The Tanner Lab (Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Department of Psychology & Neuroscience) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) is seeking up to two motivated postdoctoral research associates to conduct acoustic communication research in non-human animals.

The successful candidate will contribute to broad research themes in the lab, including the evolution of acoustic signals by sexual selection and decision-making in complex natural contexts. Current efforts in the lab explore how pre- and post-copulatory sexual selection shape sexual signals; choice overload and its consequences for decision making in animals; constraints to the expression of mating preferences, especially the effects of noise; and the causes and consequences of within-individual variation in acoustic signaling. The Tanner lab has two large (3.9 m length x 3.4 m width x 2.6 m height) state-of-the-art, temperature-controlled, semi-anechoic chambers available for studies of acoustic communication behaviors. We work primarily in frogs native to our location in East Tennessee, especially gray and green treefrogs (Dryophytes chrysoscelis and D. cinerea), but also with field crickets (Gryllidae). We are open to candidates excited about working in any of these systems, and potentially in more than one.

The preferred start date for this position is June 1, 2026 or as soon as possible. Funding is available for up to two years, contingent upon start date, performance, and the availability of funding. Extensions beyond June 2028 would require the acquisition of additional external funding. Salary will be competitive, commensurate with experience, and inclusive of benefits.

Required Qualifications

Education:

• A PhD in ecology, evolution, and behavior; integrative or organismal biology; neuroscience and behavior; or a closely related field.

• Applicants who are ABD will be considered, provided that all PhD requirements are completed by the start date

Experience:

• Experience in collecting and scoring animal behavior data

• A strong record of publication appropriate to career stage demonstrating the ability to bring projects to completion

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

• Availability to work flexibly during hours that will include nights and weekends during the field season in order to collect and/or study nocturnally behaving animals in the field.

• A valid driver’s license and ability to drive at night

• Ability to contribute to the development of external funding proposals

• Ability to design reproducible experiments and analyze data using coding environments such as R, MATLAB, and/or Python

• Interest in mentoring student researchers and contributing to a collaborative laboratory environment

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without need now or in the future for sponsorship for employment-based visa status.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience:

• Preferred experience in either pre- or postcopulatory sexual selection.

• Preferred experience working with sound and acoustic signals, though candidates whose experience is in other modalities will be considered.

• Preferred skill in working with live animals, especially frogs and/or insects.

Work Location

• Knoxville, TN

• Onsite

Compensation and Benefits

• Find more information on UT Benefits here

Application Instructions

In addition to the online application, please send the following materials to Dr. Jessie Tanner (tanner@utk.edu):

1. Curriculum vitae

2. A cover letter that includes:

1. the candidate’s educational background and prior research experience,

2. current research focus and future research goals, including what topic(s) they hope to pursue as a postdoc in the Tanner Lab

3. perceived competencies and experience in relevant skills, including scientific writing, coding, statistical analysis, and experimental methods,

4. what they hope to gain from this position and how it will support their long-term development as a scientist

c. Two letters of recommendation emailed by your recommender directly to Dr. Jessie Tanner (tanner@utk.edu).

d. A PDF of a first-author publication (published or in press)

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.

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 postdoc will provide mentorship to undergraduate and graduate researchers in the lab and contribute to maintaining a collaborative, productive, and positive research environment.

Research in the Tanner Lab combines controlled laboratory and field experiments with frequent field collection of wild animals; interest in and availability to work outdoors at night is essential. This position requires full-time, in-person work. Seasonal but regularly-occurring night and weekend research effort is necessary during experiments because we work on nocturnal animals with seasonal communication behaviors. Willingness and ability (i.e., a valid driver’s license) to drive a vehicle to and from field sites at night is a requirement.

UTK is home to a vibrant interdisciplinary community of behavioral scholars called the Collaborative for Animal Behavior (https://artsci.utk.edu/research-and-creative-activity/research-centers-and-institutes/colab/), which will provide many opportunities for mentorship, collaboration and networking to early career scholars. Located in proximity to Great Smoky Mountains National Park and many other natural areas, Knoxville offers excellent access to nature as well as incredible access to a local and national music scene.