While it is well known that agriculture is an important contributor to the global climate and biodiversity crises, there are also farming systems around the world that contribute to food security and human well-being without compromising biodiversity and contributing to climate change. Such bright spots of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) are often hidden in plain sight, but have the potential to be powerful blueprints for scaling up their benefits. The BrightSpotsCSA project aims to identify, map, and understand such bright spots of climate-smart agriculture, fostering our understanding of what enables the emergence and continuity of sustainable modes of agriculture. Geographically, BrightSpotsCSA focuses on the Netherlands and the State of Punjab in India. The PhD students at VU will study bright spots in agriculture in the Netherlands.

PhD 1: Biophysical dimensions of CSA bright spots in the Netherlands. This PhD will focus on the interaction between climate-smart agriculture and the biophysical context in which it is embedded. The PhD student will map and model the occurrence and contributions of Dutch bright spots of climate smart agriculture, and will simulate the role bright spots or wider uptake of their practices can play in the Dutch "climate challenge". Further, the PhD student will assess determinants that influence the occurrence of bright spots. Lastly, the PhD student will assess potential trade-offs of climate-smart agricultural practices on different sustainability dimensions and identify priority area/regions where such practices could be implemented.

PhD2: Actors and institutions as CSA brightspot enablers in the Netherlands. This PhD will focus on the social network of the Dutch agricultural sector. The PhD student will assess farmer motivation and decision making on CSA practices. Also, the PhD student will analyze the role of CSA bright spots in climate change adaptation and food security and will perform a scenario analysis of the opportunities for expanding bright spots throughout the Netherlands and beyond.

Both PhD students will cooperate closely, and will be embedded in a cooperative research project with partner institutes in the Netherlands and India.

Your duties

• learn to independently conduct high-quality research, and publish results in scientific journals, culminating in a PhD thesis
• collaborate with scientists within and outside the institute and the BrightSpotsCSA consortium
• conduct data analysis and simulation studies
• make a (small) contribution to teaching

• MSc in environmental sciences, geography, agricultural science or related fields, completed before the starting date
• Experience and affinity with interdisciplinary research
• Experience with spatial analysis and modelling (PhD1)
• Experience with quantitative social science methods (PhD2)
• Good communication skills in both English and Dutch
• Familiarity with land use and agriculture in the Netherlands or Europe

Fixed-term contract: 1 year.

A challenging position in a socially involved organization. The salary will be in accordance with university regulations for academic personnel and amounts €2,434 (PhD) per month during the first year and increases to €3,111 (PhD) per month during the fourth year, based on a full-time employment. The job profile: is based on the university job ranking system and is vacant for at least 0.8 FTE.

The appointment will initially be for 1 year. After a satisfactory evaluation of the initial appointment, the contract will be extended for a duration of 4 years.
Additionally, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam offers excellent fringe benefits and various schemes and regulations to promote a good work/life balance, such as:

• 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus, contribution to commuting expenses, optional model for designing a personalized benefits package

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

The ambition of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is clear: to contribute to a better world through outstanding education and ground-breaking research. We strive to be a university where personal development and commitment to society play a leading role. A university where people from different disciplines and backgrounds collaborate to achieve innovations and to generate new knowledge. Our teaching and research encompass the entire spectrum of academic endeavor - from the humanities, the social sciences and the natural sciences through to the life sciences and the medical sciences.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is home to more than 26,000 students. We employ over 4,600 individuals. The VU campus is easily accessible and located in the heart of Amsterdam's Zuidas district, a truly inspiring environment for teaching and research.

Diversity
We are an inclusive university community. Diversity is one of our most important values. We believe that engaging in international activities and welcoming students and staff from a wide variety of backgrounds enhances the quality of our education and research. We are always looking for people who can enrich our world with their own unique perspectives and experiences.

The Faculty of Science
The Faculty of Science inspires researchers and students to find sustainable solutions for complex societal issues. From forest fires to big data, from obesity to medicines and from molecules to the moon: our teaching and research programmes cover the full spectrum of the natural sciences. We share knowledge and experience with leading research institutes and industries, both here in the Netherlands and abroad.

Working at the Faculty of Science means working with students, PhD candidates and researchers, all with a clear focus on their field and a broad view of the world. We employ more than 1,250 staff members, and we are home to around 6,000 students.

About IVM
IVM is a leading environmental research institute that is internationally recognized for its high quality research output in a range of environmental disciplines, as well as for its interdisciplinary work. The mission of the institute is to contribute to sustainable development and care for the environment through scientific research and teaching. IVM aims to do excellent problem-oriented research that is useful to a wide range of stakeholders in the Netherlands and internationally. A unique strength of our research is to understand sustainability problems in their social and economic context. IVM's research community works within four departments: Environmental Economics; Environmental Policy Analysis; Environmental Geography; and Water and Climate Risk. Since 2001 IVM is part of the Faculty of Science at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (www.ivm.vu.nl). This position is based within the Environmental Geography department.