Postdoc on genetic indicators in the French Overseas territories

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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

- You will be hosted at the Unit Biogeco, Biodiversity from genes to communities, a mixed research unit of INRAE and the University of Bordeaux, at the site “Domaine de l’Hermitage” located on 69 route d’Arcachon in Cestas. Biogeco hosts about 130 members, of which 75 permanent scientific and technical staff members, and numerous students, collaborators and visitors. Its main research interest is in the biodiversity, function, evolution, adaptation, conservation and restoration of ecosystems, mainly forests, but also other natural and anthropized ecosystems. You can discover a presentation of the unit in a short video.

FR https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAyN9MM32dI

EN https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5TC9HuHvtI 

- Your contract is funded by the collaborative research-action project FR-IDGE - Global Biodiversity Framework and Conservation of Genetic Diversity in France: Genetic Indicators in Metropolitan France and Overseas Territories - between the French Biodiversity Agency (OFB) and INRAE. 

The main objective of FR-IDGE is to facilitate the implementation in France of the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) by calculating genetic indicators. These indicators, adopted in the GBF to measure progress in genetic diversity conservation (Objective A, Target 4), must be implemented within the signatory countries on a representative set of species (Hoban et al., 2020, 2021, 2024). FR-IDGE plans to apply the methods of the CBD monitoring framework (Mastretta-Yanes et al. 20204a) to calculate these genetic indicators for at least 200 species by 2029 in preparation for the eighth national report to the CBD (due in June 2029), thus expanding the work carried out by the host team and other colleagues during a proof-of-concept study including France (Mastretta-Yanes et al. 2024b). The work carried out by the Biodiversa+ GINAMO project in collaboration with the OFB-MNHN has already made it possible, during workshops for managers and decision-makers in France (see the report of the workshop held on 7 February 2025 in Paris), to provide an overview of genetic monitoring in metropolitan France and overseas territories, identify challenges for the practical implementation of indicators, and determine the best way to address these challenges. 

You will be welcomed by Myriam Heuertz, Pauline Garnier-Géré and their colleagues at Biogeco INRAE and will work closely with the Patrinat Research Support Unit (Claire Regnier, OFB-MNHM), as well as with the National Biodiversity Data Centre (Pôle National des Données de Biodiversité, Yvan Le Bras, MNHN) and GBIF France (Anne-Sophie Archambeau, IRD). You will communicate with stakeholders (biodiversity managers, decision-makers) in France for the following specific tasks:

1. Co-develop, in close collaboration with relevant stakeholders, a methodology for calculating genetic indicators tailored to French overseas territories, using French Guiana as a pilot region.

2. Implement, evaluate, and contribute to the refinement of standardised, replicable workflows for genetic indicator calculation, building on best-practice recommendations from Mastretta-Yanes et al. (2024a) and the GINAMO consortium.

3. Build and animate a stakeholder network around genetic indicators, promote their use as decision-support tools, and organise training workshops to foster the uptake of available calculation workflows.

4. Lead the consolidation of species lists and the collection of relevant data — genetic and/or non-DNA-based proxies — for genetic indicator calculation, with a particular focus on French overseas territories.

5. Engage with the international conservation genetics community to promote the project and reinforce France's role as a key hub for genetic indicator expertise and mainstreaming.

6. Contribute to project data management, ensuring proper curation, organisation, and accessibility of datasets.

7. Contribute to the reporting, publication, and dissemination of project results across scientific and policy-relevant audiences.

Special conditions of activity: You will be required to travel occasionally, for project meetings and internationally, and to facilitate cooperation with OFB, the PNDB and GBIF.

Training and skills

- Recommended training: PhD degree in evolutionary or conservation genetics, or similar

- Knowledge required: 

• Strong background in population genetics and/or conservation genetics
• Proficiency in bioinformatic tools for population genetic/genomic analyses 
• Good command of at least one scripting language (R and/or Python)
• Familiarity with biodiversity monitoring frameworks and international conservation policy (e.g. CBD, Kunming-Montreal GBF)
• Good understanding of genetic diversity metrics and their ecological relevance
• Knowledge of and interest in French overseas territories and their biodiversity
• Demonstrated scientific writing skills and experience in publication
• Good working knowledge of French and English (at least level B2)

- Appreciated experience: 

• Experience in population genetics/genomics data analysis 
•                Experience in conservation genetics and/or genetic indicator estimation
• Experience with stakeholder engagement
• Knowledge of the Linux command line environment 
•                Knowledge of the application of FAIR principles

- Skills sought: Ability to communicate clearly with both biodiversity managers and international scientific partners; strong teamwork and interpersonal skills; excellent presentation skills; capacity to work autonomously and take initiative; organisational skills and ability to manage diverse tasks simultaneously; adaptability in a dynamic, collaborative research environment.

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