Post-doc position-Contribution to a large European network to identify the gaps and needs in Plant Breeding Research

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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

The postdoc fellow will be integrated in GAFL (Genetics and Breeding of Fruit and Vegetables research Unit) in Avignon. He/she will participate to the European COLiBRI project ‘Collaborative Crop Breeding Research and Innovation for a Green Europe’. The main objective of the project is to develop a roadmap and implementation strategy for a future European plant breeding research and innovation funding network, grounded in collaboration between the public and private sectors. The network will build on and complement existing transnational partnerships to enhance the use of public resources in the pursuit of EU strategic goals. It will address critical gaps in plant breeding research and improve efficiency and timeliness when responding to challenges affecting European agriculture.

The first work package (WP1 : Plant breeding needs and gaps) to which the fellow will contribute will comprehensively map the plant breeding needs of breeders, farmers, industry stakeholders, researchers and consumers, and related research activities concerning variety development and innovation, within the EU, and identify gaps to fill these needs. It will cover different farming systems, including organic farming and participatory breeding as well as conventional and modern techniques, including new genomic techniques. The project will focus on varieties that best fit the objectives of the Green Deal and contribute to the circular EU bioeconomy. It will consider diverse traits and crops, including legumes, perennial and under-utilised crops, to diversify the toolbox used to address stakeholder challenges. WP1 will include successively a literature survey, online questionnaires/surveys, and interviews. The postdoc will contribute mainly to two tasks : 

Task 1.1 :  Mapping the needs of breeders and farmers : We will map the plant breeding needs of breeders and farmers to address EU agricultural challenges, including (i) resilience by adaptation to (multiple) stresses, (ii) cropping systems based on intra/inter-specific diversification, and (iii) new varieties. The needs of different stakeholders will be studied. We will focus on conventional systems while also incorporating organic farming and participatory breeding practices. Farmers’ needs in term of varieties will be analysed depending on production conditions and market access.

Task 1.3: Analysis of breeding and innovation solutions and research programs : EU or national research projects to help breeding innovation will be analysed to identify complementary research programs that are needed, focusing on (i) management of favourable and unfavourable interactions under stress, (ii) methods, and (iii) translation of academic results to breeders’ needs. Preliminary results will be presented and discussed at a workshop and final results will be summarised in a report 

Specialist in plant breeding, and interested in research organistaion at the EU level, the postdoc will participate to literature survey, online questionnaires/surveys (creation and analysis), stakeholder interviews and writing synthesis.

The work will be supervised by Mathilde Causse (DR INRAE), WP1 leader in the COLIBRI project.

The work can be performed partly remotely (2 days/week maximum).

Training and skills

Required skills and knowledges

- The candidate is required to hold a PhD in Genetics and Plant Breeding since less than 3 years. A background in agronomy is a plus.

- Academic knowledges: Skills and Interest in Plant breeding and organisation of research at the European level

- Communications skills: 

Fluent English: C1  level or higher (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) is required.

Writing scientific articles, giving oral presentations are required skills to interact with the other partners and project stakeholders

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

I send my CV and my motivation letter