External Job Announcement


Reg.-Nr. 4-12157/24-H


Modern, interconnected, conscious of tradition: Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) is the
oldest and largest university in the State of Saxony-Anhalt with a history dating back more than 500 years.
Today more than 20,000 students are enrolled at the university. MLU’s core research areas are in the nano-
sciences and biosciences, the Enlightenment, as well as in social and cultural research. The university is also
home to a range of small disciplines, some of which can be found nowhere else in Germany. The university
has excellent national and international ties, and works closely together with leading research institutes,
industry, and more than 250 universities around the world.
The Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, in cooperation with the German Centre for Integrative Bi-
odiversity Research (i Div) Halle-Jena-Leipzig and the Max-Planck-Institute for Biogeochemistry Jena, offers
the following position in Halle, commencing on 1 February 2025 or at the earliest opportunity thereafter
and limited up to 2 years:
Postdoctoral Researcher (m/f/d) for the Flexpool Project „Importance of tree
diversity and mycorrhization as drivers of microbial growth and necromass
accumulation in soil organic carbon (MINAS)“
as full-time employment.
The salary will be up to Entgeltgruppe 13 TV-L, if the personal requirements and tasks are fulfilled. The work-
place will be in Halle (Saale) in the Department of Soil Biogeochemistry of Prof. Dr. Bruno Glaser and in Jena at
the Max-Planck-Institute for Biogeochemistry in the research group Soil Biogeochemistry of Dr. Marion
Schrumpf.
The project:
The German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (i Div) Halle-Jena-Leipzig explores how biodiversity can be
recorded, how it develops in the course of evolution, how it changes, what consequences it has for the functioning
of ecosystems and how it can be preserved in the long term. i Div is jointly funded by the University of Leipzig,
Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Friedrich Schiller University Jena and the Helmholtz Centre for Environ-
mental Research Gmb H - UFZ and will be continued with generous support from the federal states of Saxony-
Anhalt, Thuringia and Saxony after termination of the DFG funding. More information about i Div: www.idiv.de.
Research Topics:
Plant diversity is known to have many positive effects on ecosystem functioning including soil organic carbon
(SOC) storage. Long-term SOC storage is promoted by the formation of mineral associated organic matter
(MAOM). The current paradigm suggests that soil microbial growth and carbon use efficiency (CUE) are key to
MAOM formation. The aim of this project is to identify how trees species diversity influences the growth, CUE
and functioning of the soil microbial community, and consequences for SOC storage. Since trees associate with
different mycorrhiza types, the role of fungal partner for SOC decomposition and MAOM formation will further
be elaborated. The project will be conducted at the My Div experimental platform (https://www.idiv.de/de/re-
search/platforms-and-networks/mydiv.html).
Tasks:

• Go to the field and take your own soil samples
  

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• Quantify taxon-specific growth and turnover rates using quantitative stable isotope probing (SIP)

• Determine potential activities of extracellular enzymes of the C-, N-, and P-cycle

• Set-up and conduct a root litter decomposition experiment in the field to trace the transfer of labelled carbon

into MAOM and microbial residues (based on amino-sugar analyses) therein

• Write and publish scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals

• Present results at national and international conferences

• Teach courses at MLU in accordance to LVVO (state regulation for university teaching)

Requirements:

• Scientific University degree (Diploma/ M.Sc.) in a project-related field (e.g., soil ecology, geoecology, bioge-

osciences with focus on soils), a doctoral degree is desirable

• At least three years of experience in research and in the publication of scientific results

• Strong background and experience in microbial ecology (including microbial community composition, mi-

crobial physiological properties and molecular marker), soil carbon stabilization mechanisms (with focus on
the formation of MAOM)

• Expertise and experience in soil microbial methods, including CO2 analyses, DNA extraction and sequencing,

determination of extracellular enzyme activities, biomarker analyses and the application of stable isotopes
(18O, 13C) as tracers

• Interest in functional biodiversity studies

• Excellent English communication skills (spoken and written)

• Team-orientation with interest and ability in interdisciplinary research

• Organizational skills

The Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg gives priority to applications from severely disabled candidates
with equivalent qualifications. Women are particularly encouraged to apply. Applicants with a degree that was
not obtained at a German higher education institution must submit a Statement of Comparability for Foreign
Higher Education Qualifications from the Central Office for Foreign Education (Zentralstelle für ausländisches
Bildungswesen) to prove equivalence. This Statement can also be submitted after successful completion of the
hiring process.
Queries concerning the application process should be directed to flexpool@idiv.de. For project-related ques-
tions, please contact Prof Dr. Bruno Glaser (bruno.glaser@landw.uni-halle.de).

Please submit your full application dossier only in English with registration number 4-12157/24-H
by 12.12.2024 Applications should be submitted via our i Div application portal at https://apply.idiv.de.

All applications should include:

• Cover letter in English tailored to the research project

• Complete curriculum vitae, including names of two senior scientists who could serve as possible references

• A publication record

• Digital copy of Bachelor’s, Master’s and Ph D (if applicable) certificate or equivalent

Application portfolios will not be returned, application costs will not be reimbursed.
This announcement is subject to possible budgetary restrictions.
i Div is committed to establishing and maintaining a diverse and inclusive community that collectively supports
and implements our mission to do great science. We will welcome, recruit, develop, and advance talented staff
from diverse genders and backgrounds.


veröffentlicht am 28.11.2024