The Opportunity

• Do you have, or will shortly obtain, a PhD in crop physiology or agronomy?
• Want to be part of an international research project on wheat adaptation?
• Join CSIRO Agriculture & Food and make a difference!

CSIRO Agriculture & Food is seeking a highly motivated and creative Postdoctoral Fellow to be part of an international research project on adaptation of wheat that is co-funded by CSIRO and the Grains Research and Development Corporation under the International Wheat Yield Partnership (IWYP).

In the project, you will use the APSIM Cropping Systems model, a software system co-developed by CSIRO, in conjunction with datasets from partners in Australia, UK (John Innes Centre), Mexico (CIMMYT), Spain (U Lleida) and Argentina (U Buenos Aires). The objective is to use the model to simulate the growth of spring wheat across global locations where it is sown, in order to provide information on how to genetically improve the yield of wheat through manipulation of development processes that affect flowering time and grain number per unit area.

Postdoctoral Fellows work closely with a leading Research Scientist or Engineer in their respective field. In this role, you will carry out innovative, impactful research of strategic importance to CSIRO with the possibility of novel and important scientific outcomes.

Your duties will include:

• Collation and organisation of datasets from past research done by project partners and as published in the literature or by other researchers in CSIRO and elsewhere.
• Analysis to develop new algorithms that improve the capability of the wheat model to simulate flowering time and grain number  
• Validation to check the functionality of the simulation model.
• Collation and simulation analysis of wheat flowering time, growth and yield across global key reference locations which have been selected in conjunction with wheat agronomists and breeders.
• Producing high quality scientific papers and reports suitable for publication in quality journals, for client reports and granting of patents.
• Preparing appropriate conference papers and presenting them at conferences.

Location:      St Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland
Salary:          AU$82k- AU$93k plus up to 15.4% superannuation
Tenure:         Specified term of 2 years and 6 months
Reference:    58085

To be successful you will need

• A doctorate (or will shortly satisfy the requirements of a PhD) in a relevant discipline area, such as crop physiology, agronomy, modelling and breeding. Please note: To be eligible for this role you must have no more than 3.5 years of relevant postdoctoral experience.
• Training in a relevant area of crop physiology, agronomy, modelling or breeding and clear understanding of the physiology of crop adaptation, especially as pertaining to flowering time and grain development.
• Direct experience in the statistical analysis of datasets from agricultural trials and interpretation/computation of physiological parameters, especially as related to environmental factors.
• Experience in, or demonstrated capability to develop skills in the development and improvement of algorithms in crop simulation models

For details about who to contact and for more information please view the Position Description

Flexible Working Arrangements

We work flexibly at CSIRO, offering a range of options for how, when and where you work. Talk to us about how this role could be flexible for you. Balance

About CSIRO

At CSIRO you can be part of helping to solve big, complex problems that make a real difference to our future. We spark off each other, learn from each other, trust each other and collaborate to achieve more than we could individually in a supportive, rewarding, inclusive and truly flexible environment. 

Apply Online

To apply online, please provide a CV and cover letter outlining your suitability and motivation for the role.

Applications Close

30 November 2018 unless filled prior