[ES_JOBS_NET] Ph.D. Assistantship (Spring 2025) – Productivity, nutrient cycling and soil health in organic row crops and forages of North Florida

[Maltais-Landry,Gabriel]

We are seeking a Ph.D. research assistant to join an interdisciplinary team at the University of Florida working on organic row crops and forages of North Florida. The Ph.D. student will be chaired by Dr. Gabriel Maltais-Landry in the Department of Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences (Sustainable Nutrient Management Systems lab (https://soils.ifas.ufl.edu/sustainable-nutrient-management-systems/). The research assistant will conduct field and laboratory work to measure the effects of different systems (row crops vs. forages, reduced tillage or not) in organic systems. The primary focus will be on crop growth and productivity, nutrient cycling, and soil health. The assistantship is expected to start in Spring of 2025 and includes a twelve-month stipend and full tuition coverage over a four-year period.

The research assistant will focus on several of the following areas:
- Crop growth and yields of row crops used for grain and/or forage, as well as cover crops;
- Nutrient cycling, including nutrient cycling rates and nutrient budgets;
- Soil health, including measurements of different soil carbon indicators;
- Other research focus areas chosen by the research assistant to develop independent research that is complementary to measurements and experiments conducted as part of the main project.

The successful applicant will have all or some of the following:
- A degree in soil sciences or plant sciences (e.g., Agronomy) – a MS degree is preferred but applicants with a BS and a strong record of relevant work experience will be considered;
- Experience conducting field work in agroecosystems, ideally sampling crops and soils;
- Experience with field and lab protocols related to crop growth and nutrition, soil fertility, and soil health;
- Experience with basic statistical analyses (regression, ANOVA), ideally in R, and interest in expanding data analytical skills to more advanced methods;
- The capacity to work outside in hot and humid conditions during the Florida summer;
- A valid driver’s license – a valid US driver’s license is preferred, although applicants with a valid international driver’s license that can obtain a US license within two months of the start of the position will be considered.

Before applying officially, interested applicants are encouraged to contact Dr. Gabriel Maltais-Landry (maltaislandryg at ufl.edu<mailto:maltaislandryg at ufl.edu>) directly with a CV, a one-page letter of research experience and interests, and contact information (no letters required) of three referees, all in pdf format. Interested applicants should reach out by August 12, 2024, and be ready to formally apply to the Department of Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences and/or the School of Natural Resources and the Environment by September 1, 2024. Only selected applicants will be encouraged to formally apply.
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