Godwit Landscapes Project - bio-indicators of ecologically sustainable farming

We have 5 PhD positions open for applications at the University of Groningen within the Godwit Landscapes Project: bio-indicators of ecologically sustainable farming. The positions are part of a larger project funded by LNV (Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food quality), European LIFE integrated projects (LIFE IP), the Province of Fryslân and Birdlife Netherlands with the Black-tailed godwit (Limosa limosa limosa) as our focal species. Within a landscape-scale ecosystem-based approach, that connects a long-term monitored population of godwits to changes in land-use, distribution of food sources and predators, we aim to understand how declining trends in farmland biodiversity can be reversed by more sustainable agricultural practices. We will achieve this with a large and collaborative team of researchers (incl. 7 PhD’s & 4 postdocs) focusing on godwit ecology, demography, spatial distribution, food sources (ecology of insect and soil fauna), predators and socio-economical value.

In the context of this project, the following 5 PhD positions are now open for applications:

1. PhD in Black-tailed godwit management & demography https://www.rug.nl/about-ug/work-with-us/job-opportunities/?details=00347-02S00080SP&cat=phd

2. PhD in the ecology of Arthropod populations impacted by agriculture https://www.rug.nl/about-ug/work-with-us/job-opportunities/?details=00347-02S00080TP&cat=phd

3. PhD in the spatial ecology of migratory grassland breeding birds https://www.rug.nl/about-ug/work-with-us/job-opportunities/?details=00347-02S00080UP&cat=phd

4. PhD in ecology of soil macrofauna in farmland ecosystems https://www.rug.nl/about-ug/work-with-us/job-opportunities/?details=00347-02S00080VP&cat=phd

5. PhD on the ecological role of predators on ground-nesting birds https://www.rug.nl/about-ug/work-with-us/job-opportunities/?details=00347-02S00080WP&cat=phd

The deadline for applications is 10 January 2021.