This vacancy is the result of the collaboration between Utrecht University and NIOZ. The Department of Earth Sciences (UU, Theoretical Biology & Bioinformatics) the UU Metagenomics Group (MGX) and the NIOZ Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry (MMB) are looking for a highly motivated PhD candidate, a MSc with a major in computational biology or metabolic modelling.

The departments
You will join two world-class research groups: the UU Metagenomics Group (MGX) and the NIOZ Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry (MMB).
Both UU and NIOZ are truly interdisciplinary and international institutes. UU has over 30,000 students and over 5,000 faculty and staff and is consistently ranked among the world’s top universities. UU is renowned for our emphasis on inspirational research and excellent education, and equally for the familiar atmosphere and the ambitious can-do mentality of our people. Bioinformatics is one of the Focus Areas of Utrecht University. NIOZ is a world leading marine research institute performs and promotes excellent, highly multidisciplinary research on questions relating to marine systems, addressing both scientific and societal questions. With its mission ‘Blue Planet’ NIOZ serves as the national oceanographic center in the Netherlands and serves as national marine research facilitator for the Dutch scientific community.

The Project
Coastal ecosystems worldwide are under threat due to increased anthropogenic pressure. Subsequent phase shifts in the marine system are characterized by alterations in the microbiome, often associated with higher abundances of copiotrophic and pathogenic bacteria. This may create a positive feedback loop that further fosters the downward trajectory of ecosystem degradation, a phenomenon called microbialization. As microbial dynamics are both cause and consequence of ecological phase shifts, they play a pivotal role in ecosystem health. As part of a recently funded collaboration project between the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) and Utrecht University (UU), you will combine large metabolomic and metagenomic datasets with microbial community modelling to improve our understanding of the structuring mechanisms behind microbialization and to identify potential intervention strategies.

We are looking for a highly motivated PhD candidate, a MSc with a major in computational biology or metabolic modelling. You will be using bioinformatic analysis and computational modelling to investigate the fundamental principles that shape microbiomes, as well as multi-disciplinary approaches to identify how microbial processes influence ecosystem functioning in marine and coral reef systems. Your computer and programming skills are excellent. Due to the international character of our research, good command of English, spoken as well as written, is a prerequisite.  We highly encourage applicants from all members of our community and of diverse background to join us.

Fixed-term contract: 1 year (fulltime). At the end of this first year, the employment will be extended for a fixed-term of a maximum of 4 years, if the first year evaluation held with the employee is positive.

Employment of this position at Royal NIOZ is by NWO (The Netherlands Organization of Scientific Research). We offer a position for a period of 4 years (fulltime). We offer a position for a period of 1 year (fulltime). At the end of this first year, the employment will be extended for a fixed-term of a maximum of 4 years, if the first year evaluation held with the employee is positive. The salary is compliant to the CAO-OI (Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Research Institutes), a pension scheme, a holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual salary, a year-end bonus of 8,3%, flexible work arrangements and arrangements and 42 days of holiday leave (fulltime position).
You may expect attractive secondary employment conditions. We offer generous relocation expenses for employees coming from abroad and support with finding accommodation.

NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research

One of the most influential oceanographic research institutes world wide
NWO-NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research is the national oceanographic institute in the Netherlands. We principally perform academically excellent multidisciplinary fundamental and frontier applied marine research. Our four science departments address important scientific and societal questions pertinent to the functioning of oceans and seas. The Royal NIOZ also serves as national marine research facilitator (NMF) to the Dutch scientific community.
Like to learn more about our organization and research? Please click here.