Publisher
source

Wageningen University & Research

Closing soon

PhD in Effects of Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition on Plant and Insect Diversity Wageningen University & Research in Netherlands

Degree Level

PhD

Field of study

Ecology

Funding

Fully funded PhD position. Gross salary starts at €3,204 per month in year 1 and rises to €4,051 per month in year 4, based on a 38-hour work week. Temporary contract for 18 months, extendable to 48 months total if performance is good. Course program tailored to the candidate's needs and research team.

Deadline

Oct 26, 2026

Country flag

Country

Netherlands

University

Wageningen University & Research

Social connections

How do I apply for this?

Sign in for free to reveal details, requirements, and source links.

Apply for this position

Keywords

Ecology
Environmental Science
Agriculture
Biology
Pollination Biology
Soil Chemistry
Herbivory
Species Diversity

Suggested positions

About this position

Wageningen University & Research is advertising a fully funded PhD position on effects of atmospheric nitrogen deposition on plant and insect diversity. The project sits in the Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation (PEN) group and is led by Prof. David Kleijn, with daily supervision by Dr. Philippine Vergeer, Dr. Jeroen Scheper, Dr. Fons van der Plas, and Dr. Wim Ozinga.

The research combines ecology, environmental science, plant diversity, insect diversity, arthropod biodiversity, soil chemistry, and plant stoichiometry. The PhD candidate will conduct field studies across Northwestern Europe (the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Sweden) along a nitrogen-deposition gradient, and will also run greenhouse and controlled feeding experiments with caterpillars and solitary bees.

Key duties include designing and carrying out fieldwork, analysing complex ecological datasets in R, studying how nutrient concentrations in leaves and pollen affect insect performance and food preferences, co-supervising MSc students, and publishing the results in a PhD thesis and peer-reviewed papers.

Eligibility highlights: an MSc in ecology, environmental sciences, or a related field; experience with ecological field studies (soil sampling, vegetation surveys, arthropod sampling/identification); advanced R skills; excellent English; and a driver's license. The post expects C1-level English and may require an internationally recognised English proficiency certificate.

Funding is strong: this is a fully funded PhD position with a salary starting at €3,204/month in year 1 and rising to €4,051/month in year 4, plus a tailored course programme. The contract is initially for 18 months and can be extended to a total of 48 months if performance is good.

The position is based at Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands. Applications are submitted via the WUR vacancy page and a mandatory Microsoft form. Applicants must upload a CV (max 2 pages) and motivation letter (max 1 page), with a total maximum of 3 pages. The deadline shown on the page is 2026-10-26.

Funding details

Fully funded PhD position. Gross salary starts at €3,204 per month in year 1 and rises to €4,051 per month in year 4, based on a 38-hour work week. Temporary contract for 18 months, extendable to 48 months total if performance is good. Course program tailored to the candidate's needs and research team.

What's required

MSc in ecology, environmental sciences or a related field; experience with ecological field studies such as soil sampling, vegetation surveys, arthropod sampling and identification; advanced skills in data analysis in R; excellent written and spoken English at C1 level; a driver's license. Applicants may need to submit an internationally recognised Certificate of Proficiency in English.

How to apply

Apply through the vacancy page on the WUR website using the apply button. Submit a CV (max 2 pages) and motivation letter (max 1 page), with total documents not exceeding 3 pages. Also complete the mandatory Microsoft form linked in the post.

More information can be found here

Ask ApplyKite AI

Start chatting
Can you summarize this position?
What qualifications are required for this position?
How should I prepare my application?