🎓Fully Funded PhD in Wageningen University & Research, The Netherlands
📚 About Wageningen University & Research
A Fully Funded PhD Scholarship Netherlands is now available at Wageningen University & Research. We are offering an exciting PhD position within the Animal Breeding and Genomics (ABG) group of Wageningen University for a motivated PhD candidate with a background in quantitative genetics, animal or plant breeding, or statistical genetics. You will be employed for a maximum of four years at a newly funded NWO-AES project “Genetic variance Estimation Now (GEN): Estimating current genetic variance components in populations under selection”. You will work closely together with a Postdoctoral Researcher and industry partners on the same project, and will be located at the Animal Breeding and Genomics group of Wageningen University & Research in Wageningen.
🎯 Scholarship Overview
📝 Research Project
Genetic Variance in Populations Under Selection
Genetic variance is crucial for natural and artificial selection and is essential for a population to survive. As a result of selection, the amount of genetic variance decreases. This makes it important to closely monitor the genetic variance in populations under selection. However, currently, no unbiased method exists to accurately estimate genetic variance in populations under selection.
The GEN project aims to develop and validate a general method to quantify the genetic variance in populations under selection. After validation in simulations, the method will be applied in a commercial pig and chicken population under strong selection to evaluate the trend in genetic variance. This information is highly needed to ensure that enough genetic variance is maintained to keep breeding populations healthy and to enable selection for population improvement in the future. Moreover, the developed method can be applied in other populations such as plant or wildlife populations, and support population management in those populations.
📋 Key Responsibilities
- Set up and run simulations to increase our understanding about the factors that influence the change in genetic variance components in populations under selection.
- Support the postdoc with developing and validating a method to estimate genetic variance components in populations under selection.
- Use the newly developed method to estimate the genetic variance components in a pig and chicken dataset.
- Investigate the trend in genetic variance and genetic correlations in populations under artificial selection and, based on the results, give recommendations about population management.
- Disseminate the research results by presenting the work at international conferences, by making the new method available for industry partners and other researchers, and by providing support for the users.
✅ Eligibility Criteria
- A successfully completed MSc degree in a relevant quantitative field (e.g. Animal or Plant breeding, Quantitative genetics, Population or Statistical genetics).
- Demonstrated affinity with quantitative genetics concepts and data analysis.
- Experience with programming in Python, Fortran, Linux or similar software.
- Good organisational and communication skills in English (written and spoken), as well as a proven ability to collaborate with others.
- Willingness to travel internationally, to attend international project meetings and conferences and visit other institutes.
🎁 What They Offer
- Sabbatical leave, study leave, and partially paid parental leave;
- Working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance; there is a strong focus on vitality, and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee
- A fixed year-end bonus of 8.3%;
- Excellent pension scheme.
- The gross salary for the first year is € 3.059,- per month rising to € 3.881,- in the fourth year
🌐Language Proficiency Requirement
For this position your command of the English language is expected to be at C1 level
📋 Accepted English Language Tests:
👥 Professor/University group/Wetsus supervisor(s):
For more information about the position, please contact Yvonne Wientjes, researcher, via email yvonne.wientjes@wur.nl or Mario Calus, professor, via email mario.calus@wur.nl.
📝 How to Apply
Only applications that are complete and submitted via the application webpage before the deadline will be considered eligible.
