Opportunities

Current opportunities

Fieldwork Research Assistants (Oxfordshire)

We are recruiting up to three research assistants paid on casual (hourly) contracts to assist with fieldwork data collection as part of a project entitled ‘A Biodiversity Baseline for the Begbroke Innovation District’.

You will work within a small team surveying insects, plants, mammals and birds at Begbroke, north of Oxford, where the University of Oxford is planning a major infrastructure project. The project will generate a baseline for future biodiversity re-surveys, allowing a robust assessment of the University’s ambition to achieve 20% Biodiversity Net Gain.

The work will involve fieldwork to sample and quantify selected components of biodiversity and relevant abiotic variables; preparation, identification and archiving of samples; and associated data and sample management curation and analysis.  You will have fieldwork experience, good natural history skills, attention to detail, and the ability to identify relevant UK plant and animal taxa in the field and/or laboratory.

Field assistants will be needed from May-October 2025, with potential start dates throughout this period. Casual appointments will be made for a maximum of 12 weeks over this period, and may involve part time and flexible working by mutual agreement. Payment is based on the hours worked, at Grade 5 (£18.43/hour).

To apply, please send a CV and covering letter to Dr Liam Crowley (liam.crowley@biology.ox.ac.uk), highlighting your suitability for these roles and indicating your preferred start date and working pattern, as well as any periods during which you will not be available. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until 22nd April 2025. Pre-application enquiries are also welcome.

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PhD applicants

In Oxford, the PhD qualification is known as a ‘DPhil’. Current CERO students are funded through the ILESLA programme, prestigious independent studentships (e.g. the Christopher Welch Scholarship) and, for overseas students, scholarships funded by their home countries (see the Department of Biology website). You will be automatically considered for the majority of Oxford scholarships, if you fulfil the eligibility criteria and submit your graduate application by the relevant January deadline. If you’re interested in studying for a DPhil please contact Owen well in advance of the university deadlines, preferably attaching a CV, research interests and your ideas about your proposed research topics.

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Postdoctoral Research opportunities

Any funded postdoctoral research opportunities will be advertised here and will be advertised widely. If you wish to apply for an independent research fellowship in topics related to research within the group we may be able to support and assist with your application – please see the Department of Biology website for more details on fellowships, and contact Owen if you are interested in this possibility.