PhD Student - Department of Environment

European Commission; Belgique; Sur place; EUR 60 000 - 80 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

The European Commission is seeking a Doctoral fellow for a PhD position within the ERC Consolidator Grant project at Ghent University. This role involves investigating the impacts of light regimes and drought on forest biodiversity, offering opportunities for fieldwork across Europe and collaboration within a dynamic scientific team.

Prestations

36 days of holiday leave

Bicycle allowance

Eco vouchers

Training and education opportunities

Qualifications

• Excellent study grades required.
• Candidates obtaining their degree in summer 2025 are invited to apply.
• Strong knowledge of temperate forest ecosystems.

Responsabilités

• Conduct field work and quantitative data analyses.
• Collaborate with other PhD students and researchers.
• Write scientific publications.

Connaissances

Interest in forests

Interest in ecology

Interest in climate change

Quantitative data analyses

Communication skills

Formation

Masters in Bioscience Engineering, Biology, Ecology, Forestry or equivalent

Description du poste

Organisation/Company Ghent University Research Field Agricultural sciences » Forest sciences Engineering » Other Environmental science » Earth science Environmental science » Ecology Environmental science » Other Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Country Belgium Application Deadline 9 Jun 2025 - 15:00 (UTC) Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 38 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

Department LA20 - Department of Environment

Degree Masters, or Honours, in Bioscience Engineering, Biology, Ecology, Forestry or equivalent in Life or Mathematical Sciences with background in Ecology

Occupancy rate 100%

Vacancy type Research staff

ABOUT GHENT UNIVERSITY

Ghent University is a world of its own. Employing more than 15.000 people, it is actively involved in education and research, management and administration, as well as technical and social service provision on a daily basis. It is one of the largest, most exciting employers in the area and offers great career opportunities.

With its 11 faculties and more than 85 departments offering state-of-the-art study programmes grounded in research in a wide range of academic fields, Ghent University is a logical choice for its staff and students.

For the Forest & Nature Lab at the Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, we are looking for a m/f/x
Doctoral fellow within the ERC Consolidator Grant project "Novel light regimes and drought effects on temperate forest plant biodiversity (CanopyChange)" https://canopychange.ugent.be/

Project background
Tree canopies are one of the most recognizable features of forests, providing shelter from external influences to a myriad of species that live in the understorey. Canopy disturbances are now accelerating across European forests, and climate-change induced drought is a key driver. These disturbances are opening the canopy and exposing forest biodiversity to no-analog light regimes and drought – light and drought levels they have never been exposed to before. As the majority of forest plant species occur in the shade below tree canopies, the combination of altered light regimes and intensifying droughts can strongly impact forest biodiversity. However, the interactive effects of novel light regimes and drought on temperate forest biodiversity have never been investigated before. Since recent European droughts are unprecedented in the last two millennia, and this has initiated the largest pulse of forest disturbances in almost two centuries, the time to assess impacts on biodiversity is now. The overarching aim of CanopyChange is to quantify, understand and predict the impacts of no-analog light regimes and drought on below-canopy forest plant biodiversity. To address this challenging goal, cross-continental resurveyed vegetation plots, the first pan-European forest disturbance-drought experiment, and a pioneering canopy clipping mesocosm experiment will be combined with an interdisciplinary toolbox drawing from ecology, forestry, and climatology. These data will then feed into cutting-edge joint species distribution models to project European forest plant biodiversity responses to future climate and canopy change.

YOUR JOB
Here we advertise for one PhD position which will be part of the broader CanopyChange project and team. This particular PhD position will focus on a forest disturbance-drought experiment which will be installed at several sites across Europe (WP2; seehttps://canopychange.ugent.be/ ) and in Belgium (WP3).

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

• We offer a full-time position as a doctoral fellow, consisting of an initial period of 12 months, which - after a positive evaluation, will be extended to a total maximum of 48 months.
• Your contract will start on 1 Sept. 2025 at the earliest.
• Collaboration in a young and dynamic scientific team.
• The possibility to gain experience in doing scientific research, with many travelling opportunities and field work across Europe.
• The opportunity to obtain a PhD degree at Ghent University in a topical field of applied environmental sciences and climate change.
• The fellowship amount is 100% of the net salary of an AAP member in equal family circumstances. The individual fellowship amount is determined by Team Personnel Administration based on family status and seniority. A grant that meets the conditions and criteria of the regulations for doctoral fellowships is considered free of personal income tax. Click here for more information about our salary scales
• All Ghent University staff members enjoy a number of benefits, such as a wide range of training and education opportunities, 36 days of holiday leave (on an annual basis for a full-time job) supplemented by annual fixed bridge days, bicycle allowance and eco vouchers. Click here for a complete overview of all the staff benefits.
• You have a Masters, or Honours, degree in Bioscience Engineering, Biology, Ecology, Forestry or equivalent degree in Life or Mathematical Sciences with background in Ecology. Also candidates that will obtain their degree in the summer of 2025 are invited to apply.
• You have excellent study grades.
• You have a strong interest in forests, ecology, and climate change.
• You have good knowledge of both the biotic and abiotic components and processes in temperate forest ecosystems.
• You are highly motivated to perform scientific research that involves field work, quantitative data analyses as well as writing scientific publications.
• You are a team player with good communication skills, you like to write and discuss ideas. An excellent knowledge of the English language is required.
• You are highly motivated to work in a collaborative project with other PhD students, postdocs and technical assistants.

How to apply

How to apply
To apply, please send us the following documents, merged into a single PDF file:

• A one-page cover letter outlining your motivation to apply for the position(s)
• Your CV
• A transcript of records

Send this PDF document to [e-mail] and [e-mail] by 9 June 2025 at 17:00h Central European time.
The interviews with selected applicants will be organized at the end of June and/or the first week of July 2025.