Ph.D. position in Aquatic Ecology – Ohio State University

International Association for Great Lakes Research; Columbus (OH); On-site; USD 33,000 - 40,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Tuition/fee waiver

Stipend

Job summary

The Hood Lab, Aquatic Ecology Laboratory at The Ohio State University invites applications for a Ph.D. student position on a USDA-funded project.

Work focuses on phosphorus cycling in agricultural landscapes using sensors and cameras to study tile drainage effects on water and nutrient dynamics. The successful candidate will join an interdisciplinary team, with fieldwork in Ohio and Michigan, and will receive a stipend, health benefits, and a tuition/fee waiver as part of teaching and research

Qualifications

• Masters degree in ecology, biogeochemistry, soils, geomorphology, or hydrology.
• Strong quantitative skills and interest in applied aquatic ecology.
• Honesty and motivation for field and lab work.

Responsibilities

• Conduct research on phosphorus cycling in ditches and streams.
• Perform fieldwork in Ohio and Michigan focusing on tile drainage impacts on water and nutrient dynamics.
• Collaborate with an interdisciplinary team in EEOB Hood Lab.

Skills

Quantitative skills

Motivation

Honesty

Education

Masters degree in ecology, biogeochemistry, soils, geomorphology or hydrology

Tools

Sensors

Game cameras

Job description

Hood Lab, Aquatic Ecology Laboratory, Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University

Ohio State University

Columbus, OH

Closing Date: Dec 1, 2026

Web Address: https://ael.osu.edu

The Hood Lab is recruiting a Ph.D. student to conduct research on a U.S. Department of Agriculture funded project that focuses on phosphorus cycling in ditches and streams in agriculture-dominated landscapes. The graduate student would join an interdisciplinary team focused on understanding how tile drainage impacts water, sediment, and nutrient dynamics. The student’s research would focus on determining how tile drains influence in-channel phosphorus storage and transformations. The project involves fieldwork in Ohio and Michigan as well as the use of sensors and game cameras to characterize dissolved oxygen, temperature, stream-channel form, and hydrologic characteristics.

The ideal candidate would have a Masters degree and be highly motivated and honest, with strong quantitative skills, an interest in applied aquatic ecology, and a background in ecology, biogeochemistry, soils, geomorphology, and/or hydrology. I seek to maintain a productive, diverse, and team-orientated lab group.

The student would be supported by teaching and research assistantships. In EEOB, graduate assistantship includes a stipend of at least $2,750 per month, health benefits, and a tuition/fee waiver.

Department application deadline: 15 Nov 2026

More information about the Aquatic Ecology Lab: https://ael.osu.edu