Postdoc Position: Plant Biodiversity and Drought on Estuarine Dikes

1. Introduction

BONSAI is a project within the EU programme Interreg North-West Europe that aims to enhance flood resilience in tidal estuaries across Western Europe by drawing insights from diverse climate zones and developing proactive adaptation strategies. The Department of Ecology is seeking a postdoctoral researcher to work on the BONSAI project and study the impact of drought events on dike vegetation and this vegetation’s resilience to subsequent flooding.

2. Job description

Your research will address two central questions:

1. How does the composition of vegetation on estuarine dikes vary along a European climate gradient?
2. How is dike vegetation in Northwestern Europe affected by extreme drought events, and how does plant species biodiversity contribute to mitigating such abiotic stress?

To answer these questions, you will conduct field surveys of dike vegetation at locations along the north-south climate gradient in Europe, and link your findings of vegetation patterns to potential future shifts driven by climate change. You will design and implement field trials to assess the effects of drought events on current dike vegetation at selected locations (e.g. the Netherlands, Belgium, France).

In addition, you will join in data collection and report on a current longer-term experiment on drought resilience of dike vegetation types at Radboud University's experimental garden, and develop a strategy for the continuation of this experiment. Moreover, in addition to these research activities, you will join the regular international meetings of the consortium and co-organise a theme day during a summer school (scheduled in 2027) on the role of dike grassland management in water safety and biodiversity. Lastly, you will co-design and teach an educational module on dike vegetation and biodiversity.

3. Profile

• You are passionate about both fundamental and applied research.
• You hold a recent PhD degree in biology, ecology, environmental science or another field related to the project topic, and have a demonstrated track record of scientific and/or applied research publications.
• Ideally, you have knowledge of Northwestern European plant species and a solid understanding of vegetation ecology.
• You have hands-on experience with ecological data collection and are proficient in data analysis and statistical methods.
• You are willing to travel to field sites across Europe, and, following training, can independently conduct vegetation surveys and collaborate effectively with local partners in the project.
• You have a good command of spoken and written English at C1 level.
• You like collaborating with other people in a cross-disciplinary and international setting. 

4. We are

You will join the BONSAI (Boosting flOod resilieNce in estuarine Systems Anticipating shifting climate zones) team, which is a multidisciplinary group of people based at knowledge centres such as the universities of Lille, Ghent, Louvain, Giessen, Middelburg and Nijmegen, and at institutes and agencies such as STOWA, INBO, Cerema, regional water boards and Rijkswaterstaat (Dutch Directorate-General for Public Works and Water Management). We have already shown to be a group of people willing to create new links and share refreshing views, providing ample opportunities for you to develop yourself professionally and explore future career options.

The Department of Ecology is a dynamic, collaborative and interdisciplinary team. We are a young and ambitious group of ecologists committed to preserving and promoting biodiversity and ecosystem health. Our department brings together aquatic and terrestrial ecologists focusing on plants, animals and microorganisms, and their interactions in a changing world. We are dedicated to conducting timely and innovative research that addresses both scientific and societal challenges. Your research will be integrated into ongoing studies of terrestrial ecology and plant performance and biodiversity, with opportunities for collaborating with colleagues across departments and with national and international partners. Particularly the interaction with the BONSAI project partners in the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Germany will be highly relevant.

Our department is part of the Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences (RIBES), which hosts research to understand the natural environment’s response to human impact.

Dr Eric Visser will be the main supervisor for the project.

5. We offer

• We will give you a temporary employment contract of 2,5 year(s).
• Your salary within salary scale 10 depends on your previous education and number of years of (relevant) work experience. The amounts in the scale are based on a 38-hour working week.
• You will receive an 8% holiday allowance and an 8,3% end-of-year bonus. 
• We offer Dual Career Coaching. The Dual Career Coaching assists your partner via support, tools, and resources to improve their chances of independently finding employment in the Netherlands. 
• 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 Eric Visser. 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 29 September. You will preferably start your employment on 1 November 2025.

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