Postdoctoral Fellow

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Closing Date:

11/20/2025

Type of Position:

Researchers and ScientistsNo

Job Type:

Fixed Duration of Project/Grant (Fixed Term)Day Shift (United States of America)No

Institution Name:

University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas is a land grant institution, classified by the Carnegie Foundation among the nation’s top 2 percent of universities with the highest level of research activity. The University of Arkansas works to advance the state and build a better world through education, research, and outreach by providing transformational opportunities and skills, fostering a welcoming climate, and nurturing creativity, discovery, and the spread of new ideas and innovations.

The University of Arkansas campus is located in Fayetteville, a welcoming community ranked as one of the best places to live in the U.S. The growing region surrounding Fayetteville is home to numerous Fortune 500 companies and one of the nation’s strongest economies. Northwest Arkansas is also quickly gaining a national reputation for its focus on the arts and overall quality of life.

As an employer, the University of Arkansas offers a vibrant work environment and a workplace culture that promotes a healthy work-life balance. The benefits package includes university contributions to health, dental, life and disability insurance, tuition waivers for employees and their families, 12 official holidays, immediate leave accrual, and a choice of retirement programs with university contributions ranging from 5 to 10% of employee salary.

Below you will find the details for the position including any supplementary documentation and questions, you should review before applying for the opening.

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Department:

Department of Biological Sciences Research Assistants 35

Summary of Job Duties:

We are hiring a full-time postdoctoral researcher to work on an international project focused on zoonotic disease prevention through research and capacity building in East Africa. The role will combine basic field research with community engagement/project management in a roughly 50/50 split. The wider project is funded by the European Union and administered by the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH, formerly OIE) and project partners across 17 African countries. Focal countries for the PI team are Kenya, Tanzania, and Rwanda, and the postdoc can expect to travel to each of these countries at least once per year with other team members, and well as participate in occasional WOAH-led events at other African locations and potentially WOAH headquarters in Paris.

Duties for the role are diverse. The successful candidate will design and lead research at the wildlife-human interface. Our group’s expertise is primarily in bat- and rodent-borne viruses, and while research with these taxa will be required, other ideas will be welcomed. The other half of the role will consist of planning and implementing educational and capacity-building activities in African communities, such as school groups, as well as project management, and mentoring of students studying in our US lab and at partner institutions in Africa.

This unique opportunity will build skills and connections in international project management and working with intergovernmental agencies. The successful applicant should be adaptable, motivated, and have strong interpersonal skills. They should embrace One Health philosophies and have a strong passion for capacity building and zoonotic disease prevention in developing countries.

Regular, reliable, and non-disruptive attendance is an essential job duty, as is the ability to create and maintain collegial, harmonious working relationships with others.

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications:

• PhD in biology, epidemiology, public health, anthropology, conservation social sciences, environmental sciences, or related field

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience conducting field research with wildlife – particularly small mammals (e.g. bats, rodents)

• Experience conducting research in international settings, especially east Africa

• Experience working with diverse stakeholders, including local communities

• Experience conducting community education, public health workshops, or similar

• Experience in mentorship of junior colleagues and students

Additional Information:

This is a 2-year appointment based at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, renewable based on the need for the position, availability of funding, and continued satisfactory level of performance in the role.

$50,000Cover Letter/Letter of Application, Curriculum Vitae, List of three Professional References (name, email, business title)Proof of Veteran StatusKristian Forbes, Associate Professor, kmforbes@uark.edu

All application materials must be uploaded to the University of Arkansas System Career Site https://uasys.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/UASYS

Please do not send to listed recruitment contact.

Special Instructions to Applicants:

Please ensure you upload a concise cover letter highlighting pertinent experience and motivation for the position.

Pre-employment Screening Requirements:

Criminal Background Check, Sex Offender Registry

The University of Arkansas is committed to providing a safe campus community. We conduct background checks for applicants being considered for employment. Background checks include a criminal background check and a sex offender registry check. For certain positions, there may also be a financial (credit) background check, a Motor Vehicle Registry (MVR) check, and/or drug screening. Required checks are identified in the position listing. A criminal conviction or arrest pending adjudication or adverse financial history information alone shall not disqualify an applicant in the absence of a relationship to the requirements of the position. Background check information will be used in a confidential, non-discriminatory manner consistent with state and federal law.

The University of Arkansas seeks to attract, develop and retain high quality faculty, staff and administrators that consistently display practices and behaviors to advance a culture that embeds equal opportunity, educational excellence and unparalleled access for all.

The University of Arkansas is an equal opportunity institution. The University does not discriminate in its education programs or activities (including in admission and employment) on the basis of any category or status protected by law, including age, race, color, national origin, disability, religion, protected veteran status, military service, genetic information, sex, sexual orientation, or pregnancy. Questions or concerns about the application of Title IX, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, may be sent to the University’s Title IX Coordinator and to the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights.

Persons must have proof of legal authority to work in the United States on the first day of employment.

All Application information is subject to public disclosure under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act.

Constant Physical Activity:

N/A

Frequent Physical Activity:

N/A

Occasional Physical Activity:

N/A

Benefits Eligible:

Yes