Research Assistant/Associate in Eco-Evolutionary Demographic Modelling

Salary: 

Research Assistant:  £33,951 - £35,608 per annum

Research Associate: £36,636 - £46,049 per annum

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 18 May 2026

The Role

We are looking for a Postdoctoral Research Associate to develop and apply new modelling approaches to understand how development shapes population dynamics under environmental change. The role sits within a NERC-funded project on development-centric demography and will work closely with the PI and wider team. The postholder will lead modelling components of the project and contribute to integrating theory with empirical data.

The NERC-funded project develops a new development-centric framework for understanding adaptation under environmental change. Current models often treat phenotypes as fixed traits, overlooking the developmental processes through which organisms construct their phenotypes, creating a key “phenotypic gap” in demographic theory. The project integrates modelling, experiments and empirical data to understand how developmental trajectories (e.g. growth, maturation and resource allocation) shape survival, reproduction and adaptive potential. By treating organisms as active systems that regulate their own development and modify their environments, the work aims to improve predictions of population resilience and evolutionary responses to environmental change. The project builds on recent work developing a “development-centric” approach to demography (see Smallegange 2026, Academia Biology for an overview).

This is a full time, fixed term role available for the duration of 34 months.

For all informal enquiries please contact isabel.smallegange@ncl.ac.uk 

Key Accountabilities

• Develop and implement novel demographic and evolutionary models that incorporate developmental processes
• Lead the design and analysis of simulation studies to test hypotheses about adaptation under environmental change
• Integrate empirical data with modelling outputs to inform theory development
• Collaborate with project partners to align modelling with experimental and field components
• Contribute to the development of a coherent modelling framework across project work packages
• Publish research findings in high-quality peer-reviewed journals
• Present research at conferences and contribute to stakeholder-facing outputs
• Support open and reproducible research practices, including code sharing and documentation
• Contribute to a collaborative and inclusive research environment

The Person

Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours

• Demonstrable experience in quantitative or computational modelling
• Strong programming skills (e.g. R, MatLab, or similar)
• Ability to develop and analyse mathematical or simulation-based models
• Evidence of scientific writing (e.g. publications, preprints, or thesis chapters)
• Ability to work collaboratively across disciplines
• Strong organisational and communication skills

Desirable

• Experience in demographic or eco-evolutionary modelling
• Familiarity with trait-based or individual-based modelling approaches
• Experience working with empirical ecological or experimental data
• Interest in linking theory to applied conservation or adaptation challenges

Qualifications

• PhD in ecology, evolutionary biology, computational biology, applied mathematics, or a related field (Research Associate)
• Near Completion of a PhD in in ecology, evolutionary biology, computational biology, applied mathematics, or a related field (Research Assistant)

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.  As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society.  We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent.  We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a Gold Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality.  We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC.  We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe. 

Requisition ID: 29280