CSIRO Postdoctoral Fellowship in Freshwater Ecosystem Health - [Archived Advertisement]

Acknowledgement of Country

CSIRO acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land, sea and waters, of the area that we live and work on across Australia. We acknowledge their continuing connection to their culture and pay our respects to their Elders past and present. View our vision towards reconciliation

The Opportunity

• Do you have a PhD Ecotoxicology and/or Environmental Science?
• Contribute to critical research on toxicological impacts on freshwater ecosystems
• Join CSIRO – Australia’s leading scientific research organisation!

CSIRO Early Research Career (CERC) Postdoctoral Fellowships provide opportunities to scientists and engineers who have completed their doctorate and have less than three years of relevant postdoctoral work experience. These fellowships aim to develop the next generation of future leaders of the innovation system.

Wetlands perform critical ecosystem functions such as freshwater storage, nutrient cycling, and biodiversity habitat. However, urban wetlands are often polluted by metals, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and other commonly used anthropogenic contaminants. Despite a growing body of research highlighting the extent of wetland pollution, little is known about the toxicological impacts of metals and polyfluoroalkyl substances on higher-order terrestrial biota, such as frogs.

To address this research gap, we are looking for a CERC Postdoctoral Fellow with experience in vertebrate ecotoxicology, herpetofauna biology, collection and tissue sampling, toxicological data analysis and interpretation (including bioinformatics), and managing multi-disciplinary datasets. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to work across multiple CSIRO laboratories, in addition to working at collaborator institutions (national and international). This will ensure you have access to state-of-the-art high throughput technologies and bioinformatics techniques in the field of systems biology and environmental omics.

Your duties will include:

• Help lead the initiation, design, and execution of field-based multi-omic and whole-organism assessments of the impacts of chronic urban contaminants on frogs.
• Contributing to the development of environmental pollution bioindicators, toxicity thresholds and novel organism health monitoring technologies.
• Working in close collaboration with state environmental regulators and other stakeholders to maximise research impact.
• Carrying out innovative, impactful research of strategic importance to CSIRO that will, where possible, lead to novel and important scientific outcomes. 
• Recognising and utilising opportunities for innovation and the generation of new theoretical perspectives, and progress opportunities for the further development or creation of new lines of research. 

Location: Brisbane, QLD or Perth, WA
Salary: AU$89k - AU$98k plus up to 15.4% superannuation
Tenure: Specified term of 3 years
Reference: 86882

To be considered you will need:

• A doctorate (or will shortly satisfy the requirements of a PhD) in a relevant discipline area, such as Ecotoxicology, Environmental Science, or similar. Please note: To be eligible for this role you must have no more than 3 years (full-time equivalent) of postdoctoral research experience.
• Experience in herpetofauna biology, field-based collection, and tissue sampling (including acquiring ethics approvals and permits).
• Experience in analysing and interpreting ecotoxicological datasets.
• Proficiency with multi-variate and multi-dimensional data analysis, either using open source or proprietary software.

For full details about this role please view the Position Description

Eligibility

Applications for this position are open to Australian/New Zealand Citizens, Australian Permanent Residents or Australian temporary residents currently residing in Australia and be able to commence in the role by 31 January 2023.

Appointment to this role is subject to provision of a national police check and may be subject to other security/medical/character requirements.

Flexible Working Arrangements

We work flexibly at CSIRO, offering a range of options for how, when and where you work. 

Diversity and Inclusion

We are working hard to recruit people representing the diversity across our society, and ensure that all our people feel supported to do their best work and feel empowered to let their ideas flourish. 

About CSIRO

At CSIRO Australia's national science agency, we solve the greatest challenges through innovative science and technology. We put the safety and wellbeing of our people above all else and earn trust everywhere because we only deal in facts. We collaborate widely and generously and deliver solutions with real impact. 

Join us and start creating tomorrow today!

How to Apply

Please apply on-line and provide a cover letter addressing individually each of the essential and desirable selection criteria listed in the Position Description (max 4 pages in total) and CV that best demonstrate your motivation and ability to meet the requirements of this role.

Applications Close

31 August 2022, 11:00pm AEST