Research Fellow in Agricultural Sciences

University of Queensland

Faculty of Science / School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability

Full-time fixed-term position for up to 2 years

Base salary: $82,057.75 – $109,246.18 + 17% Superannuation (Academic Level A)

Location: St Lucia Campus

About This Opportunity

Join a university that’s shaping the future of agriculture through world-class research, global collaboration and a culture that empowers people to do their life’s best work. As a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, you’ll have the opportunity to advance breakthrough science while belonging to a supportive, high-performing team that values curiosity, innovation and real-world impact.

In this role, you’ll be part of the landmark project “Unlocking crop epigenomics to uncover and engineer hidden diversity”, harnessing revolutionary technologies to explore how biological information beyond DNA sequence influences crop performance across generations and environments. This is your chance to work with cutting-edge high-throughput DNA methylation profiling, analyse population-scale epigenomic and multi-omic datasets, and develop new bioinformatic pipelines that push scientific boundaries.

You’ll uncover patterns of methylation variation, inheritance and trait association (including epiGWAS and predictive modelling), generating world-first insights that could transform how breeders enhance yield and resilience in sorghum, barley and wheat. Supported by UQ’s collaborative culture and state-of-the-art facilities, you’ll work alongside leading scientists across disciplines—contributing discoveries that have real impact on global food security and next-generation plant breeding.

At UQ, you’ll be part of a community that celebrates new ideas, supports your development, and gives you the freedom and flexibility to grow your research career while delivering work that matters.

Key Responsibilities

Research & Innovation

• Conduct high-quality research and develop an emerging research profile through publications, collaborative projects, competitive grant applications, and translation of research outcomes—including supporting commercialisation where relevant.
• Apply best-practice research methodologies and contribute to building a coherent research program.

Supervision & Researcher Development

• Support and supervise Honours and HDR students.
• Provide effective coaching and feedback and contribute to the development of research staff.
• Foster a positive research environment by managing performance, guiding professional development, and resolving conflicts in line with University policies.

Citizenship, Service & Engagement

• Demonstrate UQ values through active participation in the academic community.
• Support unit operations and contribute to committees and administrative processes.
• Build external relationships with industry, government and professional bodies to enhance collaboration and engagement.

This is a research-focused position. Further information can be found by viewing UQ’s Criteria for Academic Performance.

About UQ

As part of the UQ community, you will have the opportunity to work alongside the brightest minds from across the world, within an environment where interdisciplinary collaborations are encouraged.

At the core of our teaching remains our students, whose experience with us sets a foundation for success far beyond graduation. UQ has made a commitment to making education opportunities available for all Queenslanders, regardless of personal, financial, or geographical barriers.

We provide staff with:

• World-class facilities and equipment
• Grant writing support
• Greater research funding opportunities
• Other staff support and development programs

Additional benefits include:

• Being part of a Group of Eight university
• Recognition of prior service with other Australian universities
• Up to 26 weeks of paid parental leave
• 17.5% annual leave loading
• Flexible working arrangements (hybrid/on-site/WFH, flexible hours)
• Access to exclusive internal-only vacancies
• Genuine career progression opportunities via academic promotions

About You

• Completion or near-completion of Ph.D. in Genomics, Statistical Genomics, Quantitative Genetics, Computational Biology, or a related field.
• Expertise with genomic data is essential; experience with epigenomic data will be highly regarded (e.g., DNA methylation, ChIP-seq, ATAC-seq).
• Experience in GWAS or a solid background in statistical genetics and computational biology.
• Expertise with R, Python, or equivalent programming languages is essential.
• Passion for making biological discoveries relevant to crop improvement.
• Strong analytical skills, creativity, and the drive to push methodological boundaries.
• Excellent communication skills and a collaborative spirit.
• Evidence of publications in reputed refereed journals and presenting at conferences.

The successful candidate may be required to complete pre-employment checks, including right-to-work and education verification.

Relocating from interstate or overseas? Employer-sponsored work rights and relocation support may be available.

Questions?

For more information about this opportunity, please contact Dr. Peter Crisp at p.crisp@uq.edu.au.

For application inquiries, contact the Talent Acquisition team at talent@uq.edu.au, including the job reference number in the subject line.

Want to Apply?

We welcome applications from all individuals and are committed to an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. To be considered, please upload:

• Resume
• Cover letter
• Responses to the ‘About You’ section

We value equity, diversity, and inclusion, and are committed to attracting, retaining, and promoting diverse talent. If you require an alternative method to submit your application due to accessibility needs or personal circumstances, please contact talent@uq.edu.au.

Other Information

UQ is committed to a fair, equitable and inclusive selection process. We recognise that some applicants may face barriers that have impacted their career trajectory. Candidates who don’t meet all criteria are encouraged to apply and demonstrate their potential. The selection panel considers both potential and performance relative to opportunities.

Applications close: 9/1/26 at 11.00pm AEST (R-58021)
Interviews are tentatively scheduled for mid to late January 2026.

Please say that you saw this job on FacultyVacancies.com

Apply