About the role
The School of Biological and Marine Sciences, at the University of Plymouth, invites applications for a number of Doctoral Teaching Assistantship positions.
The School is advertising for at least 3 Doctoral Teaching Assistantships (DTAs) to join its postgraduate research community of over 70 researchers who work across a variety of disciplines recognised as world-leading in Biological Sciences, Marine Biology and Marine Sciences. The School is comprised of over 70 academics, 40 technical staff and around 1,200 students. Facilities include a £4.65 million Marine Station with several research boats and diving facilities, alongside newly refurbished, state-of-the-art teaching, and research facilities.
It is anticipated that these positions will be spread across the three main areas of the school (Biological Sciences, Marine Biology, Marine Science). Both teaching and PhD activities will be undertaken concurrently. The positions will consist of (i) a part time (0.50 FTE) - actual salary (£24,699) teaching contract at Grade 6; and (ii) a part-time PhD (0.50 FTE) offered for a 5-year period (covering 4 years of doctoral study plus 1 year writing up).
In addition to the PhD Fee Scholarship, you will be trained to undertake teaching within a relevant subject area alongside our Undergraduate Programme teams as well as participating in our research activities. You will not be expected to teach more than the hours indicated as part of the fractional post you are applying for (factoring for 8 weeks holiday entitlement). This will be paid at Grade 6 on the University's pay spine. Research training will be supported through the University's Doctoral College, and the Researcher development programme, and you may be required to attend a 'research skills' module.
You will pursue a PhD degree supported by world class research teams and gain professional teaching experience within one or more of the areas indicated above.
You are required to have a good honours degree (1st Class or an Upper 2:1) and possibly a master’s degree in a relevant subject, and a strong wish to pursue one of the advertised PhD projects. You will likely also be interested in a career in the Higher Education Sector, specifically in teaching and research, and thus need to possess excellent communication and team working skills. You must select one of the 4 PhD projects listed below and explain in your application why this topic is of interest, and what you feel you can bring to the project. You are encouraged to make contact with the relevant PhD supervisor before application.
Potential DTA PhD projects:
1. How shall summer’s honey breath hold out? Introgression, local adaptation and conservation of free-living honeybees
Lead Supervisor, Dr Jonathan Ellis -
[email protected]2. Stressing about the wrong thing? Determining the long-term impacts of methodological short-cuts of salt stress treatments in crops
Lead Supervisor, Dr Anne Plessis -
[email protected]3. Hear, Hear! Molecular Evolution of Hearing in Lizards and Snakes
Lead Supervisor, Dr Bruno Simões -
[email protected]4. Drivers and impacts of darkening in the global ocean
Lead Supervisor, Dr Tom Davies –
[email protected]5. South Sandwich Islands submarine geohazards and future risks
Lead Supervisor, Dr Jenny Gales -
[email protected]6. Investigating foraging associations between seabirds and top marine predators
Lead Supervisor, Dr Tom Letessier -
[email protected]7. Is Cope’s Rule true? Using marine microfossils to investigate macroevolutionary dynamics
Lead Supervisor, Dr Tracey Aze -
[email protected]8. Environmental drivers of recruitment dynamics in sandy beach fishes
Lead Supervisor, Dr Ben Ciotti –
[email protected]9. Regulating emerging pharmaceutical contaminants under global climate change: the need for a multistressor, physiological approach
Lead Supervisor, Dr Michael Collins -
[email protected]10. Predicting marine biodiversity heatwave vulnerability at management relevant scales: A novel approach for adaptive conservation
Lead Supervisor, Dr Manuela Truebano -
[email protected]11. How rare is the tentacled lagoon worm? - a conservation physiology approach
Lead Supervisor, Dr Lucy Turner -
[email protected]For an informal discussion to find out more about these projects, please contact the project leader directly by e-mail. For general information about the DTA role contact Dr Mick Hanley by email at
[email protected]Unfortunately, we cannot provide sponsorship for these posts, candidates must therefore hold the right to work and study in the UK before application.
A current full driving licence (manual transmission) is essential as you will be driving University of Plymouth vehicles. These roles are also subject to health surveillance with our Occupational Health team.
Interviews are scheduled to take place on Tuesday 4 March 2025, and you will be notified if you have been shortlisted or not.
These are part-time, fixed-term positions for 5 years, due to funding, working 24 hours a week.
We regret that there is no opportunity to work from home in this position.
Following the closing date of the vacancy, you will be notified on the outcome of your application in due course.
Our Offer
When joining us, you will receive:
• Generous annual leave: 25 Days Annual Leave plus Bank Holidays & Closure Days
• Generous pension scheme
• Cycle to Work & Electric Car Scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Development opportunities
• Enhanced family leave
• Flexible working
• Retailer discounts
• On-site nursery
Additional Information
The University of Plymouth is an inclusive community where everyone is welcomed regardless of their background. To find out more about our inclusive community initiatives, such as Athena Swan and the Race Equality Charter, please visit our Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion webpages.
We particularly welcome applicants from under-represented communities at the University of Plymouth, such as carers/parents, people with disabilities, ethnically diverse, LGBT+, and people from all socio-economic backgrounds.
