PhD position in Circular Nutrients and Water in Zeeland

Your job

Are you a curiosity driven and highly motivated researcher with a fascination for systems analysis of current nutrient and water flows? Would you like understand how nutrient and water flows will change through future developments, for example, climate change or increased circularity? Do you like to explore the potential for increased use efficiency of nutrients and water as well as new and existing recycling or recovery pathways? Then you could be the ideal PhD candidate to join our team!

Why this PhD position?
This project strives towards finding solutions and/or innovations for optimizing the resource cycles of nutrients and water in the province of Zeeland. This implies preventing unwanted leaks from the cycles and promoting its intentional use by recovery and re-use. The main pathways of the nutrients and water are known. However, the magnitude of anthropogenic and natural macro-nutrient flows is not known and the same thus holds for a nutrient budget (what goes in and out and what is released to the (marine) environment), as well as a detailed water balance. In addition, potential perturbations in the water and nutrient flows due to climate change have not been evaluated. All are crucial to assess the major opportunities for circularity.

What will you do?
Using Material Flow Analysis, the current pathways and quantity for water, carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus inputs, internal recycling and outputs will be mapped. Existing data could be supplemented with newly generated data on e.g. water quality of agricultural run-off. The outputs to soil, air and water (i.e., the sinks) will be compared to critical outputs based on local environmental thresholds, and to critical losses and input. System dynamics will incorporate the influence of seasonality and possible changes in land use or crop choice. Taking this inventory as a basis, future scenarios of freshwater supply and demand can be evaluated to assess the future needs of fresh water in the region. For the nutrients, an inventory, followed by an evaluation, will be made of possible technologies or recovery cases.

You will work here
You will be involved in an exciting new institute (1 year old) focussed on the issues in the Zeeland delta and with a wider goal to address these in other deltas. Your contribution in research and education will be part of one of three projects that are linked and will be shaping the research agenda for the future. The research is performed at the Delta Climate Center in Vlissingen, but occasionally also at the Environmental Technology (ETE) department in Wageningen.

The main three themes of the Delta Climate Center are food security, water security and availability and circularity in which all six partners of the DCC are involved: Scalda, Hogeschool Zeeland, University College Roosevelt, NIOZ, Utrecht University and Wageningen University and research. You will become member of the ‘Biorecovery’ subgroup of ETE, which is led by prof. Annemiek ter Heijne. You will be supervised by dr. Paula van den Brink, dr. Hans Cappon and dr. Renata van der Weijden.

Your qualities

• you have – or will soon obtain - an MSc degree in environmental engineering, environmental technology, urban environmental management, environmental system analyses or a related field from an internationally recognized two-year master program taught in English;
• you have experience with or are interested in Material Flow Analysis;
• you understand the importance of and have interest in circularity, water reuse or resource recovery;
• you can think in and work with a multidisciplinary approach;
• you like working as a team besides individual work;
• you are proactive in your work, involved actively in your working environment and capable of independently addressing and solving research problems.

For this position some proficiency of the Dutch language is desired. Your command of the English language is expected to be at C1 level. Sometimes it is necessary to submit an internationally recognized Certificate of Proficiency in the English Language. More information can be found here.

We offer you

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

• partially paid parental leave;
• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
• a fixed December bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will receive a fully funded PhD position and you will be offered a course program tailored to your needs and the research team.

The gross salary for the first year is € 2.901,- per month rising to € 3.707,-  in the fourth year in according to the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale P). This is based on a full-time working week of 38 hours. We offer a temporary contract for 18 months which will be extended for the duration of the project if you perform well.

There are plenty of options for personal initiative in a learning environment, and we provide excellent training opportunities. We are offering a unique position in an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere.

You are going to work at the greenest and most innovative campus in Holland, and at a university that has been chosen as the “Best University” in the Netherlands for the 19th consecutive time.

Coming from abroad
Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees.

Because we expect you to work and live in the Netherlands our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.
Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. We can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example helping your partner to find a job, housing, or schooling. Finally, certain categories of international staff may be eligible for a tax exemption on a part of their salary during the first five years in the Netherlands.

Do you want more information?

For more information about this position, please contact Renata van der Weijden, Professor, by e-mail: renata.vanderweijden@wur.nl.

For more information about the procedure, please contact Rutger Voorrips, corporate recruiter, by e-mail: rutger.voorrips@wur.nl.

Do you want to apply?
You can apply directly using the apply button on the vacancy page on our website which will allow us to process your personal information with your approval.

This vacancy will be listed up to and including January 27^th, 2025. We hope to schedule the first job interviews between the 10^th and 21^st of February.

Additional information form
For this position, you must fill in a mandatory form which will allow us to have a comprehensive view of your qualifications and better assess your fit for it. You can access the form using THIS LINK.
Your prompt response will ensure that your application continues to move forward in the evaluation process. We assure you that the information provided will be kept confidential and used solely for this application process.

Welcome, safe, and valued
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) highly values diversity and inclusion because we believe that different insights lead to innovative solutions. We create a work environment where everyone feels welcome, safe, and appreciated, regardless of background, identity, or experience. Together, we are building a culture where everyone's unique contribution adds to the success of our organization.

We are

The mission of Wageningen University & Research is “To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life”. Under the banner Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen University and the specialised research institutes of the Wageningen Research Foundation have joined forces in contributing to finding solutions to important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment. With its roughly 30 branches, 7,700 employees (7,000 fte), 2,500 PhD and EngD candidates, 13,100 students and over 150,000 participants to WUR’s Life Long Learning, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. The unique Wageningen approach lies in its integrated approach to issues and the collaboration between different disciplines.

Read the 5 reasons why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR and watch this video to get an idea of our green campus!

We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves and do not appreciate unasked for services from recruitment agencies. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.