What you will be doing

You will work in a project titled "Smart parasitoids: effective biological control", which aims to reduce the reliance on pesticides in ornamental greenhouse crops by improving biological control. You will work with a study system of mealybugs as pest insects and parasitoid wasps as biocontrol agents. In this project, we aim to enhance the effectiveness of these parasitoids by providing them with information on the presence of pest insects through learning. Together with private/industrial partners (in biological control) and ornamental crop growers, we are developing an application that automatically trains parasitoids in the greenhouse.

What you will be contributing
As the research assistant on the project, your primary tasks are maintaining the insect colonies and taking care of the plants. We expect that these tasks take approximately 8 hours per week.

Additionally, you may help with:

• Preparing and performing cage assays with parasitoids in experimental greenhouses
• Preparing and performing laboratory observations of parasitoid behavior and behavioral assays with parasitoids
• Preparing collections of insect and plant odors
• Data entry and organization

Hours per week can therefore vary and the position is 'on-call' (maximum 32 hours per week).

• A BSc or MSc degree (or close to obtaining the degree - because this is an 'on-call' position) in the fields of (applied) biology or ecology
• Demonstrable experience with insects (e.g. biological control systems and/or behavioral experiments)
• Good organisational skills
• Affinity with scientific research
• Language skills: spoken and written English is required, Dutch is of added value.
• Having a driver’s license is of added value

Fixed-term contract: 8 months, on-call contract.

Depending on education and experience the minimum salary is €2.618,- and the maximum salary is €3.298,- gross per month for a full-time appointment (scale 9 cao Nederlandse Universiteiten/KNAW). This is exclusive of 8% vacation allowance, 8.3% year-end bonus, travel allowance, internet allowance, home working allowance and pension accrual with ABP.

The KNAW offers its staff an excellent package of secondary benefits. A package that meets the different needs of employees depending on their stage of life, lifestyle or career ambitions. For example, by working an extra two hours a week, it is possible to increase the number of days off from 29 to 41 days a year (with full-time employment).

For a complete overview of the terms of employment, please refer to the web page: werken bij de KNAW.

Applying for a Certificate of Conduct (VOG) can be part of the application procedure.

Netherlands Insitute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW)

The Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) is a top research institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW). NIOO-KNAW focuses on fundamental and strategic research on individual organisms, populations, communities, and ecosystems.