Nina Buchmann

ETH Zurich, one of the world’s leading universities in science and technology, is offering multiple fully funded PhD positions in the field of sustainable food systems. These positions are available within member groups of the World Food System Center and span a range of research areas including sustainability assessment, food processing, isotope hydrology, and food waste supply chains. The projects are hosted in the Department of Environmental Systems Science (D-USYS) and the Department of Health Sciences and Technology (D-HEST), with collaborations across groups such as the Sustainable Food Processing Group, Grassland Sciences, WaldLab Ecohydrology, Food Systems Economics and Policy, and Global Health Engineering. Research topics include: Evaluating novel mineral sources for treatment of micronutrient deficiencies in humans Sustainability assessment for evaluating future global food systems Food processing for planetary and human health Isotope-enabled evapotranspiration partitioning Food waste supply chains in rapidly urbanizing areas Supervisors include Prof. Dr. Alexander Mathys, Dr. Léa Braud, Dr. Corina Sägesser, Prof. Dr. Nina Buchmann, Dr. Marius Floriancic, Prof. Eva-Marie Meemken, and Prof. Elizabeth Tilley. The research is interdisciplinary, combining environmental science, biology, nutrition, economics, agriculture, and earth science. Projects may involve advanced laboratory work, fieldwork, data analysis, and international collaboration, with a strong emphasis on sustainability, food security, and innovative solutions for global challenges. Eligibility: Applicants must have a relevant Master’s degree and strong English skills. Additional requirements include experience in sustainability assessment, food technology, environmental or agricultural sciences, data analysis, and programming. Some projects require fieldwork, survey data collection, or a driver’s license. Candidates should be motivated, collaborative, and able to work independently. Funding: All positions are fully funded according to ETH Zurich rules, with salary and social benefits provided. Positions are typically for four years. Application: Applications must be submitted via the ETH Zurich online portal. Required documents include a motivation letter, research proposal, CV, diplomas, transcripts, and contact details for referees. Applications via email or post are not accepted. For questions, contact the listed supervisors by email (no applications). Deadline: The application deadline for the Food Waste Supply Chains position is February 27, 2026. Other positions remain open until filled; early application is encouraged. For more information, visit the provided links to the ETH Zurich job portal and group websites.

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.

ETH Zurich’s World Food System Center is sharing multiple PhD and postdoctoral openings across food systems, sustainability, environmental science, agriculture, economics, chemistry, and biology-related research. Postdoctoral positions include: co-evaluating bio-inputs for smallholder farmers in Kenya with the Sustainable Agroecosystems Group (Prof. Johan Six), and stakeholder engagement with TdLab (Prof. Christian Pohl). PhD positions include research on PFAS pathways through soil–groundwater interfaces, circular economy and climate change resilience, pathways to a net-zero target for hard-to-abate Swiss emissions, plant metabolism and stable isotope biology (in collaboration with the University of Basel), and novel mineral sources for treating micronutrient deficiencies in humans. The page also lists additional PhD opportunities in sustainability assessment for future global food systems and food processing for planetary and human health. These openings are hosted by ETH Zurich and partner groups including Eawag and the University of Basel. The research themes are strongly interdisciplinary and connect food systems , sustainable agroecosystems , environmental processes , circular economy , agricultural economics , nutrition , and food processing . Eligibility and requirements are not fully detailed in the post, but applicants should be well matched to the relevant research area and prepared to work in an academic research environment. The World Food System Center also advertises a separate World Food Forum delegation opportunity for ETH Zurich students and researchers aged 35 or younger, with a deadline of 2026-06-03 . That delegation offers limited financial assistance of 400 CHF per delegate, while travel and hotel costs are self-funded. To apply, review the linked open positions page and follow the instructions for the specific role. For the World Food Forum delegation, submit a 1-page letter of interest and a 1-page CV by the deadline.