Doctoral Candidate (PhD) in plant community ecology

Helsinki Innovation Services Ltd; Helsinki; On-site; EUR 22,000 - 31,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Helsinki invites applications for a Doctoral Candidate position within the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network ReDiLEEP. Based at Viikki Campus, the candidate will investigate response diversity and stability of boreal plant communities, contributing to cross-border research in ecology and policy-relevant biodiversity management.

The role includes 36 months full-time work, secondments, and collaboration with international partners.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in ecology or closely related field.
• Motivation to pursue doctoral research in community ecology.
• Strong written and verbal communicationskills in English.
• Background in plant functional ecology.
• Skills and experience in statistical analyses using R.
• Identification skills of Nordic flora.
• Experience with writing and/or contributing to scientific publications.

Responsibilities

• Conduct doctoral studies and independent research leading to a PhD thesis within 3 years.
• Stay up to date with literature on functional traits, response diversity and community stability.
• Co-design and run greenhouse mesocosm experiments.
• Analyze data to produce articles linking response diversity to stability.
• Follow the research plan and participate in group discussions.
• Engage in ReDiLEEP network training, secondments, dissemination, and cohort activities.

Skills

Motivation for doctoral research

English communication

Experience in community ecology

Education

Master’s degree in ecology or related field

Tools

R

Job description

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Doctoral Candidate (PhD) in plant community ecology

Doctoral Candidate (PhD) in plant community ecology

The Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences at the University of Helsinki invites applications for a Doctoral Candidate position within the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network ReDiLEEP . ReDiLEEP brings together leading universities, research institutes, and non-academic partners across Europe and beyond to advance response-diversity research and translate new knowledge into ecosystem management, restoration, and biodiversity policy. This position (DC9) is one of the 13 doctoral candidate (DC) positions within ReDiLEEP.

This Doctoral Candidate will contribute toward ReDiLEEP goals by investigating response diversity in boreal forest and tundra ecosystems, focusing on evaluating the capacity of different response diversity metrics to explain and predict temporal stability of plant communities. We are looking for an enthusiastic doctoral researcher with a strong interest in biodiversity responses and ecological dynamics, and a strong background in community ecology. The candidate will be based at the Northern Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning research group led by Dr. Elina Kaarlejärvi at the Viikki Campus in Helsinki, Finland.

Research Project (DC9)

Project

DC9: Response diversity and stability of boreal forest and tundra plant communities under environmental change

Network

ReDiLEEP - Using science-driven Response Diversity knowledge to Leverage Efficient Ecosystem Preservation and restoration

Funding

Host institution

University of Helsinki

Supervision

Duration

36 months, full-time

Secondments

18th September 2026 at 23:59 EEST

In accordance with the regulation of the Marie Curie Fellowship

Response diversity describes the variation in how individuals, species, or functional groups respond to environmental change and the concept is increasingly recognised as a key driver of ecosystem resilience. Understanding and promoting response diversity is therefore essential for conserving biodiversity and supporting resilient ecosystems in a changing world.

The Doctoral Candidate will use data from existing field experiments and new greenhouse mesocosm studies to evaluate links between response diversity and community stability under press and pulse disturbances. The project will evaluate how different response diversity metrics (including functional traits) succeed in predicting temporal stability of plant communities under different pressures.

The Doctoral Candidate is expected to complete an article-based PhD thesis on this research project and 30 ECTS of studies required for a PhD degree in Finland. The project is supervised by Dr. Elina Kaarlejärvi, with co-supervision from Assistant Prof. Laura Antão (University of Turku, Finland).

Your Responsibilities

• Conduct doctoral studies and independent research work leading to a PhD thesis within 3 years.
• Become familiar and stay up to date with the relevant literature on functional traits, response diversity and community stability.
• Co-design and run greenhouse mesocosm experiments.
• Combine, analyze and interpret empirical data to produce scientific articles linking response diversity to community stability.
• Work in a targeted way following the agreed research plan.
• Contribute to scientific discussions within the research group.
• Participate actively in ReDiLEEP network training, secondments, dissemination, reporting, and cohort activities.

Secondments and Network Training

The position includes 4 months of planned secondments:

• 2 months at Cardiff University (CarU) to learn methods to assess the role of biotic interactions in influencing response diversity.

The duration and timing of the secondments will be defined between the supervisors and the candidate depending on project requirements.

The successful candidate will join an interdisciplinary cohort of doctoral researchers and benefit from ReDiLEEP training in response diversity methods, data management, reproducible code, R/Tidyverse, machine learning and AI for ecologists, visualisation, evidence-based policymaking, science-policy communication, and policy brief writing.

Your Profile

The candidate must have:

• A Master’s degree (completed before the start of employment) in ecology or a closely related field
• Motivation in pursuing doctoral research in community ecology
• Strong written and verbal communicationskills in English.

The following qualifications are considered an advantage:

• Background in plant functional ecology
• Skills and experience in statistical analyses using R
• Identification skills of Nordic flora
• A demonstrated capacity to work in a targeted way both independently and as part of a team
• Experience with writing and/or contributing to scientific publications

What We Offer

• A 36-month, full-time doctoral position at the University of Helsinki.
• Opportunity to develop your skills and conduct novel research on pressing questions on biodiversity change, as well as to contribute intellectually to the project’s aims.
• Supportive and inclusive research group in an internationally recognized faculty with strong expertise in ecology.
• Exceptional scope for international collaboration and networking as part of the ReDiLEEP network.
• The University of Helsinki offers comprehensive services to its employees, including occupational health care, access to modern sports facilities, and vast opportunities for professional development. Finland is a member of the EU, has high-quality free schooling (also in English), generous family benefits and healthcare, and was recently ranked as the best country in the world for expat families. The International Staff Services office assists employees from abroad with their transition to work and life in Finland. See more information about working at the University of Helsinki and living in Finlandhere .

MSCA Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must meet the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network eligibility requirements at the recruitment date:

• Mobility rule: applicants must not have resided or carried out their main activity, such as work or studies, in Finland for more than 12 months during the 36 months immediately before the recruitment date. Exceptions to the mobility rule apply for compulsory national service, refugee status, and temporary protection.
• Applicants must not already hold a doctoral degree.
• Applicants must work full-time and exclusively for the ReDiLEEP project during the appointment, in accordance with the applicable MSCA rules.

Employment Conditions

The position is funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Networks framework and will follow the applicable MSCA Doctoral Network conditions and University of Helsinki employment regulations.

• Place of work: Viikki Campus, Helsinki, Finland
• Start of employment: the first half of 2027
• The appointment is subject to final MSCA eligibility verification and doctoral programme enrolment.

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