Doktorand/PhD

Within the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 847585, ETH Zurich is offering a 36-month PhD position for an early-stage researcher (ESR) in the area of sustainable land-use decisions.

Job Description

We are looking for a highly motivated PhD student candidate that holds an MSc or Diploma degree (or equivalent) in environmental sciences, ecology, genetics, vertebrate biology, or a related field. The candidate should have a strong interest in biodiversity, environmental DNA and spatial analyses. Within this project, the candidate will (i) evaluate the potential of eDNA to provide a new quantification of biodiversity loss as a result of deforestation and other factors of habitat degradation, (ii) evaluate the use of eDNA for assessing the benefit of reforestation for biodiversity recovery, (iii) generate recommendations for policy makers about the effect of deforestation on biodiversity

A planned secondment of at least three months within the office of WWF US in Washington is part of this project. During this secondment, the ESR will learn about the organisation of an NGO and will elaborate a strategy for knowledge transfer from science to managers and decsision makers. This secondment offers an immersion in the process of the elaboration of the communication from scientific findings toward broader impacts. WWF have decade long experience in the communication of scientific facts to various stakeholders and the general public. To achieve this, the ESR will be working closely with Dr. Arnaud Lyet.

The results of the analyses will help inform to accurately characterize the status of vertebrate biodiversity, in response to deforestation and reforestation. The work will also provide a set of recommendations for improving indicators for biodiversity at various scales and/or will suggest new indicators based on eDNA. Given the ongoing discussions of revised targets and indicators under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) for the post-2020 era and the great need for innovative approaches to monitor biodiversity, the results of this assessment has potential for high impact in informing indicators of high policy relevance for both providing evidence of negative impact of deforestation on local biodiversity and of the potential positive effect of reforestation and ecosystem restoration.

Benefits

We are offering an interesting position at the interface of science and policy. While working in an international, interdisciplinary and innovative research environment at ETH Zurich, the ESR will be supervised by Prof. Dr. Loïc Pellissier, in collaboration with Prof. Kristy Deiner and Prof. Thomas Crowther at ETH Zurich and Dr. Arnaud Lyet from WWF US. In addition, the project will be done in collaboration with Dr. Tony Dejean (SPYGEN), Prof. Sébastien Brosse (University of Toulouse) as well as additional collaborators in Colombia and Cambodia.

The complete 36 months will be under 100% working contracts.

The PhD salary follows the regulations of ETH Zurich and will be according to EU regulations for Marie Skłodowska-Curie Early Stage Researchers. The monthly gross salary will not be lower than CHF 3920.

The successful candidate will be matriculated and will have a working contract at ETH Zurich. He/she will work in Switzerland. The secondment will take place in the office of WWF US in Washington, DC.

Expected starting date of the working contract: 01.04.2021

For questions and further information on the position, please contact Prof. Loïc Pellissier (loic.pellissier(at)usys.ethz.ch), no applications.

For questions and further information on RESPONSE DP and the recruitment, please contact (Dr. Luisa Last, llast(at)ethz.ch), no applications.

Eligibility criteria

Early stage researcher in the first 4 years (full-time equivalent) of their research careers, including the period of research training, starting at the date of obtaining the degree which would formally entitle them to embark on a doctorate either in the country in which the degree was obtained or in the country in which the initial training activities are provided.

At the time of recruitment (for call 3 = Dec 1, 2020) by the host organisation, researchers must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Switzerland for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately before the reference date. Compulsory national service and/or short stays such as holidays are not taken into account.

Selection process

For submitting your online application: https://join.lszgs.uzh.ch/ (select PhD Program Science and Policy). The online application should contain all information as indicated by the application portal. Moreover, the following documents have to be uploaded under “further documents”: 1) a letter of motivation to join a) the RESPONSE doctoral programme and b) to apply for this specific positon (ESR 18), 2) a comprehensive CV, and 3) transcripts of records. If you apply for more than one RESPONSE position, please refer to them in your letter of motivation. Please note that we exclusively accept applications submitted through our online application portal. Applications via email or postal services will not be considered.

Additional comments

RESPONSE Doctoral Programme (DP): «RESPONSE - to society and policy needs through plant, food and energy sciences» is funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Grant Agreement No 847585. RESPONSE DP builds on the academic expertise of three world-leading institutions - ETH Zurich, University of Zurich and University of Basel. The successful candidate will be integrated in the research network and infrastructure of the internationally renowned competence center Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center.

All RESPONSE ESRs will follow the PSC PhD Program Science and Policy that is unique in its kind. Through the curriculum of this program, ESR will be trained in the communication of scientific evidence to policy-makers and the public; the involvement of different stakeholder groups as well as in policy development and endorsement in Europe and at global scale.

For project, programme and application details: https://www.plantsciences.uzh.ch/en/research/fellowships/response.html

Offer Requirements

• REQUIRED EDUCATION LEVEL

  Agricultural sciences: Master Degree or equivalent

  Biological sciences: Master Degree or equivalent

  Environmental science: Master Degree or equivalent

  Other: Master Degree or equivalent

• REQUIRED LANGUAGES

  ENGLISH: Excellent

Skills/Qualifications

Main Research Field: Molecular Ecology

Sub Research Field: Spatial analyses, remote sensing

RESPONSE is open to applicants of any nationality.

Specific Requirements

To perform successfully, potential candidates should have experience with coding in R (or another language), knowledge about the analysis of species community data. Skills in bioinformatics and/or spatial analyses would be a strong advantage. Good writing and communication skills are also essential.