Esther Boere

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (Institute for Environmental Studies, IVM) is advertising three PhD positions focused on nature restoration , socio-economic modelling , ecological benefits , and spatial analysis across Europe. The positions are part of a broader effort to reveal the true value of nature restoration across space and time, helping policymakers and land users make restoration more visible, actionable, and fair. The first two PhD roles are connected to the newly funded Horizon Europe project NatuRISE , coordinated by IVM and involving 17 partners across Europe. NatuRISE will develop integrated models and decision-support tools to quantify the societal and environmental benefits and costs of nature restoration across sectors, actors, scales, and time. There are three research profiles: 1) Agriculture / land use economist or modeller to help develop EU-wide models that reveal the socio-economic value of nature restoration, including underexplored health benefits. 2) Interdisciplinary researcher to study how the plural values of nature restoration emerge and change across space and time. 3) GIS / spatial data researcher to identify where nature restoration can succeed and why across European landscapes. Relevant academic keywords include environmental science , economics , geography , agriculture , GIS , spatial data , land use modelling , and decision-support tools . The post is aimed at PhD candidates with strong interest in modelling, spatial analysis, and interdisciplinary environmental research. Application deadline is May 5 , and the expected start date is September 1 . Applicants should use the relevant vacancy link for the position that best matches their background.

PhD opportunity in socio-economic modelling of nature restoration at European scale at the Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU Amsterdam). This opening is for a PhD candidate to work on revealing the true socio-economic and ecological benefits of nature restoration across space and time. The project focuses on building better evidence, models, and tools that can help policymakers and land users make nature restoration visible, actionable, and fair, supporting the transition toward nature-inclusive landscapes across Europe. The position is linked to the newly funded Horizon Europe project NatuRISE , coordinated by IVM and involving 17 partners across Europe . NatuRISE aims to develop integrated models and decision-support tools to quantify the societal and environmental benefits and costs of nature restoration across sectors, actors, scales, and time. The post is especially relevant for a quantitative environmental researcher or spatial modeller with interests in environmental science , earth science , geography , statistics , mathematics , and computer science . The research theme includes socio-economic modelling, ecological benefits, spatial analysis, and EU-wide modelling of restoration impacts, including potentially underexplored health benefits. Funding: The position is part of a funded Horizon Europe project. No stipend amount or tuition details are stated in the post excerpt. Deadline: Applications are due on 2026-06-30 . The expected start date is September 1 . How to apply: Use the application link provided in the post and submit your materials before the deadline. Review the full vacancy page for any additional documents or eligibility details. If you are interested in quantitative environmental modelling and nature restoration, this is a strong fit.