SAFW Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Entomology (A/B)

(Level A) $81,293 – $109,307, (Level B) $114,917 – $135,932 per annum plus an employer contribution of 17% superannuation.

2 x Full time fixed term contracts until 30 April 2028.

The School of Agriculture, Food and Wine seeks to appoint two researchers to conduct research in entomology applied to integrated pest management in agricultural systems of southern Australia.

As part of a project funded by the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), the University of Adelaide will investigate the feeding ecology and economic impact of soil-dwelling invertebrate pests of Australian grain crops, focusing on the European earwig, Portuguese millipede, and isopods (slaters and pill pugs). These invertebrates are associated with feeding damage during crop establishment in grain crops of southern and western Australia. The research will generate new knowledge to contribute to the development of management strategies for these pests.

The ideal candidates will have a PhD in agricultural entomology or closely related field and interest in advancing knowledge that will create impact for Australian grain growers. The successful appointees will conduct field and lab studies to investigate the biology and pest status of earwigs, millipedes, and isopods in Australian agricultural ecosystems. Research areas will include the life history of isopods in cropping environments, endosymbiont infections, interactions between environmental conditions and feeding behaviour for key species, crop seedling susceptibility to pest attack, and direct and indirect impacts of pest activity on crop yield and value.