Postdoc position direct validation of greenhouse gas emission reduction measures in circular agriculture

Are you holding a recent PhD and are you interested in climate change, circular agriculture and greenhouse gases? And do you, like us, suspect that mitigating emissions could benefit more from direct field data collection? Are you good at bringing together information from multiple sources and would you like to do this at the leading University in the field of Environmental Science? Then we are looking for you!

Enhancing circularity is an important aspect of making European agriculture greener and more sustainable. The widespread reintroduction of crops and livestock could make a major contribution this, through the more e�ective recycling of resources and the minimization of waste. However, this comes with signi�cant challenges, including the potential for enhanced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, particularly methane emissions, from enteric fermentation as well as from the need to e�ectively substitute all/most inorganic fertilizers with organic manures. The recently approved ERA-NET Relive project, a collaboration of 11 universities and institutes ranging from Ireland to New Zealand and Finland to Chile, including the Netherlands, will take a holistic approach to the sustainable reintegration of livestock and cropping systems

Modelling tools will be developed by partners but a core activity led by the Water Systems and Global change (WSG) group of Wageningen University is to bring together, improve and test methods to directly verify the associated GHG emissions and co-design ways to mitigate these. WSG has built up a considerable track record in studying interactions between greenhouse gas exchange, hydrology, land use, and climate (change) using direct observation techniques such as eddy covariance. Currently WSG contributes to several Dutch national and regional monitoring networks to monitor GHG exchange in peat lands and wetlands, with a strong (local, provincial and national) stakeholder involvement. At the same time, WSG researchers have a long record of embedding in strong international networks such as Fluxnet and ICOS.

As a Post-doctoral researcher at the ERA_NET Relive project you will:

• evaluate innovative, more direct monitoring and verification methods and tools for adaptive management in circular farming systems
• work together with partners across the project, as well as with stakeholder organisations such as the Frisian waterboard (Wetterskip Frylân) to bring together multi-faceted information to support such methods and tools
• Endeavour in the design of GHG quantification in more complex agricultural systems such as ' food forests'
• Participate in thesis supervision and teaching of MSc students on both technical and sociological aspects of 'adaptive management'
• Work together with colleagues at WSG and their research partners to conduct field work, analyse and publish data on GHG exchange of pasture on peat lands.

At WSG you will work in a small team of people (researchers, field assistants, PhD student) that enthusiastically maintains up to 10 Eddy Covariance sites and data sets, a small flux aircraft, modelling and analysis tools. Our prime aim is to understand the scaling of GHG exchange from field to landscape and to provide direct monitoring techniques. WSG is a large chair group including scientists working on global hydrology, water pollution, climate adaptation and nature-based solutions.

This position is for three years and for 0.8 fte.

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

• sabbatical leave, 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;
• the option to accrue additional compensation / holiday hours by working more, up to 40 hours per week;
• 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 and a three years contract for 0.8 fte, you will of course receive a good salary. Depending on your experience, we offer a competitive gross salary of between €2.846 and €4.490,- for a full-time working week of 38 hours, in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale 10).

Wageningen University & Research encourages internal advancement opportunities and mobility with an internal recruitment policy. 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.

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.

Read the 5 reasons why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR and watch this video to get an idea of our green campus!

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

For more information about this position, please contact Dr. Bart Kruijt, senior researcher, telephone +31 486440 or by e-mail bart.kruijt@wur.nl.
For more information about the procedure, please Edgar Tijhuis, corporate recruiter, edgar.tijhuis@wur.nl

Do you want to apply?
You can apply directly using the apply button on the vacancy page on our website which will allow us to process your personal information with your approval.
This vacancy will be listed up to and including 14 March 2022. We hope to schedule the first job interviews on 21 March 2022.

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.