POSTDOCTORAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITY -- ANIMAL ISOTOPE ECOLOGY
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN / TEAGASC
IRELAND

The Irish Research Council for Science, Engineering and Technology
(IRCSET) is inviting applications from outstanding young scientists (PhD
near completion or completed in last 3 years) of any nationality for
Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Fellowships in basic research.
Fellows must be associated with a research host institution in Ireland
and fellowships will be tenable for 2 years, commencing in October 2005.

We are looking for suitably qualified candidates who are interested in
applying for a Postdoctoral Fellowship under this scheme for a project
concerned with the stable isotope ecology of large herbivore animals.

We envisage that the Fellow would investigate dietary reconstruction
using C, N and S stable isotope ratio analysis of various bovine tissues
(including body and tail hair, hooves, bone and soft tissues) from a
large-scale experiment in which cattle were switched between
isotopically distinct diets.  Depending on preference, the Fellow could
be based either in University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, or in
the Teagasc Grange Research Centre, County Meath.  The Fellow would join
a small interdisciplinary research team comprising an ecologist, animal
scientist, food biochemist and support staff who work on the development
of isotopic methods for livestock and meat authentication.  This team
will write the research plan together with the applicant as part of the
Fellowship application, as is stipulated by IRCSET.

Details on the Fellowship scheme, including eligibility and assessment
procedures, are available from the IRCSET website at:

http://www.ircset.ie/grant_schemes/postdoctoral.html

Initially, we as prospective hosts would like to receive informal
expressions of interest from interested candidates who fulfil IRCSET's
eligibility criteria and whose scientific track record is likely to be
rated excellent under IRCSET's assessment procedures.  Later, we will
provide details on the proposed research and we will require a short CV
from prospective applicants on the basis of which we will select the
most suitable applicant who we will support in making an application.

Please send your expression of interest by Friday, 14th January 2005 to
Olaf Schmidt <[log in to unmask]>.
(Deadline for applications to IRCSET is 25th February 2005.)

Thank you.

Olaf Schmidt Ph.D. (College Lecturer)
Department of Environmental Resource Management
Faculty of Agri-Food and the Environment
University College Dublin
National University of Ireland, Dublin
Belfield, Dublin 4
Ireland

Tel.: +353-1-7167076 Fax.: +353-1-7161102