Postdoc position - Modelling the societal burden of bluetongue virus

Your job

Are you the infectious disease modeler that is interested in modeling the economic, animal welfare, and environmental burden of bluetongue virus? Then we have the right position for you!

The Infectious Disease Epidemiology Group of Wageningen University is looking for an ambitious and highly motivated postdoctoral researcher with expertise in animal infectious disease modelling. You will work on the societal burden of bluetongue virus serotype 3, a pathogen that is currently spreading across Europe and causing devastating losses in sheep and cattle.

The societal burden of bluetongue extends beyond animal health and economics as the virus also impacts animal welfare and the environment. You will quantify the societal burden of bluetongue by developing a generic multi-criteria decision analysis framework that combines the various disease burdens.
The framework will be incorporated in the recently developed ErrazeSim model, which is a generic, spatially explicit, stochastic simulation model mimicking the spread of infectious diseases by various transmission routes in animal populations (farm animals, vectors, and wildlife). Results will show the trade-offs between the different disease burdens of bluetongue in dairy cattle under various vaccination scenarios.

In this highly interdisciplinary research project you will collaborate with a postdoc and faculty of the Business Economics group with whom you will co-develop the methodology to quantify the multiple burden of animal diseases.

You will be responsible for:

• quantifying disease burdens from different data sources, in collaboration with research partners;
• extending ErrazeSim to model the economic, environmental, and animal welfare burden of bluetongue in Dutch dairy cattle;
• performing multi-criteria decision analysis;
• publishing research;
• presenting results at relevant scientific meetings;

You will work here
The Infectious Disease Epidemiology group (IDE), led by prof.dr.ir. Quirine ten Bosch, holds a strong position in interdisciplinary research regarding the transmission and management of animal infectious diseases. You will be supervised by dr.ir. Bart van den Borne and co supervised by dr.ir. Busra Atamer Balkan and prof.dr.ir. Henk Hogeveen.

Your qualities

You have a recently completed PhD in infectious disease epidemiology, animal health economics, population biology, or related and have proven experience with developing and programming dynamic models.

You also possess:

• a proven track record in publishing research output in scientific journals;
• interest in the development of methods to enhance animal health decision making;
• creativity and the necessary communication skills to contribute to the interdisciplinary research consortium;
• excellent English language proficiency.  

In our international working environment there is an increasing amount of communication in English. For this position it is about language level C1 .

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 December bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will of course receive a good salary. Depending on your experience, we offer a competitive gross salary of between € 3.345,- and € 5.278,- for a full-time working week of 38 hours, in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale 10). Additionally, a contract for 0.8 FTE can be discussed. We offer you a temporary contract for the duration of 18 months. Of course, we are happy to have a conversation with you if you have any questions about this.

Wageningen University & Research encourages internal advancement opportunities and mobility with an internal recruitment policy. 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. Wageningen University & Research's International Community page contains practical information about what we can do to support international employees coming to Wageningen. Furthermore, our Welcome Center can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example housing, opening a bank account, dual career programs 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 Bart van den Borne, lecturer/researcher Epidemiology and Economics of Animal Health, telephone +31 6 18410208 or by e-mail bart.vandenborne@wur.nl.

For more information about the procedure, please contact Ine van’t Land, corporate recruiter by e-mail ine.vantland@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 6, 2025. We hope to schedule the first job interviews early January 2025. The intended starting date of this position is March 1, 2025.

Procedure
As part of our selection process, an assessment may be incorporated within the procedure.

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.