Are you interested in a PhD focusing on the effects of land management practices and intensity on ecosystem functioning of the agricultural land itself and on the surrounding environment? Working with pioneer regenerative farmers across the Netherlands, you will develop methods that allow for 1) quantifying land use intensity and land management practices, from field to landscape scale, 2) monitoring changes in land use intensity and land management practices and 3) analyzing the impact of land management intensity on the wider environment. Your work aims to make an assessment on how trends we observe in observational data are linked soil health, water and air quality, biodiversity and socio-economic goals, at local and landscape scale.

There is steadily growing pressure on agriculture and the entire food system to increase global production while promoting sustainability in terms of farmers' incomes, soil health, input use, and environmental and climate impact. Regenerative agriculture is a promising avenue to support a healthy, multi-functional and future-proof soil and farming system. Together with regenerative Dutch farmers, ReGeNL is developing a future-proof agricultural sector in which agriculture goes hand in hand with soil health and nature restoration, and a good revenue model for farmers. Between now and 2030, ReGeNL will start the transition to regenerative agriculture with 1000 farmers. The aim is to make regenerative agriculture the new normal by 2040.

This PhD will be one of 19 PhDs being recruited to support the monitoring, modelling and valuing of regenerative farms in the Netherlands. This large-scale transdisciplinary project (ReGeNL) will assess which combinations of practices are adopted/recommended for 8 different types of regenerative agriculture systems. The project aims to be an accelerator for the transition to a regenerative, profitable and socially supported agricultural sector. As part of this project, we will monitor and model a range of different regenerative agricultural systems to understand which combinations of practices work for a range of agricultural, socio-economic and environmental outcomes. The outcomes assessed include; soil health, water and air quality, biodiversity and socio-economic goals such as farm income, citizen involvement, animal welfare and much more. Moreover, we will study how performance on these outcomes can be valued in food system governance.

This PhD will develop methods based on the use of sensor technology (e.g. UAV imaging, earth observation data and in-situ monitoring stations) to acquire dynamic system information, which can be used for monitoring purposes, in space and time. During this project you will be involved in farm visits and data collection in the field, including UAV imaging and the collection of above and below ground information for model calibration and validation. The outputs from this PhD will support model developments for further quantification of the role of soil health in regenerative systems.

You will work here
This PhD is embedded within the chair Soil Geography and Landscape Group. You will be co-supervised by Ruth Howison at the Piersma group - Global Flyway Ecology, University of Groningen.

As a PhD you will receive support and mentorship in the design and implementation of your PhD project. You will develop a training and supervision plan with your supervisory team and be part of the ReGeNL training programme on Regenerative Agriculture. The requirements to applicants is:

You have:

• a completed master’s degree in a field related to the topic the PhD project (e.g. remote sensing and geo-information science, environmental science, agricultural science, or an adjacent field);
• proven affinity with the application of statistical methods for data analysis of spatial and temporal datasets in the domain of agronomy and environmental sciences;
• excellent writing and presenting skills;
• affinity with societal challenges in the domains of agriculture and food systems;
• motivation to work in a transdisciplinary project with many project partners and farmers;
• experience with or interest in quantitative research methods;
• being a team player;
• dutch proficiency (or willingness to learn).

For this position your command of the English language is expected to be at C1 level. Sometimes it is necessary to submit an internationally recognised Certificate of Proficiency in the English Language. More information can be found here.

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

• partially paid parental leave;
• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• the option to accrue additional compensation / holiday hours by working more, up to 40 hours per week;
• there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
• a fixed December bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will receive a fully funded PhD position and you will be offered a course program tailored to your needs and the research team.

The gross salary for the first year is € 2.872,- per month rising to € 3.670,- in the fourth year in according to the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale P). This is based on a full-time working week of 38 hours. We offer a temporary contract for 18 months which will be extended for the duration of the project if you perform well.

There are plenty of options for personal initiative in a learning environment, and we provide excellent training opportunities. We are offering a unique position in an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere.

You are going to work at the greenest and most innovative campus in Holland, and at a university that has been chosen as the “Best University” in the Netherlands for the 19th consecutive time.

Coming from abroad
Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees.

Because we expect you to work and live in the Netherlands our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.
Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. We can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example helping your partner to find a job, housing, or schooling. Finally, certain categories of international staff may be eligible for a tax exemption on a part of their salary during the first five years in the Netherlands.

Wageningen University & Research

Wageningen University & Research
The mission of Wageningen University & Research is “To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life”. Under the banner Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen University and the specialised research institutes of the Wageningen Research Foundation have joined forces in contributing to finding solutions to important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment. With its roughly 30 branches, 7,600 employees (6,700 fte) and 13,100 students and over 150,000 participants to WUR’s Life Long Learning, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. The unique Wageningen approach lies in its integrated approach to issues and the collaboration between different disciplines.

Read the 5 reasons why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR and watch the video below to get an idea of our green campus!

We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves, so no employment agencies please. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.