Postdoctoral Position in The Ecology of Social Traits

**Introduction**:
UNIL is a leading international teaching and research institution, with over 5,000 employees and 17,000 students split between its Dorigny campus, CHUV and Epalinges. As an employer, UNIL encourages excellence, individual recognition and responsibility.

Sociality is thought to be key to the enormous ecological success of ants, which dominate most terrestrial ecosystems, have spread to all continents and make up a large part of animal biomass globally. Therefore, the study of the immense variety of societies found in ants is an extremely active field of research. The focus of this work has been on the genetic determinants of social organization and on the evolution of these societies, with emphasis on the relative costs and benefits of social life. However, the advantages and disadvantages of different forms of societies will depend on the environmental conditions to which specific societies are exposed. Understanding which types of societies help ants thrive under harsh conditions or enable them to occupy a large range of different climates will be important to better understand the role of sociality in determining the species’ geographic range and responses to global change. Ants are an ideal study system to address these questions since there are more than 15,000 described species with known spatial distributions and their societies can vary for example in the number of workers (from less than 10 to more than 10 millions), the number of queens (one to several hundred), colony structure (single nests to hundreds of kilometers of connected supercolonies), worker polymorphisms (specialized worker castes), nesting types, the type of colony foundation, foraging strategies, daily rhythms, their microhabitat requirements and other traits. So far, global studies of variation in ant societes have been impeded by the availability of a comprehensive dataset of social traits in ants. The aim of this postdoc is to help build such a database and explore which social traits have evolved in response to environmental harshness.

**Presentation**:
**Job information**:
Expected start date in position : 01.05.2025 or to be agreed

Contract length : 1 year, renewable depending on funding availability

Activity rate : 100%

Workplace : Lausanne-Dorigny

**Your responsibilities**:
Most of his/her time will be dedicated to research, but a contribution to teaching is expected, including the possibility of supervising master students. The job description stipulates:
70% Personal research

25% Participation to teaching activities and master student supervision

5% Maintenance of lab equipment or other institutional tasks.

**Your qualifications**:
We are seeking to recruit someone with a strong interest and a PhD degree in ecology or evolution, with skills in phylogenetic and spatial data analysis. Experience with social species would be an advantage. We are looking for a creative and passionate Postdoc who is a good team player with excellent communication skills and likes to discuss and exchange ideas.

**What the position offers you**:
We offer a nice working place in a multicultural, diverse and dynamic academic environment. Opportunities for professional training, a lot of activities and other benefits to discover.

The Department of Ecology and Evolution in Lausanne University hosts research groups working on a broad range of topics, producing a rich intellectual and social life. Although French is the common language in Lausanne region, the department research activities and seminars are conducted in English. The campus is located on the shore of the Geneva Lake, with a view on the Alps.

**Contact for further information**:
Deadline **:20.02.2025**
- a cover letter detailing your research interests, experience and motivation for applying;
- your CV;
- a copy of your PhD certificate;
- the name of two or three referees

**Additional information**:

- UNIL is committed to:

- equality, diversity and inclusion within its community;
- ensuring an open and respectful environment that is conducive to personal development;
- offering working conditions that facilitate work-life balance;
- supporting early career researchers.

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