the research area of the project and quality of the publications) and in the letters of motivation and recommendation. Applicants may be invited to a personal interview or via Skype. The selected candidate must submit the necessary documents for the FAPESP scholarship application within 15 days after approval.

Eligible destination country/ies for fellows: Brazil
Eligibility of fellows: country/ies of residence:All
Eligibility of fellows: nationality/ies: All