PREDOCTORAL RESEARCHER FOR SEA-TO-SUMMIT PROJECT (REF. 26-059-IV00253)

CENTRO DE INVESTIGACIÓN ECOLÓGICA Y APLICACIONES FORESTALES; España; On-site; EUR 23,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

CREAF seeks a highly motivated predoctoral researcher for the SEA TO SUMMIT project, integrating palaeoecology, phylogenetic diversity and genomics across elevational gradients in Macaronesia. The PhD aims to reconstruct biodiversity change over 11,700 years focusing on the Canary Islands and Azores.

The successful candidate will enrol in the PhD Programme in Terrestrial Ecology at UAB and join the Temporal Ecology and Biogeography Lab, with opportunities for international collaboration and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Biology, Environmental Sciences, Ecology, Biogeography, or a related discipline.
• Strong analytical and quantitative skills.
• Experience programming in R.
• Excellent written and spoken English.
• Willingness to learn basic conversational Catalan is desirable.
• Availability for fieldwork and travel.

Responsibilities

• Conduct research in palaeoecology, biogeography, and biodiversity science.
• Lead fieldwork in the Canary Islands and Azores as part of interdisciplinary team.
• Analyze palaeoecological, biodiversity, and genomic datasets with advanced statistics.
• Publish research results in national and international journals.
• Present findings at conferences and contribute to lab activities.

Skills

Strong analytical and quantitative

English proficiency

Education

Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Biology/Environmental Sciences/Ecology/Biogeography or related

Tools

R

Job description

CENTRO DE INVESTIGACIóN ECOLÓGICA Y APLICACIONES FORESTALES

Organisation/Company CENTRO DE INVESTIGACIóN ECOLÓGICA Y APLICACIONES FORESTALES Research Field Biological sciences › Biology Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions Master Positions Application Deadline 30 Nov 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Madrid) Country Spain Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 37,5 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Other EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

CREAF is seeking a highly motivated predoctoral researcher for the SEA TO SUMMIT project (Integrating palaeoecology, phylogenetic diversity and genomics across elevational gradients in Macaronesia) with reference PID2025-174835NB-I00 funded by the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y universidades , the Agencia Estatal de Investigación and Co-funded by European Union (MICIU /AEI /10.13039/501100011033)

Why do some plant species persist for thousands of years while others decline or disappear?

Answering this question can help us understand biodiversity responses to environmental change. Oceanic islands provide excellent study systems because their floras have evolved in isolation and have experienced both natural environmental variability and human-driven landscape transformation throughout the Holocene.

The SEA-TO-SUMMIT project combines fossil pollen records, phylogenetic diversity, and genomics to investigate the drivers of long-term plant persistence across Macaronesia, the biogeographic region comprising the Azores, Madeira, the Canary Islands, Cabo Verde, and the Savage Islands. Focusing on the Canary Islands and the Azores, the PhD project will reconstruct biodiversity change over the last 11,700 years and identify the ecological and evolutionary characteristics associated with plant persistence, decline, resilience, and vulnerability across environmental gradients.

This PhD offers an exciting opportunity to combine palaeoecology, biogeography, evolutionary ecology, and genomics to better understand how island floras evolve and respond to environmental change over millennial timescales.

Research Project

The PhD candidate will investigate why some plant species persist for millennia whereas others decline or disappear under changing environmental conditions. Using Holocene fossil pollen records from the Canary Islands and Azores, the candidate will reconstruct long‐term vegetation dynamics across elevational gradients, from coastal habitats to mountain ecosystems. The project will identify plant taxa that persisted, expanded, declined, disappeared, or reappeared through time and examine whether these trajectories are associated with particular ecological, phylogenetic, or genomic characteristics. By integrating fossil pollen data with modern biodiversity, traits, phylogenetic, and genomic information, the project will provide new insights into the ecological and evolutionary mechanisms underlying plant persistence and biodiversity change on oceanic islands.

Our lab (Temporal Ecology and Biogeography Lab) is part of the Global Ecology Unit at CREAF, where we foster an open, collaborative, and supportive research environment. Our supervision includes weekly lab meetings, regular one-to-one mentoring, and active participation in collaborative research. We encourage lab members to attend courses, seminars, workshops, and international conferences, supporting their scientific and professional development while helping them build strong international research networks.

