The Farming Systems Ecology group and Bioresources Breeding and Genetics groups at Wageningen University & Research is looking for a PhD students within the project 'Circular Food System'. Do you like to work in an international team and is it your passion to assess the contribution of plant-based proteins in food systems redesign to create sustainable food system? Then this may be your ideal job!

You will assess how a shift in production and consumption towards protein-rich plant sources will help to create more sustainable food systems. You will therefore model different scenario - accounting for different production and breeding strategies to enhance plant-protein quality - that results in different radical redesign of the food system. Such radical redesigns needs to be site-specific as in high-income countries for example a protein transition requires besides a dietary shift towards more plant-based-proteins also a reduction of protein. To assess this you will use and extend the global Circular Food Systems (CiFoS) model which includes information about animal sciences, crop sciences, environmental sciences, ecology, and human nutrition. For more information see, www.circularfoodsystems.org. You will be working in an interdisciplinary, international research team. The aim of the Circular Food Systems project is to compose pathways towards circular food systems that enable us to feed the world while respecting the planet.

• A successfully completed MSc degree in plant sciences, environmental sciences or human nutrition.
• An enthusiastic, problem solving candidate who likes to work in a multidisciplinary team.
• Experience with developing model codes in for example GAMS and R.
• Experience with geographical information systems.
• The ability to work effectively as a member of a multi-disciplinary research team, and carry out independent individual research, to achieve team goals.
• You have a very good level of oral and written English. You are required to show us a certification of English skills. For more information about the required level please take a look at: https://www.wur.nl/en/Education-Programmes/PhD-Programme/English-language-requirements.htm.
• You meet all the entry requirements of the WUR PhD programme.

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

• sabbatical leave, study leave, and 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 flexible 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, we offer a competitive monthly PhD salary of €2,395 (in year 1) up to €3,061 (in year 4), for a full-time working week of 38 hours, in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) scale P. A contract for 0.8 FTE can be discussed.
We start with a one year contract with a go/ no-go decision after 9 months to decide on the extension of another 3 years.

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 16th 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

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, 6.500 employees and 12.500 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 6 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.

Equal opportunities
WUR is an equal opportunity employer. We are keen to receive applications from all sufficiently qualified people, regardless of their ethnicity, gender, functional impairment, religion/life philosophy, sexual orientation, or age.