PhD in biostatistics: biodiversity monitoring with citizen-science data

KU Leuven; Belgique; Vor Ort; EUR 21.000 - 27.000; Vollzeit

Benefits dieser Stelle

PhD scholarship

Training opportunities through KU Leu?

Access to VSC computing infrastructure

Zusammenfassung

KU Leuven's Leuven Biostatistics Centre seeks a PhD student to conduct research in ecological statistics and biostatistics under Prof. Neyens and Dr. Fajgenblat. The PhD project, in collaboration with Natuurpunt Studie and Waarnemingen.be, emphasizes model development, Bayesian methods, and practical data applications.

You will work with Stan, R, and GPUs, publish in journals, and participate in international conferences, with strong supervision and access to computing resources at VSC.

Qualifikationen

• Master’s degree in (Bio-)Statistics or Data science (or equivalent) or Quantitative Biology.
• Excellent study results; distinction or strong publications.
• Good command of English.
• Strong written and oral communication, including with non-statisticians.
• Team player in multidisciplinary environments.
• Experience with the research theme is a plus.
• You can program in R (or Python/Julia); experience with Bayesian statistics (Stan).
• Interest in ecology and biodiversity and applying research in practice.
• Willing to apply for personal PhD funding with supervisor support.

Aufgaben

• Conduct research in biostatistics, specifically ecological statistics.
• Test and compare methods with simulations and real data.
• Publish results in scientific journals and present at conferences.

Kenntnisse

R programming

Python

Julia

Bayesian statistics

English proficiency

Ausbildung

Master’s degree in (Bio-)Statistics or Data Science

Quantitative Biology (alternative)

Tools

Stan

Jobbeschreibung

Organisation/Company KU LEUVEN Department Leuven Biostatistics Centre Research Field Mathematics Statistics Biological sciences Biodiversity Environmental science Ecology Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Application Deadline 30 Nov 2026 - 23:59 (UTC) Country Belgium Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Offer Starting Date 1 Feb 2027 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Reference Number BAP-2026-609 Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

As a PhD student, you conduct research in the field of biostatistics, more specifically ecological statistics. Your supervisor is Prof. Thomas Neyens, your co-supervisor is Dr. Maxime Fajgenblat. You are part of L-BioStat (Leuven Biostatistics Centre) at KU Leuven.

Through Waarnemingen.be, more than 200,000 citizens in Flanders report observations of plants and animals. For most species these are the only data available, but they are not collected according to a fixed protocol, and not every species that is present is also seen. Our team has developed Bayesian models that account for this (site-occupancy models and joint species distribution models). In this PhD you will make these methods usable in practice, in collaboration with Natuurpunt Studie, which manages Waarnemingen.be. Examples of questions are:

• how can the models be made faster, so that they can be applied to thousands of species, and how much data do they need at a minimum;
• how can observations tell us not only where a species occurs, but also how abundant it is;
• how can reliable maps be made at the level of individual habitat patches, for example for wild bees in Flanders;
• to which locations should observers best be directed, so that new observations are as informative as possible?

You test and compare methods with simulation studies and real data, and translate the results into applications such as dashboards and reports for Natuurpunt. You work in Stan and R and also explore computing on graphics processors (GPUs).You publish your results in scientific journals, present your work at national and international conferences and build an (inter)national network.

• You hold a Master’s degree in (Bio-)Statistics or Data science (or equivalent) or Quantitative Biology; ecologists with a strong quantitative background are also encouraged to apply;
• You have excellent study results: you obtained your Master's degree with at least distinction, or you stand out through strong scientific publications;
• You have a good command of English;
• You have strong communication skills, both written and oral, including with non-statisticians working for nature organisations and volunteers;
• You enjoy working in a multidisciplinary environment and you can work well in a team;
• Candidates with or without work experience will be considered. Experience with the research theme (through work or studies) is a plus;
• You can program in R (or Python/Julia); experience with Bayesian statistics (for example Stan);
• You are interested in ecology and biodiversity, and in putting research into practice;
• The position is funded by a research project. We expect you to apply for personal PhD funding (e.g. an FWO fellowship), with full support from the supervisory team.
• A full-time doctoral scholarship for 1 year, renewable after positive evaluation with 3 years, leading to a PhD after a total of 4 years;
• A research project with direct societal impact, in close collaboration with Natuurpunt Studie and with access to the data of Waarnemingen.be;
• Supervision by an experienced promoter within an international team of biostatisticians, as part of L-BioStat and I-BioStat;
• Training opportunities through the KU Leuven doctoral school, and the opportunity to present your work at national and international conferences;
• Access to computing infrastructure, including the Flemish Supercomputer Centre (VSC);
• A workplace in Leuven, one of the largest university cities in Europe, with an open and stimulating research environment;
• Preferred (but flexible) start date: 1 February 2027.
• A full-time doctoral scholarship for 1 year, renewable after positive evaluation with 3 years, leading to a PhD after a total of 4 years;
• A research project with direct societal impact, in close collaboration with Natuurpunt Studie and with access to the data of Waarnemingen.be;
• Supervision by an experienced promoter within an international team of biostatisticians, as part of L-BioStat and I-BioStat;
• Training opportunities through the KU Leuven doctoral school, and the opportunity to present your work at national and international conferences;
• Access to computing infrastructure, including the Flemish Supercomputer Centre (VSC);
• A workplace in Leuven, one of the largest university cities in Europe, with an open and stimulating research environment;
• Preferred (but flexible) start date: 1 February 2027.

Eligibility criteria

• You hold a Master’s degree in (Bio-)Statistics or Data science (or equivalent) or Quantitative Biology; ecologists with a strong quantitative background are also encouraged to apply;
• You have excellent study results: you obtained your Master's degree with at least distinction, or you stand out through strong scientific publications;
• You have good command of English;
• You have strong communication skills, both written and oral, including with non-statisticians working for nature organisations and volunteers;
• You enjoy working in a multidisciplinary environment and you can work well in a team;
• Candidates with or without work experience will be considered. Experience with the research theme (through work or studies) is a plus;
• You can program in R (or Python/Julia); experience with Bayesian statistics (for example Stan);
• You are interested in ecology and biodiversity, and in putting research into practice;
• The position is funded by a research project. We expect you to apply for personal PhD funding (e.g. an FWO fellowship), with full support from the supervisory team.