PhD Position: Dynamic Modelling of Vegetation Responses to Nature Restoration Actions - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

1. Introduction

Are you interested in understanding how nature restoration actions affect habitats and ecosystems? If so, come and join us to develop and apply a new dynamic vegetation modelling approach to uncover the effect of restoration measures on habitat condition.

2. Job description

As a result of increasing human activities across the globe, many landscapes have become degraded. In Europe, over 80% of habitats are in poor condition, and 75% of the species have a poor conservation status. Restoration is proposed as a vital strategy for the long-term and sustained recovery of biodiverse and resilient European ecosystems, but a lot is still unknown regarding the time- and context-dependent responses of species and habitats to restoration measures.

In this project you will build upon existing dynamic vegetation models to simulate the effects of different types of restoration actions on habitats across Europe. You will review existing dynamic vegetation models that can simulate recolonisation processes and vegetation succession in response to a wide range of restoration approaches—from reducing environmental pressures to implementing targeted interventions such as disturbance control or seed sowing. You will then select and further develop a dynamic vegetation model so that it can account for key external drivers, for example climate change and nitrogen deposition, on vegetation growth and development. Using this extended dynamic vegetation model, you will evaluate both the potential benefits of restoration measures and the degree to which global changes, such as shifts in climate and land use, may limit their effectiveness. Finally, you will apply the extended model to selected regions across Europe to simulate how different restoration actions are likely to influence habitat trajectories and outcomes.

These efforts will contribute to a European project focused on understanding ecological responses to nature restoration measures. Besides the research activities, you will contribute 10% of your working time to teaching activities to help you develop your teaching skills and further qualify for a career as an independent academic researcher.

Would you like to learn more about what it’s like to pursue a PhD at Radboud University? Visit the page about working as a PhD candidate. 

3. Profile

• You have an MSc degree in biology, ecology or a relevant related field within the natural sciences.
• You are driven to contribute to a better understanding of broad-scale biodiversity change.
• You have a strong interest in process-based ecological modelling.
• You have experience in at least one common high-level programming language (e.g. R, Python, Matlab).
• You enjoy working in multidisciplinary, international teams. 
• You have good communication skills in both written and spoken English.

4. We are

You will be based at the Department of Environmental Science of the Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences (RIBES), which is part of Radboud University (Nijmegen, Netherlands). The mission of the Department of Environmental Science is to provide scientific knowledge to support sustainable transitions. To achieve this, we aim to understand, project and address the impact of anthropogenic pressures on ecosystems and humans from the landscape to the global scale. This enables us to explore and develop wide-ranging sustainable solutions for the environmental challenges the world faces today. We are a diverse group that fosters a pleasant, collaborative and lively atmosphere.

5. We offer

• We will give you a temporary employment contract (1.0 FTE) of 1.5 years, after which your performance will be evaluated. If the evaluation is positive, your contract will be extended by 2.5 years (4-year contract).     
• You will receive a starting salary of €3,059 gross per month based on a 38-hour working week, which will increase to €3,881 in the fourth year (salary scale P).
• You will receive an 8% holiday allowance and an 8,3% end-of-year bonus. 
• You will receive extra days off. With full-time employment, you can choose between 30 or 41 days of annual leave instead of the statutory 20. 

6. Practical information and applying

You can apply only via the button below. Address your letter of application to Jelle Hilbers. In the application form, you will find which documents you need to include with your application. We look forward to receiving your application.

The first interviews will take place on Monday 15, Wednesday 17, and/or Thursday 18 June. You will preferably start your employment on 1 September 2026.

We can imagine you're curious about our application procedure. It describes what you can expect during the application procedure and how we handle your personal data and internal and external candidates.