Doctoral Candidate (PhD) in Biodiversity Policy and Response Diversity University of Zurich in Switzerland

The University of Zurich invites applications for a Doctoral Candidate (PhD) in Biodiversity Policy and Response Diversity within the ReDiLEEP Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network. The project, DC11: Integrating response diversity into policy and policy into response diversity, examines how response diversity is represented in European biodiversity, restoration, and sustainability policy, and how science can help develop policy-ready indicators for ecosystem resilience.

This PhD is hosted by the Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies at the University of Zurich, Switzerland. The research will use AI-assisted text analysis and network analysis to compare scientific evidence with policy frameworks such as the EU Nature Restoration Law, the Common Agricultural Policy, and the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive. The aim is to identify conceptual alignments, mismatches, and evidence gaps, and to support the development of measurable indicators linking response diversity to ecological stability, resilience, and sustainability goals.

The successful candidate will work on a highly interdisciplinary project connecting ecology, biodiversity governance, environmental policy, and data-driven analysis. Responsibilities include reviewing and synthesising response diversity research, analysing policy and governance documents, drafting indicator sets and monitoring templates, and producing peer-reviewed publications and policy-relevant outputs. The position is embedded in an international doctoral network that includes academic, NGO, and industry partners, and offers training in response diversity methods, reproducible coding, machine learning and AI for ecologists, evidence-based policymaking, science-policy communication, and policy brief writing.

Supervision is provided by Prof. Owen Petchey as main supervisor, with co-supervision from Prof. Maria Santos, Dr Cornelia Krug, and Dr Ute Jacob. The appointment includes 48 months full-time funding: 36 months funded by MSCA Doctoral Networks and 12 months funded by the University of Zurich. Gross salary follows the Marie Curie Fellowship regulation.

The PhD includes 4 months of secondments across partner organisations, including BioAgora, Swansea University, CarU, and Advanced Invasives, helping strengthen the science-policy-practice interface. Candidates should have a Master's degree or equivalent in ecology, environmental science, geography, sustainability science, environmental policy, biodiversity governance, computational social science, data science, or a closely related field. Strong quantitative, programming, and policy-analysis skills are advantageous, as is experience with EU biodiversity or sustainability policy and open-science workflows.

Applications must be submitted by 01 October 2026 via email as a single PDF. The application should include a cover letter, CV, degree certificates and transcripts, a short statement confirming MSCA mobility-rule eligibility for Switzerland, and contact details of two referees. Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed in English. The expected start date is between 1 February 2027 and 30 June 2027.

This opportunity is based at the University of Zurich’s Irchel campus in Zurich, Switzerland, and is particularly well suited to candidates interested in biodiversity policy, resilience science, restoration, sustainability reporting, and translating ecological research into actionable governance and monitoring frameworks.