Universität Zürich · Education
Doctoral Candidate (PhD) in Biodiversity Policy and Response Diversity
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The position includes 4 months of planned secondments, with 2 months in non-academic settings, to strengthen the science-policy-practice interface:
MSCA Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must meet the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network eligibility requirements at the recruitment date:
The position is funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Networks framework (36-months) and by University of Zurich (12-months) and will follow the applicable MSCA Doctoral Network conditions (for 36-months) and University of Zurich employment regulations (for 12-months).
- Review and synthesise response diversity research relevant to EU biodiversity policy needs, especially restoration, deforestation, and corporate biodiversity reporting.
- Apply AI-assisted text analysis and network analysis to scientific literature, policy documents, and decision-making frameworks.
- Identify conceptual alignments, mismatches, and evidence gaps between RD science and European biodiversity, restoration, and sustainability policy.
- Analyse governance processes to determine where ecological resilience, system stability, and diversity mechanisms can strengthen conservation and restoration policy.
- Specify research needs for RD metrics and assessment methods that support biodiversity policy goals.
- Develop draft indicator sets and monitoring templates linking RD to ecosystem function, resilience, and sustainability goals.
- Produce peer-reviewed publications, policy-relevant outputs, and recommendations for embedding RD metrics in environmental assessments, reporting standards, and restoration funding guidelines.
- Participate actively in ReDiLEEP network training, secondments, dissemination, reporting, and cohort activities.
The position includes 4 months of planned secondments, with 2 months in non-academic settings, to strengthen the science-policy-practice interface:
- BioAgora: embedding in a BioAgora demonstration case (1 month, expected around project month 6).
- Swansea University: taking RD research from field to policy (1 month, expected around project month 12).
- CarU: linking RD monitoring and policy (1 month, expected around project month 18).
- Advanced Invasives: taking RD research from field to policy (1 month, expected around project month 24).
The successful candidate will join an interdisciplinary cohort of doctoral researchers and benefit from ReDiLEEP training in response diversity methods, data management, reproducible code, R/Tidyverse, machine learning and AI for ecologists, visualisation, evidence-based policymaking, science-policy communication, and policy brief writing.
- 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 interest in biodiversity policy, ecosystem resilience, restoration, sustainability reporting, and the translation of ecological science into decision-making.
- Experience with literature synthesis, policy analysis, quantitative text analysis, network analysis, statistical modelling, or programming, preferably in R, Python, or comparable tools.
- Interest in AI-assisted analysis methods, science-policy interfaces, indicator development, monitoring frameworks, and EU environmental governance.
- Ability to work independently while contributing constructively to an international, interdisciplinary doctoral network.
- Excellent written and spoken English and strong scientific writing skills.
MSCA Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must meet the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network eligibility requirements at the recruitment date:
- Applicants must not already hold a doctoral degree.
- Applicants must be doctoral candidates and be enrolled, or eligible to be enrolled, in a doctoral programme at the University of Zurich.
- Applicants must work full-time and exclusively for the ReDiLEEP project during the appointment, in accordance with the applicable MSCA and UZH rules.
- Mobility rule: applicants must not have resided or carried out their main activity, such as work or studies, in Switzerland for more than 12 months during the 36 months immediately before the recruitment date.
- Exceptions to the mobility rule apply for compulsory national service, refugee status, and temporary protection.
The position is funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Networks framework (36-months) and by University of Zurich (12-months) and will follow the applicable MSCA Doctoral Network conditions (for 36-months) and University of Zurich employment regulations (for 12-months).
- Gross salary: In accordance with the regulation of the Marie Curie Fellowship and UZH salary rates for the last 12 months
- Duration: 48 months, full-time.
- Place of work: University of Zurich, Irchel campus, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
- Start of employment: Between February 1st and June 30th 2027. The appointment is subject to final MSCA eligibility verification, doctoral programme enrolment, and completion of UZH administrative onboarding.