PhD position: Hydro-bio-geomorphic controls on carbon storage in river systems

Your job

Are you keen to contribute to our future climate-resilient rivers and floodplains? Do you want to use your knowledge of Earth or Environmental Science to investigate the controls on and feedbacks with carbon storage in rivers and their floodplains? We are looking for a PhD candidate who will strengthen our team!

Europe's ambitious new nature restoration law aims to restore 25,000 km of rivers for nature conservation, biodiversity enhancement, and climate change mitigation by 2030. Resilient river ecosystems with rich biodiversity demonstrate reciprocal relationships between physical processes and living organisms, which actively shape their environment and influence carbon fluxes. River-floodplains play a substantial role in the global carbon cycle by storing a significantly larger amount of carbon per area compared to surrounding land.

As a PhD candidate your aim is to gain insights into how the hydro-geomorphic context influences the effects biota has on river-floodplain dynamics and carbon sequestration. You will identify the key locations for long-term carbon storage in river valleys, and you will quantify soil carbon sequestration in river reaches across a hydro-geomorphic gradient, ranging from mountainous/semi-confined to flat/unconfined segments. The project aims at considering carbon flux across various time scales (from millennial to seasonal), and hence gathers information on atmospheric and water carbon flux, as well as on past and present soil and biomass-related carbon content from the selected research sites.

Your duties and responsibilities include:

• developing your own research proposal
• conducting field research in different regions in Europe to analyse short-term and long-term river-floodplain dynamics and their physical and biotic controls.
• quantifying carbon fluxes and sequestration.
• analysing which key hydro-bio-geomorphic factors control carbon sequestration in river-floodplains.  
• assessing where and how river segments may be restored that have a high potential to sequester carbon, in collaboration with societal partners
• writing multiple scientific publications and practitioner oriented publications. The scientific publications will be part of a PhD dissertation;
• presenting at and organizing webinars and project conferences for different audiences  

You will work here
Your PhD research will be embedded within the Soil Geography & Landscape group, where a lot of research is done on nature-based solutions to support future climate-resilient landscapes. The group has a strong network with societal partners that will benefit your PhD research. This environment gives you all opportunities to develop new skills and kick-start your academic career. You will be supervised by dr. Annegret Larsen and dr. Jasper Candel.

Your qualities

You have:

• A completed (or about to be completed) MSc degree in Earth Sciences or Environmental Sciences,
• A keen interest in biophysical aspects of landscapes such as river-floodplain interactions, nature-based solutions and biota;
• Preferably some experience with hydrogeomorphological methods, for example: stratigraphic correlation, dating methods, or/and experience with monitoring carbon flux
• Preferably strong in analyzing large datasets.
• Creativity and intrinsic motivation for pursuing a PhD project;

You also possess:

• Affinity with pursuing fieldwork in Europe;
• Interest and ability to work independently as well as in a interdisciplinary team with scientists from various disciplines and with (societal) stakeholders;
• Collaborative and organizational skills.
• Strong writing skills and English language proficiency;

The English language is expected to be at C1 level. Sometimes it is necessary to submit an internationally recognised 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;
• the option to accrue additional compensation / holiday hours by working more, up to 40 hours per week;
• 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 € 2.872 - per month rising to € 3.670,-  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.

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, please contact Jasper Candel, jasper.candel@wur.nl or Annegret Larsen , annegret.larsen@wur.nl

For more information about the procedure, please contact Noorien Abbas, corporate recruiter, by email: recruitment.ssg@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 11 November 2024. We hope to schedule the first job interviews on 21 November April 2024. The intended starting date is from 1 February 2025.

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 the link below:

https://forms.office.com/e/GNtgZGrzaV

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, 7,600 employees (6,700 fte) and 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 the video below 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.