Owen Petchey

This postdoctoral research position at the University of Zurich, Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, offers an exciting opportunity to investigate the determinants of ecological stability in microbial communities. The successful candidate will join Dr. Owen Petchey's research group, which integrates experimental approaches with conceptual and mathematical models to advance the understanding of ecological systems. The role involves designing and conducting experimental studies in microbial ecology, developing and applying conceptual and mathematical models, identifying key ecological questions, translating them into testable hypotheses, and performing rigorous statistical analyses. The postdoc will be expected to communicate findings through publications and presentations and contribute to a friendly, collaborative, and inclusive research environment. Additional opportunities include contributing to teaching and developing supervisory experience by mentoring Bachelor’s project students. Applicants should have a PhD or equivalent and no more than two years of postdoctoral experience at the time of appointment, with expertise in ecological theory and modeling, experimental microbial ecology, study design, hypothesis generation, statistical analysis of ecological data, and scientific communication. The position is based in Zurich, Switzerland, and is not funded by the EU Research Framework Programme. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled, with a formal deadline of December 31, 2025. Interested candidates should submit a single PDF containing a cover letter, CV, and contact information for two references to Maja Weilenmann at [email protected]. For more information about the research group and department, visit https://www.ieu.uzh.ch.

The University of Zurich invites applications for a Doctoral Candidate (PhD) in Biodiversity Policy and Response Diversity within the ReDiLEEP Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network. The project, DC11: Integrating response diversity into policy and policy into response diversity , examines how response diversity is represented in European biodiversity, restoration, and sustainability policy, and how science can help develop policy-ready indicators for ecosystem resilience. This PhD is hosted by the Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies at the University of Zurich, Switzerland. The research will use AI-assisted text analysis and network analysis to compare scientific evidence with policy frameworks such as the EU Nature Restoration Law, the Common Agricultural Policy, and the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive. The aim is to identify conceptual alignments, mismatches, and evidence gaps, and to support the development of measurable indicators linking response diversity to ecological stability, resilience, and sustainability goals. The successful candidate will work on a highly interdisciplinary project connecting ecology, biodiversity governance, environmental policy, and data-driven analysis. Responsibilities include reviewing and synthesising response diversity research, analysing policy and governance documents, drafting indicator sets and monitoring templates, and producing peer-reviewed publications and policy-relevant outputs. The position is embedded in an international doctoral network that includes academic, NGO, and industry partners, and offers training in response diversity methods, reproducible coding, machine learning and AI for ecologists, evidence-based policymaking, science-policy communication, and policy brief writing. Supervision is provided by Prof. Owen Petchey as main supervisor, with co-supervision from Prof. Maria Santos , Dr Cornelia Krug , and Dr Ute Jacob . The appointment includes 48 months full-time funding: 36 months funded by MSCA Doctoral Networks and 12 months funded by the University of Zurich . Gross salary follows the Marie Curie Fellowship regulation. The PhD includes 4 months of secondments across partner organisations, including BioAgora, Swansea University, CarU, and Advanced Invasives, helping strengthen the science-policy-practice interface. Candidates should have a Master's degree or equivalent in ecology, environmental science, geography, sustainability science, environmental policy, biodiversity governance, computational social science, data science, or a closely related field. Strong quantitative, programming, and policy-analysis skills are advantageous, as is experience with EU biodiversity or sustainability policy and open-science workflows. Applications must be submitted by 01 October 2026 via email as a single PDF. The application should include a cover letter, CV, degree certificates and transcripts, a short statement confirming MSCA mobility-rule eligibility for Switzerland, and contact details of two referees. Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed in English. The expected start date is between 1 February 2027 and 30 June 2027 . This opportunity is based at the University of Zurich’s Irchel campus in Zurich, Switzerland, and is particularly well suited to candidates interested in biodiversity policy, resilience science, restoration, sustainability reporting, and translating ecological research into actionable governance and monitoring frameworks.

The University of Zurich is advertising a fully funded Doctoral Candidate (PhD) position in Social-ecological Modelling and Biodiversity Policy within the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network ReDiLEEP (Using science-driven Response Diversity knowledge to Leverage Efficient Ecosystem Preservation and restoration). The project, DC12: Opportunities and barriers for implementing response diversity enabled policy , focuses on how biodiversity and response diversity can be translated into actionable policy. Response diversity refers to the variation in how individuals, species, or functional groups respond to environmental change, and it is increasingly recognized as important for ecosystem resilience. This PhD will investigate the socio-economic, cultural, and ecological trade-offs that arise when environmental policy prioritises response diversity as a mechanism for resilient ecosystems. The research will use Agent-Based Policy Modelling (ABPM) to simulate how land managers, farmers, local authorities, and conservation agencies respond to incentives intended to maintain or enhance response diversity. The candidate will develop and validate models of decision-makers and institutions in policy contexts such as the Common Agricultural Policy , the Nature Restoration Law , and the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive . The project will examine feedbacks between ecological dynamics and human decision-making, including economic trade-offs, compliance, cooperation, trust, and resource constraints. Planned scenarios may include subsidies for multi-species cropping, mixed-provenance restoration, and age-structured fishery management. Outcomes will be compared across dimensions such as ecosystem stability, social equity, cost-effectiveness, feasibility, and governance robustness. The aim is to identify barriers, leverage points, and governance configurations that can support sustainable ecosystem management while limiting undesirable socio-economic trade-offs. The position is hosted by the University of Zurich in Switzerland and includes 48 months of full-time employment: 36 months funded by MSCA Doctoral Networks under Horizon Europe and 12 months funded by the University of Zurich . The post includes salary according to Marie Curie Fellowship regulations, access to UZH research infrastructure and ScienceIT support, and participation in a highly interdisciplinary doctoral network. Training and development are central to the ReDiLEEP network. The successful candidate will join an international cohort and benefit from training in response diversity methods, data management, reproducible code, R/Tidyverse, machine learning and AI for ecologists, visualization, evidence-based policymaking, science-policy communication, and policy brief writing. There are also 5 months of secondments with partners including BioAgora , ThinkNature , Advanced Invasives , and Swansea University , strengthening the science-policy-practice interface. Supervision is provided by Prof. Maria J. Santos , with co-supervision from Prof. Owen Petchey , Dr Cornelia Krug , and Dr Ute Jacob . Scientific questions can be directed to Prof. Maria J. Santos, and administrative questions to Maja Weilenmann. Eligibility highlights include a Master’s degree or equivalent in ecology, environmental science, geography, sustainability science, environmental policy, socio-ecological systems, economics, computational social science, data science, or a related discipline; strong quantitative and programming skills are preferred; excellent English and scientific writing are required. MSCA mobility rules apply: applicants must not have resided or carried out their main activity in Switzerland for more than 12 months in the 36 months before recruitment, and must not already hold a doctoral degree. Application deadline: 2 October 2026 at 17:00 (Europe/Zurich). Applications must be submitted as a single PDF in English by email to the contact address provided. The expected start window is between 1 February 2027 and 30 June 2027.