Temporary position OT-25706
Researcher (fixed-term contract) in agroecology of crop-pollinator interactions
21000 Dijon
INRAE presentation
The French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment (INRAE) is a major player in research and innovation. It is a community of 12,000 people with 272 research, experimental research, and support units located in 18 regional centres throughout France. Internationally, INRAE is among the top research organisations in the agricultural and food sciences, plant and animal sciences, as well as in ecology and environmental science. It is the world’s leading research organisation specialising in agriculture, food and the environment. INRAE’s goal is to be a key player in the transitions necessary to address major global challenges. Faced with a growing world population, climate change, resource scarcity, and declining biodiversity, the Institute has a major role to play in building solutions and supporting the necessary acceleration of agricultural, food and environmental transitions.
Work environment, missions and activities
We are looking for a researcher in the agroecology of plant-pollinator interactions. You will join the INRAE-coordinated Horizon Europe project titled: AGRI4POL- Promoting Sustainable Agriculture for Pollinators (https://agri4pol.eu/). Through this multi-actor research project, you will collaborate within a large network of internationally renowned scientists, policy experts and agri-industry representatives. At INRAE you will be based in the Biodiversity, Society and Evolution team (BIODIVERSE) of the Weeds & Agroecosystems division (ADVENSYS) of the Agroecology research unit situated in the INRAE Centre Bourgogne-Franche-Comté (Dijon).
The researcher recruited will collaborate on field studies and experiments aimed at understanding how insect pollinators and crop performance are influenced by the interaction between crops (species and varieties), environmental factors and farm management practices. You will research the pollination dynamics of oilseed and protein crops and how ecological infrastructures (sown flower strips, hedges), weeds and semi-natural areas influence pollinator communities and their interactions with crops. You will use empirical and modelling approaches based on interaction networks and functional traits (within or between species) to quantify how plant-pollinator interactions form and function within the cultivated and non-cultivated components of field crop agroecosystems. You would also study the roles of weeds or plants in agroecological infrastructures (e.g. flower or grass strips, hedgerows) in facilitating or competing for pollination services with crops.
You will be responsible for:
- Co-developing and refining hypotheses. Planning field experiments, including culturing of plants for experiments.
- Establishing experimental plots and/or selecting study sites in agricultural landscapes.
- Surveying insects interacting with cultivated and wild plants and measuring plant performance.
- Identification of collected insects (species or genus level ideally).
- Carrying out statistical analyses and modelling interaction networks.
- Preparing scientific articles and publishing in international journals
- Data management in line with Open Science principles and compliance with GDPR
Special conditions of activity:
Training and skills
Required education & training:
- PhD: Ecology (or other relevant biological discipline).
Knowledge required: …
- Community ecology/Plant-pollinator interactions/Functional ecology.
- Knowledge of microscopy and species identification (entomology and/or botany).
- Language abilities (oral and written) in English and French (CERF B1-C2).
- Modelling (e.g., GLMM, SEM, network modelling).
- Experience of working in a team
- Proficient in working independently to deadlines
Appreciated experience: …
- Knowledge or experience of experimental and/or field study design.
- Knowledge or experience of trait-mediated insect-plant interactions (chemical, morphological).
- Experience of scientific publishing, handling the peer review process, and a record of publishing in international journals, commensurate with career stage.
- Experience of supervising technicians or students, commensurate with career stage.
General skills sought: …
- Proactive and positive approach to work
- Research presentation and communication skills.
- Proficiency in R
- Flexibility or adaptability to changing situations, problem solving.
INRAE's life quality
By joining our teams, you benefit from (depending on the type of contract and its duration):
- up to 30 days of annual leave + 15 days "Reduction of Working Time" (for a full time);
- parenting support: CESU childcare, leisure services;
- skills development systems: training, career advise;
- social support: advice and listening, social assistance and loans;
- holiday and leisure services: holiday vouchers, accommodation at preferential rates;
- sports and cultural activities;
- collective catering.
How to apply
Send a cover letter (2 pages maximum) and a CV explaining how your profile and experience fits the position
All persons employed by or hosted at INRAE, a public research establishment, are subject to the Civil Service Code, particularly with regard to the obligation of neutrality and respect for the principle of secularism. In carrying out their functions, whether or not they are in contact with the public, they must not express their religious, philosophical or political convictions through their behaviour or by what they wear. > Find out more: fonction publique.gouv.fr website (in French)