The PhD candidate will receive advanced training in:

• Palaeoecology and long-term vegetation reconstruction
• Fossil pollen analysis and Holocene environmental change
• Statistical modelling in R
• Plant genomics and biodiversity informatics (through our collaborators at the Botanical Institute of Barcelona)
• Island biogeography modelling and phylogenetics (through our collaborators at Naturalis Biodiversity Center, the Netherlands)
• Reproducible research and open science practices

The project also provides opportunities for international collaboration, research visits, conference participation, and interdisciplinary training.

The successful candidate will enrol in the PhD Programme in Terrestrial Ecology at UAB ( www.uab.cat ), a programme recognised for its academic excellence. CREAF also offers a well‐established Career Development Service, coordinated by its Academic Talent Officer, to support researchers throughout their professional development. This includes bi-weekly research seminars (CREAF Talks), the CREAFuture training programme for PhD students, and dedicated career‐development activities covering transferable skills, scientific communication, CV preparation, and interview techniques. In addition, PhD students benefit from the guidance of an independent thesis committee, which provides regular feedback and supports their academic progress throughout the doctoral programme.

A FPI full‐time contract is offered (37.5 hours per week) with planned incorporation in January 2027* and It will last at least 48 months. The salary offered (gross) is established by the RD EPIF (Real Decreto 103/2019, de 1 de marzo, por el que se aprueba el Estatuto del personal investigador predoctoral en formación): with 75% of € 33.941,46** = € 25.456,15 each year.

*The start of the contract will depend on the final resolution of the project, not coming into force
until it’s resolved and it’s possible to allocate expenses to it.

**Salary from Group 1 (M3) of the salary table from the Convenio colectivo único para el personal laboral de la Administración General del Estado of 2024 (subject to possible salary increases when new salary amounts are approved).

• Conduct research in palaeoecology, biogeography, and biodiversity science. Although the final tasks will be tailored to the candidate’s skills and interests, activities may include:
  • Fieldwork in the Canary Islands as part of an interdisciplinary research team.
  • Analysis of palaeoecological, biodiversity, and genomic datasets using advanced statistical approaches.
  • Interpretation and communication of research findings to both scientific and broader audiences.
• Lead and contribute to the writing of scientific publications arising from the PhD research.
• Present research results at national and international scientific conferences.
• Contribute to the activities of the Temporal Ecology and Biogeography Lab, including participation in lab meetings, journal clubs, and collaborative projects with other team members.
• Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Biology, Environmental Sciences, Ecology, Biogeography, or a related discipline.
• Strong analytical and quantitative skills, including experience working with datasets and statistical analyses.
• Interest in palaeoecology, island biology, and evolutionary ecology.
• Experience in fieldwork and working collaboratively within research teams.
• Experience programming in R will be considered an asset.
• Excellent written and spoken English.

Willingness to learn basic conversational Catalan is desirable.

ASSESSABLE CONDITIONS

• Availability to travel for fieldwork, conferences, and research visits.
• Previous experience or demonstrated interest in ecology, biogeography, palaeoecology, or related disciplines.
• Participation in scientific projects, publications, or conference presentations.
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Strong analytical and problem‐solving skills.
• Interest in communicating scientific research to non‐specialist audiences.
• Contact details for one or two professional references.
• Valid driving licence (Category B).
• Candidates who have a recognised disability will be considered and accredited equal to or greater than 33% will be prioritized, if the disability is compatible with the proper performance of the job.

Languages ENGLISH Level Excellent

Languages CATALAN Level Good

Research Field Biological sciences › Biology Years of Research Experience 1 - 4

REF. 26-059-IV00253 - PREDOCTORAL RESEARCHER FOR SEA-TO-SUMMIT PROJECT.pdf

Number of offers available 1

Company/Institute CENTRO DE INVESTIGACIóN ECOLÓGICA Y APLICACIONES FORESTALES (CREAF) Country Spain State/Province Barcelona City Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del VallÈs) Postal Code 08193 Street Campus UAB Edificio C Geofield