Two PhD positions in plant ecophysiology and ecosystem services of crop mixtures (PhenoMix) ETH Zurich in Switzerland

ETH Zurich’s Grassland Sciences group is recruiting two PhD students for the PhenoMix project, a Swiss National Science Foundation–supported study on plant ecophysiology and ecosystem services of legume-cereal crop mixtures.

The project sits at the intersection of field phenotyping, stable isotope ecology, agroecology, statistics, and machine learning. Doctoral researchers will study how mixtures of crops such as pea, lentil, wheat, oats, and barley influence canopy microclimate, plant traits, resource use, complementarity, and ecosystem services in field experiments.

Research tasks include measurements of canopy architecture, leaf area index, biomass, soil resource supply, and plant traits; plant sampling for stable carbon, nitrogen, and water isotope analyses; assessment of litter decomposition, leaching, weed pressure, and yield quality; and evaluation of plant phenotyping models. The role also includes statistical analysis, publication, conference presentation, and assistance with plot establishment, maintenance, and harvest.

Eligibility highlights: applicants should hold a Master’s degree in agricultural sciences, biology, environmental sciences, ecology, or a closely related field. Experience in plant ecophysiology, soil science, community ecology, and/or stable isotopes is expected. Strong fieldwork experience, good statistical skills, and programming ability in R or Python are required. Written and spoken English must be strong, and a driver’s license is mandatory.

Funding: both positions are full-time and funded for four years, with salary and social benefits according to ETH Zurich rules.

Application window: apply online by 15 May 2026. The desired start date is 1 August 2026. Applications must include a motivation letter, CV, degree certificates with complete transcripts, and contact details for two referees. Email and postal applications are not accepted.

Questions can be directed to Prof. Dr. Nina Buchmann at ETH Zurich.