Wageningen University & Research
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PhD in Worldwide Forest Carbon Uptake Under Climate Change and Disturbance Wageningen University & Research in Netherlands
Degree Level
PhD
Field of study
Ecology
Funding
Fully funded PhD position. The gross salary is €3,204 per month in the first year, rising to €4,051 in the fourth year under the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, based on a full-time 38-hour week. The contract is initially for 18 months and may be extended for the duration of the project subject to satisfactory performance. A tailored course programme and employee benefits are included.
Deadline
Nov 30, 2026
Country
Netherlands
University
Wageningen University & Research
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About this position
Wageningen University & Research is seeking a PhD candidate to investigate how forest carbon uptake is changing worldwide under climate change and disturbance. The project examines the global carbon sink in forests and its role in removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
The researcher will combine atmospheric carbon dioxide observations, Earth Observation products, and numerical models to quantify forest carbon balances across continents and time scales ranging from days to decades. The work will address the effects of forest management, biodiversity loss, fire, pests, and climate change, while extending an existing forest carbon balance modelling framework from Europe to the rest of the world.
A major component is the integration of large Earth Observation datasets and the development of advanced data-assimilation capacity. The PhD candidate will use national and institutional high-performance computing facilities to run large-scale carbon-cycle simulations and analyse the resulting datasets. Research questions include how global forest carbon uptake has changed over recent decades, whether atmospheric observations can reveal forest management and disturbance signatures, and which Earth Observation products most improve regional carbon-balance estimates.
The position is part of the Horizon Europe EUFOR-G3W project, which develops observation- and model-based products for quantifying greenhouse-gas sources and sinks at global to national scales and contributes to the WMO Global Greenhouse Gas Watch. The researcher will also support the CarbonTracker family of greenhouse-gas models and data products, publish scientific results, and contribute to the supervision and technical training of BSc and MSc students.
You will join the Meteorology and Air Quality Group’s carbon-cycle research team, led by Wouter Peters, Guido van der Werf, and Ingrid Luijkx. The team works on greenhouse-gas exchange between land, ocean, and atmosphere, with core activities in atmosphere, biosphere, and fire modelling, observations, and data assimilation. Collaboration is planned with Simon Besnard and researchers at GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences in Potsdam, whose work focuses on translating Earth Observation data into forest carbon information.
The research environment is international, open, diverse, and collaborative, with opportunities to work at the interface of atmospheric science, Earth Observation, ecosystem science, climate policy, and computational carbon-cycle research.
Funding details
Fully funded PhD position. The gross salary is €3,204 per month in the first year, rising to €4,051 in the fourth year under the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, based on a full-time 38-hour week. The contract is initially for 18 months and may be extended for the duration of the project subject to satisfactory performance. A tailored course programme and employee benefits are included.
What's required
Applicants should hold an MSc degree in physics, chemistry, mathematics, atmospheric, environmental or climate sciences, or a related field. Candidates should have a quantitative background, motivation to learn carbon-cycle science, familiarity with UNIX, and more-than-basic experience analysing gridded datasets using Python, Julia, R, or a similar language. Experience through a job, internship, or thesis involving numerical modelling or data science is preferred. Applicants should enjoy collaborative interdisciplinary research, contribute positively to diverse teams, and have English proficiency at C1 level; an internationally recognised certificate may sometimes be required.
How to apply
Apply through the application button next to the vacancy on the Wageningen University & Research website; only website submissions will be considered. Complete the mandatory additional information form at https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/46F5rYgPPv.
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ApplyKite TwinLearns as you applyMake your next move.
Prepare your application
Review drafts and confirm requirements with the university.