Fellow (Post Doc)

The Postdoc position will conduct research on freshwater macroinvertebrate communities to identify long-term trends and their drivers. The postdoc will conduct research on freshwater macroinvertebrate communities to identify long-term trends and causes of change. Research will be conducted in collaboration with researchers Nathan Baker (Nature Research Center, Vilnius, Lithuania), Ellen Welti, and Keith Gido (Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA). Research questions and approaches can be tailored based on the postdoc's interests but may include 1) testing for community homogenization of freshwater macroinvertebrates in long-term datasets from Lithuania and Poland, 2) identifying spatial and temporal shifts in traits of freshwater macroinvertebrates across the US and Europe in response to changing freshwater policy and environmental conditions, and 3) pilot sampling of emerging aquatic insects and testing responses to local conditions at nearby field site Konza Prairie Biological Station.

The Postdoc will work to further research on Europe and North American to follow-up research on the paper "The recovery of European freshwater biodiversity has come to a halt" (Haase et al. 2023, Nature), that used freshwater macroinvertebrates to investigate long-term trends in freshwater biodiversity in Europe, following regulatory actions, investment in river improvements, and new stressors. The postdoc will collect data, analyze data in Program R, write papers, and write grants related to these research topics.

The Division of Biology at Kansas State University is composed of a dynamic group of tenure-track, research, and instructional faculty, as well as a large number of postdoctoral research associates, graduate students, and support staff. All of these individuals are essential to accomplish the Division of Biology's mission, to generate and disseminate high-quality biological scientific knowledge through teaching, research, service, and outreach. The research, teaching, and service interests of these individuals, spanning all areas of biological research, teaching and training at the postdoctoral, graduate, and undergraduate levels, as well as service and outreach contributions to the broader scientific community and the public.

This position is On-site.

All employees must reside in the United States when they begin working to comply with state law. K-State is unable to provide remote or hybrid work opportunities for residents of the state of Idaho.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in Ecology, Biology, or a related field. The degree requirement is necessary to ensure candidates possess the specialized knowledge, skills and abilities that can only be attained through a formal educational program at this level.
• Experience with complex ecological dataset analysis and interpretation such as time series and community analysis
• Proficiency in R coding
• Valid driver's license

Preferred Qualifications:

• Early career scientist with strong publication record
• Have a strong record of grant writing
• Demonstrated work with long-term ecological data
• Freshwater macroinvertebrate identification skills
• Hold a valid driver's license
• Enjoy being outdoors and willingness to work outside in variable weather condition
• Be able to work independently and as part of a team
• Have enthusiasm for ecology and freshwater macroinvertebrates
• Basic knowledge of community ecology
• Effective written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects.
• Mentoring skills to train undergraduate and graduate students.
• Experience peer-reviewed publishing in the field of ecology
• Be able to work independently and as part of a team

Sponsorship eligibility:

Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. on an ongoing basis without sponsorship

Please submit the following documents:

1. Cover letter (1-2 pages) describing relevant expertise, research interest, and earliest start date.
2. CV with publications.
3. Contact inf references (letters upon request)

Applications close on: May 3, 2026

$48,000-$56,000 annual