45,000 students and 8,000 employees in teaching, research and administration, all working together to shape perspectives for the future – that is the University of Münster (WWU). Embedded in the vibrant atmosphere of Münster with its high standard of living, the University’s diverse research profile and attractive study programmes draw students and researchers throughout Germany and from around the world.
The Institute of Landscape Ecology at the University of Münster (WWU), Germany, is seeking to fill the position of a
Research Associate
Wissenschaftliche/r Mitarbeiter/in
(salary level TV-L E13, 100%)
The position is subject to the approval of third-party funds in the project “BEyond - Learning from the Exploratories to make prediction beyond them: AI-based mapping and explanation of grassland biodiversity and ecosystem functions for entire landscape units”. The fixed-term position is available to start from 1 March 2023 or later and is limited to three years. The regular working hours are currently 39 hours 50 minutes a week.
The research group for Remote Sensing and Spatial Modelling (www.uni-muenster.de/RemoteSensing), in cooperation with the working group for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research (www.uni-muenster.de/Oekosystemforschung), is looking for a highly motivated researcher to work on our project “BEyond”, within the framework of the Biodiversity Exploratories, a long-term Collaborative Research Centre for Functional Biodiversity Research funded by the German Science Foundation with almost 40 subprojects. Using methods of remote sensing and machine learning, the project aims at learning from the Exploratories to make spatio-temporal predictions of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning variables beyond the core study areas. It further aims at going beyond predictions by using methods of explainable AI to gain insights into drivers and relationships.
Your tasks:
The successful candidate will work at the interface between landscape ecology and geoinformatics and will be responsible for the development of a remote sensing based modelling approach to predict biodiversity variables in grasslands for the landscape units of the Biodiversity Exploratories. The candidate will apply and develop new strategies to explain models and model predictions to contribute to an improved understanding of spatio-temporal
biodiversity patterns and to make contributions in the field of explainable AI for spatial mapping. Finally, the candidate will publish results in peer-reviewed journals and present them at conferences.
We offer:
The project position in BEyond offers ideal conditions to conduct high-quality and highly relevant research in a large network of scientists and a friendly working environment. Within this environment you will have access to a high quality and innovative research, with modern technology, data analysis and the necessary exchange to expand your knowledge. As a project participant in the Biodiversity Exploratories, you will also be integrated into the large, inter- and national community of scientists with broad expertise in ecology, biology, social sciences and data science, and have access to training and professional development programmes.
Our expectations:
The successful candidate will possess a higher education degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in landscape ecology, geography, geoinformatics or a comparable programme, with a strong focus on remote sensing and/or spatial modelling. A completed doctorate is desirable but not mandatory. The candidate is expected to design, conduct and publish research in the project described above. Thus, a strong research focus on the application of machine learning strategies in the context of remote sensing is expected as well as a decent background in ecology. Skills in programming (preferably in R) are required. Candidates should further demonstrate the ability to independently carry out scientific work, solve problems and publish results in scientific journals. Fluency in spoken and written English is required, as well as excellent team skills. German language skills would be advantageous, but are not a requirement.
The University of Münster strongly supports equal opportunity and diversity. We welcome all applicants regardless of sex, nationality, ethnic or social background, religion or worldview, disability, age, sexual orientation or gender identity. We are committed to creating family-friendly working conditions. Part-Time options are generally available.
The University of Münster is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to increasing the proportion of women academics. Consequently, we actively encourage applications by women. Female candidates with equivalent qualifications and academic achievements will be preferentially considered within the framework of the legal possibilities.
Enquiries can be directed to Hanna Meyer (hanna.meyer@uni-muenster.de). Are you interested? Then we look forward to receiving your application (in German or English) with a letter of motivation, CV and copies of your degree certificates in a single PDF via e-mail to hanna.meyer@uni-muenster.de by 3 January 2023.