Postdoctoral Fellow in Canberra

Help protect Australia's environments, industries and communities from the next generation of invasive plant species. This postdoctoral position offers the chance to lead development of a nationally significant dataset on Australia's introduced flora, working at the forefront of horizon-scanning research to identify high-risk weeds before they arrive and establish — directly informing national and state biosecurity policy, including the Australian Weed Strategy and NSW New Weed Incursion Plan.

Contribute to a high-impact national biosecurity initiative with direct policy influence. Build advanced skills in invasion ecology, large-scale data synthesis, and weed risk prioritisation, while establishing collaborative relationships with herbaria, government agencies, and researchers nationally.

About the opportunity: This position is a fixed term for a period of 12 months to contribute to a project identifying and prioritising Australia's next potential invasive plant species. Working closely with Professor Jane Catford and a network of collaborators, the postdoctoral researcher will help develop an up-to-date national list of introduced flora, identify high-risk weed species with probable entry pathways into Australia, and curate the underpinning datasets to support future weed risk assessment and prioritisation.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Compiling and maintaining an up-to-date national list of Australia's introduced flora, in collaboration with state and territory herbaria.
• Identifying high-risk weed species not yet present in Australia and assessing their likely entry pathways.
• Curing project datasets and developing approaches for prioritising species for future weed risk assessment.
• Liaising with a network of leading weed botanists, plant ecologists, herbaria and biosecurity experts across every Australian state and territory, in addition to key project partners.

The role is based in Jane Catford’s Ecological Change research group at the Australian National University. The successful candidate will also work closely with key partners at the National Herbarium of NSW, Botanic Gardens of Sydney (Dr Patricia Lu-Irving) and Western Sydney University's Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment (Prof. Rachael Gallagher), and the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, the project's funder (Dr Stephen Johnson).

Applications are particularly invited from researchers who undertake high impact collaborative and cross-disciplinary research, and whose interests and expertise contribute to the activity cluster, School, and College.

About the School/Department: Fenner School of Environment and Society (FSES) is a world-leading centre for cross-disciplinary environmental and sustainability research, education and policy-relevant advice. Through cutting-edge research and insightful analysis, our academic experts create social, economic and environmental impact and deliver real-world solutions to address complex environmental challenges.

About the College: As one of the great universities of the world, ANU is driven by a culture of excellence in everything we do. Our lived experience is increasingly one of large-scale systems of people, whose actions and interactions are influenced by our digital, physical and biological environment.

We welcome and openly acknowledge differences in expertise, research / education / professional focus, experience and perspective.

Enquiries: To enquire about this role, please contact Prof. Jane Catford, ARC Future Fellow, via email.

Our commitment to diversity, belonging, inclusion and equity: ANU is committed to building a diverse and inclusive community, and particularly welcomes applications from women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and candidates from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

What we offer: The ANU provides attractive benefits and excellent support to maintain a healthy work/life balance and offers generous remuneration benefits, including four weeks paid vacation per year, assistance with relocation expenses and 17% employer contribution to superannuation.

How to apply: Applicants must apply online via the ANU recruitment portal and should upload the following separate documents:

• A detailed curriculum vitae (CV) including a full publication list and the names and contact details of at least three referees (preferably including a current or previous supervisor).
• A 2-page statement addressing the selection criteria.
• A short statement addressing past and/or potential contributions to diversity through research, teaching, and/or service (up to half a page).
• (Optional for applicants) achievement relative to opportunity statement where appropriate.
• Other documents, if required.

Applications that do not address the selection criteria may not be considered for the position. The committee will consider candidates who do not meet one or more aspects of the selection criteria.