Research Assistant/Associate in Experimental Evolutionary Ecology

Company description:

We are a world class research-intensive university. We deliver teaching and learning of the highest quality. We play a leading role in economic, social and cultural development of the North East of England. Attracting and retaining high-calibre people is fundamental to our continued success.

Job description:

Salary:

Research Assistant: £33,951 - £35,608 per annum

Research Associate: £36,636 - £46,049 per annum

The Role

We are seeking a Research Assistant/Associate to design and deliver experimental and empirical research to test how developmental processes influence adaptation to environmental change. The role will focus on generating high-quality data to inform and validate modelling work within a NERC-funded interdisciplinary project.

The NERC-funded project develops a new development-centric framework for understanding adaptation under environmental change. Current models often treat phenotypes as fixed traits, overlooking the developmental processes through which organisms construct their phenotypes, creating a key "phenotypic gap" in demographic theory. The project integrates modelling, experiments and empirical data to understand how developmental trajectories (e.g. growth, maturation and resource allocation) shape survival, reproduction and adaptive potential. By treating organisms as active systems that regulate their own development and modify their environments, the work aims to improve predictions of population resilience and evolutionary responses to environmental change. The project builds on recent work developing a "development-centric" approach to demography (see Smallegange 2026, Academia Biology for an overview).

This is a full time, fixed term role available until 30 April 2029.

Interviews will be held on Tuesday 2 June and Friday 5 June 2026.

For all informal enquiries please contact isabel.smallegange@ncl.ac.uk

Key Accountabilities

• Design and conduct laboratory and/or field experiments to quantify developmental responses to environmental change in bulb mites Rhizoglyphus robini
• Generate and analyse empirical datasets on life-history, trait development and population processes
• Work closely with a modelling postdoctoral researcher to align data collection with model requirements
• Develop experimental protocols and ensure high standards of data quality and reproducibility
• Analyse data using appropriate statistical approaches
• Contribute to integration of empirical findings into the wider project framework
• Publish findings in peer-reviewed journals and present at conferences
• Support engagement activities, including communication of findings to non-academic audiences
• Contribute to a collaborative and inclusive research environment

The Person

Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours

• PhD (or near completion) in ecology, evolutionary biology, or a related discipline
• Demonstrable experience in experimental or empirical ecological research
• Experience collecting and analysing biological data
• Strong quantitative skills (e.g. statistics in R)
• Ability to design and deliver independent research
• Strong communication and teamwork skills

Desirable

• Experience with life-history, developmental biology, or behavioural ecology experiments in small invertebrates
• Experience linking empirical data to modelling or theory
• Experience with controlled laboratory systems
• Interest in adaptation, climate change or conservation applications

Qualifications

• PhD in ecology, evolutionary biology, or a related discipline (Research Associate)
• Near Completion of a PhD in ecology, evolutionary biology, or a related discipline (Research Assistant)