Eiko Kuramae
Closing soon
Just Landed
New Today
Postdoctoral Researcher in Stable-Isotope Nitrogen Ecology and Orbitrap Isotopologue Analysis Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences in Netherlands
Degree Level
Postdoc
Field of study
Chemistry
Funding
Two-year postdoctoral position with a gross monthly salary of €3,706 to €5,760 for a full-time appointment (scale 10, cao Nederlandse Universiteiten/KNAW), plus vacation allowance, year-end bonus, travel allowance, internet allowance, home working allowance and pension accrual.
Deadline
Nov 7, 2026
Country
Netherlands
University
Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences
Apply for this position
Keywords
Suggested positions
About this position
This postdoctoral project at the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) focuses on how nitrogen moves through ecological systems and how stable-isotope tracing can be used to resolve the processes controlling nitrogen transformation, transfer, retention and loss. The researcher will develop and apply 15N-based approaches together with Orbitrap isotopologue and isotopomer analyses to build mechanistic understanding of nitrogen cycling across terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
The work is interdisciplinary and spans plants, soils, microorganisms, animals, sediments and aquatic systems. The successful candidate will help advance stable-isotope methods for ecological nitrogen research, with projects that may include nitrogen transfer through food webs, microbial interaction networks involved in nitrogen transformations, zoogeochemistry and nutrient cycling mediated by soil animals, plant nitrogen acquisition, and nitrogen transformations and losses in environmental systems.
The position is based at NIOO-KNAW in Wageningen and is intended to strengthen the institute’s long-term expertise in isotope-based ecological research. The role includes developing experimental and analytical workflows, contributing to standard protocols and quality control, and supporting isotope research across multiple departments and disciplines. NIOO offers a research environment with facilities for ecological experimentation, stable-isotope research and analytical development.
In addition to conducting research, the postdoctoral researcher will help train and support colleagues in isotope methods and data analysis, contribute to reproducible pipelines, and participate in publications, presentations and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Funding details
Two-year postdoctoral position with a gross monthly salary of €3,706 to €5,760 for a full-time appointment (scale 10, cao Nederlandse Universiteiten/KNAW), plus vacation allowance, year-end bonus, travel allowance, internet allowance, home working allowance and pension accrual.
What's required
A completed PhD in biogeochemistry, ecology, analytical chemistry or a related discipline is required. Applicants should have hands-on experience with 15N stable-isotope tracer experiments, experience with experimental design and quantitative interpretation of isotope-labelled experiments, knowledge of nitrogen-cycle processes, experience with isotope enrichment calculations, isotope mass balance and/or quantification of nitrogen fluxes, strong quantitative and statistical skills, experience with computational analysis of isotope or mass-spectrometry datasets preferably using R and/or Python, the ability to work independently and collaboratively in an interdisciplinary environment, and a good command of written and spoken English. Experience with high-resolution mass spectrometry, especially Orbitrap-based analyses, isotopologue and/or isotopomer analysis, method development or optimisation, nitrogen biogeochemistry, stable-isotope applications in plant/soil/microbial/aquatic ecology, and reproducible analytical pipelines is considered a plus.
How to apply
Send a motivation letter and an up-to-date CV including at least two references. Emphasize your hands-on stable-isotope experience, quantitative isotope analysis, mass-spectrometry method development, and how you would contribute to stable-isotope nitrogen research at NIOO. Apply via the AcademicTransfer application link before 7 November 2026.
Make your next move.
Prepare your application
Review drafts and confirm requirements with the university.
Professors
Prof. at Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences
Netherlands
Research Interests
Analytical Chemistry
Chemistry
Microbiome Research
Isotope Geochemistry
Biology
Make your next move.
Prepare your application
Review drafts and confirm requirements with the university.