The continuous threat of outbreaks of notifiable infectious diseases such as Avian Influenza in poultry and African Swine Fever in pigs, and zoonotic infections such as Salmonella and Campylobacter, stresses that taking biosecurity measures is important in livestock farming to minimise the risk of infectious microorganisms entering, establishing or spreading within and between farms and to humans. We are searching for a PhD candidate or postdoc that would like to contribute to enhanced and cost-effective biosecurity measures and tools in livestock production, especially in pig and poultry farming. Do you share our ambition to help reduce animal disease and public health risks? Do you have a strong affinity to farm animal health, welfare and sustainability? And would you like to work in a multidisciplinary international team of nineteen European partners with close collaborations between knowledge institutes and stakeholders to achieve this? If the answer is yes to these questions, please look at the positions that we have to offer at Utrecht University for the Horizon Europe-funded 'BioSecure' project.

Given the multitude of interactions between animals, humans and production systems, a thorough understanding of infection transmission routes is key in designing good biosecurity measures. The overarching goal of the Horizon Europe-funded BioSecure project is to improve the capacity for key actors and decision-makers in livestock farming to understand, prioritise and implement evidence-based, cost-effective and sustainable biosecurity management systems in current and future terrestrial livestock production chains. The postdoc, PhD and the team from Utrecht University will contribute to this goal by:

• collecting existing biosecurity intelligence throughout the livestock production chain and creating biosecurity risk maps at an EU level for improving future risk analysis;
• investigating the impact of biosecurity practices through quantitative risk assessment and mathematical models as tools to quantify the probability of introduction and spread of pathogens at farm and sector level;
• improving and extending biosecurity scoring tools for accurately measuring the level of biosecurity and providing adapted and science based advices;
• evaluating and improving biosecurity measures through experiments and field studies.

• Researchportal.be
• European Commission

• Topsector Agri & Food
• One Health EJP
• DECIDE project
• Poultry world

We aim to appoint one PhD candidate (~0.8 - 1.0 FTE for four years preferably starting in January 2023) and one postdoc (~0.7 - 1.0 FTE for two years, preferably starting in April 2023). Both will be appointed at the Department Population Health Sciences - Farm Animal Health Unit at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Utrecht University. You will be part of the Veterinary Epidemiology group that closely collaborates with the Sustainable Poultry and Pig group. Together with senior researchers of this group, the PhD candidate and postdoc will collaborate to collect data on biosecurity in Dutch pig and poultry farms to use this in stochastic simulation models to study the effects of biosecurity measures on transmission of a selection of important infectious diseases. These will at least include Avian Influenza in poultry and African Swine Fever in pigs.

As postdoc you will supervise and assist the PhD candidate with the data collection. Moreover, you will contribute to developing risk maps and will have the lead in modelling the effects of biosecurity and management-related procedures, especially in relation to within-farm transmission, of a selection of diseases for different (intensive and extensive) farming systems of poultry and pigs. With the other European partners you will also contribute to risk assessments, and modelling for other farm animals and of the transmission between farms and at territorial level.

A suitable postdoc:

• has a (pending) PhD in a biomedical or life sciences oriented field;
• has experience in and affinity with quantitative analyses and dynamic modelling;
• has an interest in interdisciplinary work related to animal production systems;
• is motivated to contribute to enhancing biosecurity, to benefit animal and public health, welfare, productivity, and sustainability of animal production;
• has the ability to work both independently and within collaborative, multidisciplinary teams;
• is eager to support and supervise the PhD candidate with their tasks together with the other senior research team members;
• likes to collaborate with international experts in quantitative veterinary epidemiology and with stakeholders;
• has excellent organizational skills and oral and written communication skills in English. Knowledge of the Dutch language is a plus.

We offer a temporary position (0.7 - 1.0 FTE) for six months in an international working environment. After positive evaluation, this can be extended up to at least a total equivalent of two years for a 1.0 FTE position.. The gross salary - depending on previous qualifications and experience - ranges between €2,960 and €4,670 (scale 10 according to the Collective Labour Agreement Dutch Universities) per month for a full-time employment. Salaries are supplemented with a holiday bonus of 8% and a year-end bonus of 8.3% per year.

In addition, Utrecht University offers excellent secondary conditions, including an attractive retirement scheme, (partly paid) parental leave and flexible employment conditions (multiple choice model). For more information, please visit working at Utrecht University.

A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University, the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major societal themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Sustainability.

The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine has a unique position in the Netherlands. Not only is this the only institution where veterinarians are trained, researchers are also working together on innovative scientific research. In addition, the faculty provides specialist clinical care in the largest academic veterinary hospital in Europe. Thanks to this position, the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine is a point of contact for all veterinary matters, both nationally and increasingly internationally. The faculty employs approximately 900 veterinarians, scientists and support staff and counts 1.500 students.

The position will be at the Department Population Health Sciences-Farm Animal Health Unit. You will be part of the Veterinary Epidemiology group that closely collaborates with the Sustainable Poultry and Pig group, consisting of veterinarians, epidemiologists, infectious disease modellers, statisticians and economists. This combination allows for combining network and expertise in mathematical modelling, controlled and observational studies and transmission of infectious agents to study effects of risk factors, preventive and control measures in livestock farming in a One Health setting.

Utrecht is one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands and the fourth largest city in the Netherlands, with a charming old centre and an internationally oriented culture. The city with a population of nearly 360,000 is strongly influenced by its century-old university and forms a hub in the middle of the country. Its ancient city centre and its modern central station can easily be reached from the Utrecht Science Park by public transport or by a 15 minute bicycle ride. Utrecht boasts beautiful canals with extraordinary wharf cellars housing cafés and terraces by the water, as well as a broad variety of shops and boutiques.