[What the role is]
The Singapore Botanic Gardens (SBG) is one of the oldest tropical botanical gardens and one of only three botanic gardens in the world inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The SBG is a Division of the National Parks Board, the statutory agency responsible for managing greenery and biodiversity in Singapore.
SBG now also hosts a Tropical Forest Ecology Research (TFER) programme to coordinate research to inform forest management strategies and policy in Singapore and the region. Singapore’s geographic position at the heart of Southeast Asia and places SBG in an advantageous position to address challenges facing forest conservation and restoration in the region. The programme maintains long-term forest research sites such as a network of permanent forest plots throughout Singapore’s nature reserves and parks where other research projects on wildlife, nutrient cycling, etc., are co-located to maximise potential synergies.
[What you will be working on]
You will be a member of the team that coordinates the TFER programme. You will be the point of contact for research on plant-animal interactions in Singapore’s forests. We are particularly seeking researchers with expertise or interests in investigating the role that invertebrates (e.g., insects) play in forest ecosystem processes (e.g., pollination, herbivory, decomposition, succession) and resilience against short-term disturbances and long-term pressures (e.g., climate change, urbanisation, etc.).
Specifically, you will:
• Drive exciting research projects to understand forest ecosystem functioning in Singapore that would be relevant to other tropical regions.
• Facilitate collaborations with external researchers to build up and make use of rich, long-term datasets; and internally with end-users to translate research into action.
• Scope problem statements for research projects to be awarded through grant calls to external researchers.
• Analyze data, publish findings in reputable peer-reviewed journals and share findings at scientific conferences.
• Share on tropical forest science and conservation with non-scientist stakeholders, internally as well as with the general public through giving public talks and guest lectures, mentoring students, publishing popular scientific articles, interviews with the media, etc.
• Support Science & Technology functions within the National Parks Board, including involvement in projects on other research programmes, involvement in workshops and working groups, etc.
[What we are looking for]
• PhD in Ecology or related disciplines.
• Keen interest in the ecology of forests of tropical Asia, plant-animal interactions, and ecological applications.
• Scientific agility to carry out research beyond original area of expertise.
• Experience with research project management, including writing research proposals, managing research teams and logistics, and data management.
• Proficiency in the statistical programming language R and Geographic Information Systems software.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in the English language.
• Demonstrated track record of publishing in reputable scientific journals.
• Self-motivated, organised, and independent.
• Good interpersonal skills and ability to work in a team environment under time pressure.
• Open-minded and willing to take on roles and responsibilities to support the organisation’s functions and mission.
• Preferably possess a Singapore Class 3 driving license or equivalent.
We regret to inform only shortlisted candidates are notified.
