PhD: “Upscaling emergent trait-based mimics for peatland ecosystem restoration”

Are you eager to help advance and upscale the restoration of peatland and coastal ecosystems? As one of the two 4-year PhD positions in the NWO funded project ‘Bioprime: applying biomimicry to produce restoration designs for multiple ecosystems’ at Utrecht University and the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, you will create ecosystem-specific, mass-produceable structures that are ready for large-scale ecosystem restoration.

Your job
The PhD candidate at Utrecht University will focus on peatland ecosystems (peat moss-dominated bogs and reed-dominated fens), while the PhD candidate at NIOZ Texel will focus on coastal ecosystems.

Wetland ecosystems shaped by habitat-forming species, such as peatlands, salt marsh, seagrasses and reef-forming bivalves (i.e. ‘biogenic’) provide important ecosystem services but are rapidly declining worldwide. Supported by for example the UN’s call to action in the ‘Decade on Restoration’ and the ‘EU Nature Restoration Law’, governments, industry and nature organizations increasingly use restoration as a vital tool to halt and reverse ecosystem losses. However, restoration of biogenic ecosystems is failure-prone, because their stability depends on self-facilitation generated by ‘emergent traits’, such as water holding mosses, dense sediment-stabilizing root mats or strong and persistent reef structures. Such traits emerge when habitat formers aggregate, causing self-facilitation to only work beyond certain minimum patch sizes and densities. This creates a ‘chicken-and-egg problem’ when ecosystem restoration is attempted on degraded ecosystems.

In this project, the team will apply a new ‘ecology-meets-engineering’ design approach to create ecosystem-specific, mass-produceable structures ready for large-scale application. Specifically, the team will test a new framework that combines methods from ecology, industrial design, and engineering to optimize and upscale and biodegradable structures that temporarily mimic key emergent traits using industrial-scale additive manufacturing (i.e., 3D-printing) techniques. The resulting mimics should ‘kick-start’ establishment of the target habitat-modifying species, after which the structures are allowed to biodegrade. Within the team, the role of both PhD candidates will be to (1) create and produce mimics for peatlands, salt marsh, seagrasses and reef-forming bivalves ecosystems, (2) test the organism-specific suitability of various prototypes with field tests, and (3) unravel the optimal mimic size for contrasting ecological settings in field experiments. Both PhD candidates will closely work together, and with a post-doc that will analyse patch-size dynamics as well as a post doc that leads upscaling.

You must have completed your MSc degree in ecology, biology, geomorphology, environmental, marine science or civil technical or related discipline. Preferably, you will also have:

• Experience with ecological (field) experiments and affinity with design;
• Strong analytical and computational skills for the experimental results using (spatial) statistical methods;
• A keen interest in performing multi-disciplinary work as part of larger research team;
• A passion and capacity to work with scientists, engineers, policymakers, and NGOs;
• Good collaborative skills, excellent written and oral communication in English;
• Ability to drive a car (driving license B) or open to obtain a license.

Depending on your preference, you can choose to apply for one of two positions or for both. We do request a motivation for your choice.

We offer:

• a position (0.8-1.0 FTE) for one year, with an extension to a total of four years upon a successful assessment in the first year, and with the specific intent that it results in a doctorate within this period;
• a working week of 32 - 40 hours and a gross monthly salary between € 3.059 and €3.881 in the case of full-time employment (salary scale P under the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU));
• 8% holiday pay and 8.3% year-end bonus;
• a pension scheme, partially paid parental leave and flexible terms of employment based on the CAO NU.

In addition to the terms of employment laid down in the CAO NU, Utrecht University also offers a range of its own schemes for employees. This includes arrangements for professional development, various types of leave, and options for sports and cultural activities. You can also tailor your employment conditions through our Terms of Employment Options Model. In this way, we encourage you to keep investing in your personal and professional development. 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 strategic themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Pathways to Sustainability. Sharing science, shaping tomorrow.

Utrecht University’s Faculty of Geosciences studies the Earth: from the Earth’s core to its surface, including man’s spatial and material utilisation of the Earth – always with a focus on sustainability and innovation. With 3,400 students (BSc and MSc) and 720 staff, the faculty is a strong and challenging organisation. The Faculty of Geosciences is organised in four Departments: Earth Sciences, Human Geography & Spatial Planning, Physical Geography, and Sustainable Development.

You will work at the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development and the section Environmental Sciences. At Environmental Sciences, we are dedicated to deepening our understanding of complex, interrelated changes and developing solutions that contribute to a sustainable society, healthy environment, and resilient ecosystems for both humans and nature.