PhD Opportunity in Soil Science and Root Decomposition at TU Berlin
PhD opportunity in
soil science
at
Technische Universität Berlin
within the DFG-funded
ROOT-DECAY
project.
The project asks what happens to carbon stored in plant roots as they decompose, and how
soil structure
and
soil organisms
influence carbon cycling and stabilization. The research sits at the interface of
soil physics
,
biology
, and
biogeochemistry
, with a strong focus on root–soil interactions, microbial habitats, and the fate of carbon in structured soils.
You will work on controlled
laboratory
,
greenhouse
, and
field experiments
, using methods such as
X-ray computed tomography (CT)
,
13C stable isotope tracing
, soil structure analysis, and
soil mesofauna
assessments. The position is embedded in an interdisciplinary network with collaborators from the University of Nottingham, UFZ, University of Göttingen, University of Hannover, and Anhalt University of Applied Sciences.
The post is advertised by TU Berlin’s Institute of Ecology / Department of Soil Science, with supervision linked to
Prof. Dr. Carsten Müller
. It is a
research assistant
position for a PhD project, funded by the DFG, at
0.65 working time
and paid at
salary grade 13 TV-L Berliner Hochschulen
. The contract runs until
31/08/2029
.
Eligibility highlights include a completed
Master, Diplom, or equivalent
in soil science, geoecology, agricultural sciences, or a related field; a research profile aligned with the project; and experience in data analysis/statistics. Strong lab skills are desirable, as are interests in CT/image processing, isotope work, soil fauna ecology, programming in R or Python, experimental design, fieldwork, and scientific writing. Good German and/or English is required, with willingness to learn the missing language skills.
Deadline:
2026-07-17.
How to apply:
send a single PDF by email to
[email protected]
including cover letter, CV, degree certificates, and references, and mention reference number
VI-251/26
.
