Are you interested in conducting ground-breaking investigations in tropical forest? Are you intrigued by lightning and other high voltage electrical phenomena, and their influence on forests? Then you may be the candidate we are looking for!

This PhD project asks how electrical storms and related processes influence forests in Central Africa. Hundreds of millions of lightning strikes reach the Earth's surface each year, with the greatest density in Equatorial Africa, the location of the proposed study. Recent evidence suggests such strikes are considerably more important for tree mortality than previously recognised, with potentially major implications for forest biomass, turnover, structure and composition.

The research will combine fieldwork in Central Africa with the development of robust sensors and data logging methods to measure the electrical properties of trees and their environments in-situ. The research is expected to combine forest ecology, atmospheric physics, creative use of sensors, plot data, remote sensing, and analyses. In the initial phase the PhD will benefit from working with an ongoing project that combines expertise from multiple institutions and will use a drone to assess lightning effects across four sites in Central Africa covering a gradient of lightning frequency.

The research is embedded within the Chairgroup Forest Ecology and Forest Management led by Prof. Douglas Sheil who is also the main supervisor for the PhD. You will be co-supervised by Dr Masha van der Sande and Dr Peter van der Sleen.

• A completed MSc in ecology, biology, environmental sciences, physics or related subject;
• Excellent English language proficiency (a minimum of CEFR C2 level). For more information about this proficiency level, please visit our page about PhD requirements.
• Drive for research with a strong motivation to work in a dynamic project as part of a larger international team
• Interests relevant to developing novel methods for assessing electrical phenomena in trees and forest (experience in developing, adapting or applying technologies may be an advantage)
• Experience with coordinating field work
• Good communication skills (knowledge of French is advantageous)

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

• study leave, and partially paid parental leave;
• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
• a fixed December bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will receive a fully funded PhD position and you will be offered a course program tailored to your needs and the research team.

The gross salary for the first year is € 2.443,- per month rising to € 3.122,- in the fourth year in according to the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale P). This is based on a full-time working week of 38 hours. We offer a temporary contract for 18 months which will be extended for the duration of the project if you perform well.

There are plenty of options for personal initiative in a learning environment, and we provide excellent training opportunities. We are offering a unique position in an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere.

You are going to work at the greenest and most innovative campus in Holland, and at a university that has been chosen as the "Best University" in the Netherlands for the 17th consecutive time.

Coming from abroad
Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees. Applicants from abroad moving to the Netherlands may qualify for a special tax relief, known as the 30% ruling. Our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.

Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. Wageningen University & Research's International Community page contains practical information about what we can do to support international employees and students coming to Wageningen. Furthermore, we can assist you with any additional advice and information about helping your partner to find a job, housing, schooling, and other issues.

Equal opportunities
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) employs a large number of people with very different backgrounds and qualities, who inspire and motivate each other. We want every talent to feel at home in our organisation and be offered the same career opportunities. We therefore especially welcome applications from people who are underrepresented at WUR. For more information please go to our inclusivity page. A good example of how WUR deals with inclusiveness can be read on the page working at WUR with a functional impairment.

Wageningen University & Research

Wageningen University & Research
The mission of Wageningen University and Research is "To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life". Under the banner Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen University and the specialised research institutes of the Wageningen Research Foundation have joined forces in contributing to finding solutions to important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment.

With its roughly 30 branches, 6.800 employees and 12.900 students, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. An integrated approach to problems and the cooperation between various disciplines are at the heart of Wageningen's unique approach. WUR has been named Best Employer in the Education category for 2019-2020.

These are the points our employees list as good reasons to come work at WUR: read the 5 reasons to come work at WUR

We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves, so no employment agencies please. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.