Postdoc Research Associate - Bee Ecology and Conservation in Farmland

Postdoc Research Associate - Bee Ecology and Conservation in Farmland

Post Doc/Trainee

Summary of

Duties and Responsibilities:

The Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology at Iowa State University invites applications for a Postdoctoral Scholar to join a USDA-NIFA-funded research project investigating how reconstructed native habitat within agricultural landscapes affects managed and wild bees.

This is a full-time Postdoctoral Scholar position located at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. The initial appointment is for one year, with the possibility of renewal. Funding may be available for up to three years, contingent upon satisfactory performance and continued project funding. The position includes Iowa State University benefits. The anticipated start date is between January 2027 and May 2027.

The successful candidate will work with Professors Amy Toth (direct supervisor), Lisa Schulte Moore, and Matthew O'Neal, along with an interdisciplinary team at Iowa State University on the project, "Evaluating Benefits of Reconstructed Habitat in Farmland Across Bee Species and Landscapes."

The overarching goal of the project is to determine when and where prairie strips and other reconstructed habitats provide net benefits to bee communities in intensively farmed landscapes. Research activities integrate field ecology, pollinator health, landscape ecology, pesticide exposure, floral resource assessment, and the management of honey bee and bumble bee colonies. This multi-year project involves extensive fieldwork at Iowa farms utilizing prairie strips within corn-soybean production systems.

The Postdoctoral Scholar will be expected to:

• Travel to field sites and collect ecological and bee health data on wild bees, managed bumble bees, and honey bees.
• Assist with the management and monitoring of honey bee and bumble bee colonies used in the study.
• Analyze data; prepare manuscripts for peer-reviewed publication; and present research findings at scientific conferences.
• Collaborate with project investigators, research staff, graduate and undergraduate students, farmer cooperators, and other project partners.
• Assist with plant surveys, floral resource measurements, including the use of drone imagery, and pollen sampling and analysis.
• Contribute to interdisciplinary research efforts focused on pollinator conservation in agricultural landscapes.

This position provides substantial opportunities for intellectual leadership. The successful candidate will be encouraged to contribute to research planning, mentor students and junior researchers, and develop professional skills relevant to future careers in ecology, entomology, conservation science, and related disciplines.

• PhD in biology, entomology, ecology, or a closely related field by the appointment start date.
• Prior research experience relevant to the goals and activities of this project.

• Experience conducting ecological or entomological field research, especially related to Hymenoptera.
• Experience with plant and/or bee identification.
• Experience with beekeeping or honey bee research.

The Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology (EEOB) at Iowa State University is dedicated to advancing understanding of the natural world through research, teaching, and outreach. EEOB explores the interactions among organisms and their environments, the diversity of life, evolutionary processes, and the structure and function of living organisms. Faculty, staff, and students conduct innovative research addressing critical challenges in ecology, conservation, biodiversity, evolutionary biology, and environmental…