University of São Paulo

The University of São Paulo
Created in 1934, USP is a public university maintained by the State of São Paulo and linked to the Secretariat of Science, Technology and Innovation. The talent and dedication of its faculty, students and staff have been recognized by various world rankings, created to measure the quality of universities based on various criteria, mainly those related to scientific productivity.

This performance, generated over more than eight decades of an intense search for excellence, allows USP to be part of a select group of world-class institutions. Its undergraduate program consists of 183 courses, dedicated to all areas of knowledge, distributed across 42 teaching and research units, with more than 58 thousand students. The postgraduate program consists of 239 programs, with approximately 30 thousand students enrolled. Currently, USP is responsible for more than 20% of Brazilian scientific production.

To develop its activities, USP has several campuses, distributed throughout the cities of São Paulo, Bauru, Lorena, Piracicaba, Pirassununga, Ribeirão Preto, Santos, São Carlos, in addition to teaching units, museums and research centers located outside these spaces and in different municipalities.

Homepage: https://www.ffclrp.usp.br/eng/

AmazonFACE:
The AmazonFACE program is the first large-scale free-air CO2 free-air-CO2-enrichment experiment conducted in a mature, highly biodiverse rainforest in the Amazon. It is based at the National Institute for Amazon Research (INPA, Brazil) and is run by a diverse group of Brazilian and international researchers (UK, EU and USA-based).

Research Area:
1. Carbon – Impacts of eCO2 on carbon stocks and fluxes of Amazon Forest

Job Title:
Postdoc – Functional Traits Related to Photosynthesis

Job Description:
We are seeking a dynamic, highly motivated and reliable postdoctoral researcher with experience in photosynthesis and tree ecophysiology to conduct cutting-edge, innovative research on Functional Ecology, Ecosystem Processes, and Carbon Cycle in the Amazon forest.

The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in advancing the understanding of primary productivity responses to elevated CO2 (eCO2). The appointee will drive the investigation of key aspects in plant ecophysiology that will potentially explain the mechanisms behind the acclimation of individual trees to eCO2 and its implications to community assemblage in future scenarios, with the aim to advance our understanding of the ecosystem’s responses to global changes.

• Plan, coordinate and conduct field sampling campaigns and associated sample analyses in the laboratory. This includes making ecophysiological measurements in the field, such as stomatal conductance, carbon assimilation and transpiration rates, photosynthetic response curves to light, CO2 and VPD;
• Develop and advance original scientific research in functional ecology;
• Interact and cooperate with different research areas and AmazonFACE program members;
• Participate in project meetings and present results in seminars, workshops and conferences;
• Present an “Activity Plan” within 2 months from the start of the fellowship;
• Write reports and manuscripts for publication in high-quality journals;
• Collaborate with, mentor and/or co-supervise Master and Doctoral students working on topics related to the program;
• Contribute to maintaining a positive work environment.

Main duties and accountabilities:

• A doctoral degree in biology, forestry, ecology, environmental sciences or a related field;
• Practical experience in planning and coordination of field sampling, data collection, laboratory analyses and data processing, including statistics;
• Sound understanding of and strong interest in concepts in plant ecophysiology and ecosystem ecology;
• Ability to work in interdisciplinary teams;
• A demonstrated track record of publishing in international peer-reviewed journals;
• Willingness to synthesize data into high-quality scientific publications;
• Establish residency in the city of Manaus;
• Fluency in Portuguese and English is desirable.
  Requirements/Person Specification:

What we offer:

• Unique large-scale experimental infrastructure at the field site;
• Become part of a diverse and multidisciplinary team of international researchers with the common goal to integrate tropical forest processes (above and belowground), advance modelling efforts and impacts on socio-economic dynamics to gain a holistic understanding of effects of eCO2 on the Amazon forest;
• Opportunity to mentor and co-supervise scientific initiation and graduate students;
• A supportive environment for scientific innovation and career advancement.

Further Information:
A 12-month FAPESP fellowship, with another 12-month extension available depending on performance, and with the possibility of additional 6-12 months abroad for developing research on project-related topics.

The postdoctoral researcher will work under the direct supervision of Prof. Tomas F. Domingues (FFCLRP-USP, Brazil).

For submission of the application, please send your full CV, 3 reference contacts and a motivation letter to tomas@ffclrp.usp.br

Applications will be received until April 18th, 2025.