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Animals routinely make decisions that affect their fitness, yet they do not always choose the optimal option. This NSF-funded project examines choice overload, a phenomenon in which decision-makers become overwhelmed by the number or complexity of available options, resulting in suboptimal decisions, delayed decisions, or failure to choose at all. The project will investigate three proposed drivers of choice overload: decision task difficulty, assortment complexity, and preference uncertainty. Using bumblebees as an experimental system, the postdoctoral researcher will conduct behavioral experiments that test how nectar rewards and other biologically relevant floral traits influence foraging decisions and decision quality.
The successful candidate will work closely with Dr. Claire Hemingway and project collaborators while contributing to experimental design, data collection, quantitative analyses, and dissemination of findings. This work is expected to advance understanding of animal decision making, behavioral ecology, cognition, and pollinator biology.
The anticipated start date is 11/1/2026 or as soon as possible thereafter. Funding is available for 2.5 years, contingent upon satisfactory performance and continued availability of funding. The initial appointment will be for one year and will serve as a probationary period, with continuation subject to successful performance review.
Responsibilities
The postdoctoral research position will involve collaborative experimental design, data collection and analysis, manuscript preparation, and participation in the development of external funding proposals. The successful candidate will lead experiments examining decision-making and choice overload in bumblebees, including studies of how decision task difficulty, assortment complexity, and preference uncertainty influence foraging behavior and decision outcomes. Responsibilities will include developing and conducting behavioral experiments, managing and analyzing data using reproducible research practices, publishing findings in peer-reviewed journals, and presenting research at scientific conferences. The postdoc will provide mentorship to undergraduate and graduate researchers in the lab and contribute to maintaining a collaborative, productive, and positive research environment. The position will also provide opportunities to participate in project outreach activities focused on animal behavior and decision-making science.
Research in the Hemingway Lab combines controlled behavioral experiments with quantitative and evolutionary approaches to understand how animals make decisions in complex environments. This position requires full-time, in-person work and will primarily involve laboratory-based research using bumblebees, with opportunities for collaborative research across study systems and disciplines. Candidates should be enthusiastic about animal behavior, experimental research, and quantitative analysis.
UTK is home to an interdisciplinary community of behavioral scholars called the Collaborative for Animal Behavior (CoLAB), which provides outstanding opportunities for mentorship, collaboration, professional development, and networking with researchers across a broad range of behavioral disciplines. Located near Great Smoky Mountains National Park and many other natural areas, Knoxville offers exceptional access to outdoor recreation while also supporting a vibrant arts, food, and music community.
Qualifications
Required Qualifications
Education:

• PhD in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, Entomology, Animal Behavior, Neurobiology, Environmental Science, or related discipline.
• ABD candidates will be considered if all degree requirements are completed before the start date.

Experience:

• Experience conducting biological research and quantitative data analysis.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Strong analytical and statistical skills
• Experience using R, Python, MATLAB, or similar software for data analysis
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively
• Ability to communicate scientific findings effectively
• Ability to manage research projects
• Ability to contribute to a positive laboratory environment

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with pollinators, insects, or other invertebrate study systems
  
  • Experience conducting behavioral assays and animal choice experiments
    
    • Experience with animal cognition, decision-making, sensory ecology, or behavioral ecology research
      
      • Strong quantitative background, including mixed modeling, experimental design, or computational approaches
      • Experience managing independent research projects from conception to publication
      • Interest in developing independent research questions related to animal decision making, cognition, and behavioral ecology

Work Location

• Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
• Onsite

Compensation and Benefits

• Anticipated hiring range: $60,000-$62,000
• Find more information on UT Benefits here

Application Instructions
For full consideration, the following application materials should be included in the online application:

• Curriculum vitae
• Cover letter that includes:
  
  • the candidate's educational background and prior research experience,
  • current research focus and future research goals, including what topic(s) they hope to pursue as a postdoc in the Hemingway Lab
  • perceived competencies and experience in relevant skills, including scientific writing, coding, statistical analysis, and experimental methods,
  • what they hope to gain from this position and how it will support their long-term development as a scientist
• A PDF of a first-author publication (published or in press)
• Two letters of recommendation emailed by your recommender directly to Dr. Claire Hemingway (chemingw@utk.edu).

About The Department
EEB is in the top 10% of ecology programs in North America based on research impact (Keville et al., 2017), ahead of peer institutions such as UCLA and UC San Diego. Our faculty and students come from around the globe. Our faculty is a mix of internationally known senior researchers and an energetic group of junior faculty at the cutting edges of their fields. We train graduate and undergraduate students with research interests in ecology, evolutionary biology, animal behavior, conservation biology, behavioral and population genetics, computational biology, development of theory for evolution and ecology, ecosystem and community ecology, global change biology, diverse areas of organismal biology, and biology education.
About Us
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has shaped leaders, changemakers, and innovative thinkers since its founding in 1794. The university is home to more than 38,000 students and 10,000 statewide employees-the Volunteers-who uphold the university's tradition of lighting the way for others through leadership and service.
UT Knoxville offers over 900 programs of study across 14 degree-granting colleges and schools. As Tennessee's flagship land-grant university, its footprint spans the entire state. The university holds the highest Carnegie classification for research activity and has deep partnerships with industry leaders and the US Department of Energy's largest multidisciplinary laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
The Knoxville campus serves and recruits for UT Knoxville, including the Institute of Agriculture and the Space Institute, as well as the UT Institute of Public Service.
UT Knoxville considers its employees its number one asset. With values that focus on work-life balance, compensation, and innovation leadership, all Vols are supported to advance professionally. Employees have access to career development and coaching, continued education, and an extensive list of development and training possibilities. The Volunteer employee experience implements structures and practices to attract and retain top-tier talent, fostering a strong staff community and supporting a culture of involvement and engagement for everyone.
The university holds a strong commitment to its land-grant mission of learning and engagement, with a tradition of service and leadership that carries that Volunteer spirit throughout the state and around the world. It has been ranked nationally as "Best Employer for New Graduates," "One of America's Best Large Employers," and "Best Workplace for Women," and has been designated as "Best Place for Working Parents" by Forbes Magazine.
Apply today and join the Tennessee Volunteer community!