Are you passionate about understanding the drivers of effective forest restoration in a biodiversity hotspot? Do you aspire to contribute to cutting-edge restoration science in a transdisciplinary team?

We have an exciting PhD position available at the Forest Ecology and Forest Management (FEM) and Wildlife Ecology and Conservation (WEC) Groups at Wageningen University that offers a unique opportunity to investigate restoration effectiveness in Madagascar!

Past and ongoing exploitation has reduced forest extent and quality in many tropical countries, illustrating the urgency of restoring tropical forests to bring back ecosystem functioning and services. To achieve social and ecological restoration effectiveness, we need solution-oriented research on how to design restoration interventions that simultaneously deliver on multiple ecosystem services in an equitable way. Gaining a deeper understanding on the determinants of social and ecological restoration effectiveness in Madagascar is the goal of the transdisciplinary Demand4Restoration project.

We are looking for a PhD candidate focusing on how ecological restoration outcomes such as biodiversity, ecosystem functions, and natural regeneration are determined by social and ecological restoration practices. The specific focus of the PhD research will be determined based on the expertise and interests of the successful applicant. The data collection will be embedded within a common study design, offering the opportunity to triangulate data collected by the PhD candidate with data collected by other project members on other restoration outcomes and social-ecological restoration practices.

The activities of the successful PhD candidate include fieldwork within a large international team at various locations in Madagascar for at least two field seasons, the analysis of the resulting dataset, and writing manuscripts. Additionally, the successful candidate is expected to contribute to the wider Demand4Restoration project that spans four academic institutions and four NGOs. The successful candidate will collaborate with the Demand4Restoration project but is funded independently through the Sector Plan Biology.

You will work here
The research is embedded within the Forest Ecology and Forest Management and the Wildlife Ecology and Conservation groups and will be in close collaboration with the Demand4Restoration project. Your supervisors will be Dr. Iris Hordijk and Dr. Dominic Martin.

You are a person who is highly motivated to do ecological (field) studies, likes to analyse data sets, and to reflect critically on results. You are happy to constructively interact and collaborate with an interdisciplinary international team, including local and international collaborators, and Malagasy stakeholders and NGO’s. You look forward to publishing your findings in international academic journals and to communicate them to audiences that may be able to use your results. You enjoy supervising MSc students on their thesis research within the framework of your own studies.

You also possess:

• an MSc in ecology, environmental sciences, biology, geography, or a related field;
• broad interest in restoration science;
• experience with (setting up) ecological field studies;
• experience in fieldwork under challenging conditions;
• experience in data processing and analysis in R;
• excellent English language skills both written and spoken;
• Malagasy and French language skills are a plus;
• knowledge on Malagasy land systems is a plus;
• team-player skills;
• good organisational and communication skills;
• interest to interact with Malagasy stakeholders.

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

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.

For more information about this position, please contact Dr. Iris Hordijk, Assistant Professor FEM Group (iris.hordijk@wur.nl) or Dr. Dominic Martin, incoming Assistant Professor WEC Group (dominic.martin@unibe.ch).

For more information about the procedure, please contact Noorien Abbas, corporate recruiter, noorien.abbas@wur.nl .

Do you want to apply?
You can apply directly using the apply button on the vacancy page on our website which will allow us to process your personal information with your approval.

Interested candidates should submit the following:

• A cover letter outlining motivation and suitability for the project (max. 2 pages).
• A CV, including relevant research experiences. The CV should include contact details for two relevant references (max. 2 pages).

This vacancy will be listed up to and including 3 December 2024. We hope to schedule the first job interviews on 10 December 2024.

Welcome, safe, and valued
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) highly values diversity and inclusion because we believe that different insights lead to innovative solutions. We create a work environment where everyone feels welcome, safe, and appreciated, regardless of background, identity, or experience. Together, we are building a culture where everyone's unique contribution adds to the success of our organization.