Vacature
Assistant/associate professor position in Crop Ecology (0.8 - 1.0 fte)
Your job
Are you passionate about transforming agriculture towards a more sustainable, resilient future? Do you want to explore how ecological interactions in crops and landscapes can enhance disease suppression while supporting biodiversity, climate resilience, and productivity? We are looking for an Assistant/Associate Professor in Crop Ecology.
Pests and diseases cause major yield losses in agriculture. The conventional management approach through a combination of pesticides and use of resistant crop varieties has major limitations. Pesticide use has detrimental environmental, biodiversity, and (human) health effects, resulting in pest resistance and is increasingly being restricted.
More integrated and ecology-based approaches that rely more on the natural disease suppressive nature of crop ecosystems and landscapes are needed. Such approaches should in turn be synergetic with other agro-ecosystem and landscape functions such as yield and yield quality, climate resilience, nutrient use and weed control. Rapid development in quantitative modelling tools and increased availability and complexity of agroecological data create unprecedented opportunities for research in this field.
In this position you will focus on understanding the drivers of agroecosystem resilience to disease and/or pests and its relation to other functions by using a combination of field observations and/or experiments and the use of advanced modelling tools.
This position is part of the Academic Career Framework (ACF) at Wageningen University & Research, which has replaced the traditional Tenure Track. This new career framework for all academic staff at Wageningen University starts on 9 March 2025. One of the 3 career paths is the Professor Career Path. The aim of this ACF is to achieve a new balance in recognising and valuing academics where both team collaboration and the unique talent of individual scientists are seen, by creating more differentiation in career paths, putting the emphasis on the quality of work and less on quantitative results, doing justice to the individual qualities and ambitions of academics as much as to team performance, promoting all aspects of open science and encouraging high-quality leadership in the academy.
You will work here
The research is embedded within the chair Crop & Weed Ecology (CWE), which is led by Prof. Niels P.R. Anten and is part of the Centre for Crop Systems Analysis. CWE conducts research and teaching on the ecology and management of crops, diseases, pest and weeds. CWE has a special interest in understanding the role of natural and crop biodiversity in determining performance and stress resilience of crop systems. We study plant form and adaptation, and ecological processes from plant to landscape scale. We thus contribute to the development of sustainable agricultural systems that provide high yields with a minimal ecological footprint and that maximally contribute to natural biodiversity and its associated ecosystem functions.
In this challenging career trajectory:
- you will be part of the transition towards more sustainable, health- and biodiversity-friendly agriculture
- you acquire, lead and implement innovative and creative (inter-)national research projects in Crop & Weed Ecology;
- you collaborate with colleagues and supervise PhD students, BSc and MSc theses and you develop and teach courses;
Your qualities
You are a highly-motivated plant ecologist or agro-ecologist with a keen interest in exploring the ecological interactions in agricultural systems. You will have well-developed skills in quantitative modelling approaches (e.g., spatial ecological models, agent-based models and/or crop growth models) and preferably experience with advanced statistics (e.g., mixed-effect models, Bayesian approaches or machine learning). You have a keen interest in issues related to agricultural sustainability and will be open to collaboration and communication with societal stakeholders. Finally you will have the ambition to develop a successful, largely externally-funded research line as well as to contribute to innovative teaching in the areas of crop ecology and related subjects.
In short, we seek a person having:
- A PhD degree and proven publication record in plant ecology, agro-ecology, crop science or similar.
- Well-developed skills in quantitative modelling/statistics and experience with experimental work.
- Understanding or at least affinity with pest/disease dynamics at crop, ecosystem and/or landscape level.
- A clear research vision in the area of crop community, ecosystem and/or landscape ecology.
- Experience in teaching students and supervising BSc and MSc students with diverse backgrounds. An affinity for developing courses at Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD levels, and interest in innovative teaching methods
- Ambition and preferably experience in developing a largely externally funded research line.
- Affinity with sustainable agriculture.
We offer you
Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:
- sabbatical leave, study leave, and 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 year-end bonus of 8.3%;
- excellent pension scheme.
Wageningen University & Research offers plenty of opportunities for growth and development, with a strong internal recruitment policy and excellent training programmes.
You will work on the greenest and most innovative campus in the Netherlands, in an international and open working environment. For 20 consecutive years, we have been voted the "best university" in the Netherlands! A place to be proud of.
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. Wageningen University & Research's International Community page contains practical information about what we can do to support international employees and students coming to Wageningen. Furthermore, 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 or about the procedure, please contact Niels Anten, Chair holder, telephone 31 (0)317 484772/(0)6 14323960 – niels.anten@wur.nl.
Questions about the procedure? Get in touch with vacaturemeldingen.psg@wur.nl
Ready to apply?
Click on the application button next to the vacancy on our website. Only applications submitted through our website will be considered.
You can apply until May 5th 2025. The first interviews are scheduled for the week of 19th May or the week thereafter.
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’.
We pursue this mission through a synergistic approach between Wageningen University and Wageningen Research Foundation (applied research). Our research focuses on questions within the domains of food, living environment, and society. With approximately 30 locations, 7,700 staff members, 2,500 PhD candidates, and over 13,000 students, Wageningen University & Research is among the world’s leading knowledge institutions in its domain. The integral approach to challenges and the collaboration across various disciplines form the core of the unique Wageningen approach.
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, so no employment agencies please. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.