Doctoral Candidate (PhD) in Global Change Biology and Community Ecology University of Namur in Belgium

The University of Namur is offering a fully funded Doctoral Candidate (PhD) position in Global Change Biology and Community Ecology as part of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network ReDiLEEP. The project is based in the Department of Biology at the University of Namur in Namur, Belgium, with an expected start date of 1 March 2027.

This doctoral project (DC7) investigates how response diversity and mean response can help predict the effects of global change on ecological communities. Using high-throughput laboratory microcosm experiments with algae and heterotrophic protists, the project will test how environmental drivers such as temperature change, nutrient enrichment, and biomass extraction affect species coexistence and temporal stability. The work combines controlled experiments with statistical analysis and close interaction with the theoretical modelling work in DC6.

ReDiLEEP is an international network bringing together universities, research institutes, and non-academic partners across Europe and beyond to advance response diversity research and translate findings into ecosystem management, restoration, and biodiversity policy. The successful candidate will join an interdisciplinary doctoral cohort and benefit from training in response diversity methods, data management, reproducible code, R/Tidyverse, machine learning and AI for ecologists, visualisation, science-policy communication, and policy brief writing.

Responsibilities include designing and conducting laboratory microcosm experiments, analysing experimental data using state-of-the-art statistical approaches, communicating results to model developers, disseminating research through publications and conferences, and participating in network training, secondments, reporting, and cohort activities. The position includes 6 months of planned secondments at the University of Zürich.

Eligibility highlights: applicants should have a Master's degree or equivalent in Ecology, Microbiology, Environmental Sciences, or a related discipline; strong interest in community ecology, biodiversity and ecosystem functioning; experience with ecological experiments and/or quantitative data analysis; strong skills in data analysis, preferably in R; and excellent English. MSCA eligibility rules apply, including the mobility rule and the requirement not to already hold a doctoral degree.

Funding: the position is funded for 48 months under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Networks framework, with gross salary in accordance with the Marie Curie Fellowship regulation and employment under University of Namur regulations.

How to apply: send a single PDF application in English by 15 September 2026 to [email protected]. Include a cover letter, CV, copies of degree certificates and transcripts, a statement confirming MSCA mobility-rule eligibility for Belgium, and contact details of two referees. Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed in English.