Research Assistant

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Beekeeper Research Assistant

£28, - £31, p.a. pro rata

This is a fixed term contract ending 31st May

About the Role

This role is an externally funded fixed term ending 31st May .

We are seeking a candidate, with beekeeping background, to work as a Research Assistant as part of a multidisciplinary team in support of research funded by the EU under the project grant “Better-B”. The successful candidate will help us breed honeybees, will look after our semi-professional apiary and will also underpin fundamental research into novel monitoring techniques of hives.

The vision of the Better-B consortium is that the key to resilient beekeeping is to harness the power of nature to restore harmony and balance inside the honeybee colony and between the colony and the environment, both of which have been disturbed by human activities.

The overall aim of the EU funded Better-B project is to improve the resilience of beekeeping to abiotic stresses such as climate change, habitat loss and hazardous chemicals. Honeybee colonies are often poorly adapted to cope with these stresses, in no small part due to modern beekeeping practices.

We believe that the path to harmony and balance is shown by Darwinian colonies: abandoned colonies and feral colonies that have survived in the wild. However, such colonies usually lack many favourable characteristics that are important in modern beekeeping. The solution we propose here is to understand the processes and mechanisms that apply in nature and to adapt modern beekeeping practices and decision making accordingly, and when appropriate using the benefits of advanced technologies.

The role will involve working in close collaboration with our partner organisations within the Better-B consortium. This is an ideal opportunity to make a valuable contribution to impactful research, and to contribute to making the beekeeping practice sustainable.

The successful candidate will be fully involved in helping us breed bees that are varroa resistant, involving preparing and maintaining beekeeping hardware, splitting colonies (up to ), transporting them to our mating island, preparing and using Apidea mini-nucs to have additional queens mated, bringing back the hives to Nottingham, feeding them and running monthly inspections. Eight to sixteen of our colonies are also monitored automatically, and the successful candidate will also contribute to the management of this digital data, and for the entire consortium. This will involve checking the quality of the automatically monitored data and liaising with the device manufacturer where necessary, and processing the data.

You will have a B.Sc. or preferably a masters in science in a relevant field and a good record of academic excellence. You will have good experience in beekeeping. 

An honours degree in a scientific discipline is required.

Interviews w/c 6th January

About Us

The School of Science and Technology at Nottingham Trent University (NTU) is an exciting multidisciplinary environment for learning, teaching and research, with some of the best facilities in the UK.

We pride ourselves on delivering high-quality teaching and diverse, real-world research. We specialise in biosciences, chemistry, computing and technology, as well as engineering, forensic science, mathematics, physics and sport science. This mix of traditional and modern subjects encourages and inspires future innovators.

Our Physics department has a strong track record of gaining high-calibre research finding and delivering international impact in areas as diverse as acoustic monitoring of honeybees, art conservation and wastewater treatment.

For any informal queries about the role or the team, please contact Professor Martin Bencsik at .

Join Us

Come and be part of our success. Apply today.

Safe and Inclusive

At NTU, we continue to build an inclusive culture that encourages, supports and celebrates the diverse voices and experiences of our students and colleagues. We welcome the unique contributions that you can bring and we encourage people from underrepresented communities and backgrounds to apply to join our team.

Please note that unfortunately, this role has been assessed as ineligible for sponsorship under the UK Visas & Immigration points-based immigration system, upcoming immigration rules (4th April ) changes may impact on eligibility for sponsorship, we recommend that you assess your eligibility before applying for this position.

Visit more information. However, applications are welcome from candidates who do not currently have the right to work in the UK, but who would be eligible to obtain a valid visa via another route. Please consult the for further information.

Please note that this role is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act and successful applicants will be asked to declare any unspent criminal convictions.