Postdoctoral Researcher in Faculty of Bioscience Engineering

ABOUT GHENT UNIVERSITY

Ghent University is a world of its own. Employing more than 15,000 people, it is actively involved in education and research, management and administration, as well as technical and social service provision on a daily basis. It is one of the largest, most exciting employers in the area and offers great career opportunities. With its 11 faculties and more than 80 departments offering state-of-the-art study programmes grounded in research in a wide range of academic fields, Ghent University is a logical choice for its staff and students.

ABOUT THE PROJECT

Biogeochemistry directs ecological recovery of secondary forests, and thereby impacts the rate of carbon accumulation along succession. Recent observations suggest that cations (calcium, magnesium, potassium) limit forest productivity in the tropics, although research to date has largely focused on nitrogen and phosphorus. Moreover, the intensification of land-use change impacts cation availability at the onset of succession, likely further constraining regrowth rates of secondary forests. FORECAT (legacy effects on tropical FOrest REcovery through CATion limitation) strives to understand the fundamental role of cations in limiting productivity of secondary forests in the tropics, and to quantify how land-use change and its intensification affect cation limitation on forest recovery rates. FORECAT will integrate observational, experimental and modelling approaches. This work will be conducted along tropical forest successional gradients and land-use intensity gradients, to disentangle how the legacy land-use history affects recovery trajectories through cation cycling. The field-based data will constitute the most detailed nutrient mapping – including cations – of secondary tropical forests to date. These data will then be integrated in a state-of-the-art biogeochemical model to provide projections of long-term effects of different land-use change scenarios on forest recovery in the tropics. Due to the sheer magnitude of projected land-use intensification in the tropics, cation limitation on the carbon uptake rate of secondary forest regrowth will impact global carbon cycle. Furthermore, FORECAT will drastically improve our land-scape scale understanding of forest regrowth in the tropics, and will set the stage to inform managers and decision makers on optimal and sustainable land-use change planning.

YOUR TASKS

• At least 70% of your assignment will be spent on academic research.
• Position with a strong research focus (70%), 15% project management and 15% supervising of PhD students & teaching support
• Your main tasks will involve synthesizing existing and project data into a biogeochemical disturbance model (PnET-BGC). This model will be parameterized for sub-Saharan Africa slash-and-burn, and help us to understand the long-term impact of disturbance regimes on forest recovery in the decades to come. Additionally, the model will be benchmarked by state-of-the-art satellite products and used to evaluate which land-use change regimes are more sustainable on a landscape scale, and could directly inform practitioners and policy-makers. Additionally, you will also contribute to the general coordination of the project and the supervision of  PhD students.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

• A PhD degree in a relevant field (Bio-Engineering, Biology, Forestry, Geosciences, Environmental sciences, Geography). In case the candidate does not have a PhD degree from Belgium, and has not resided in Belgium for more than 24 months in the past 3 years, the candidate is eligible to be paid through a postdoctoral fellowship.
• Prior experience with organising and conducting fieldwork. Keen to carry out fieldwork in tropical forest.
• A keen interest in forest ecology and biogeochemistry. Experience with tropical forest research is a plus.
• Knowledge of programming languages such as R, C++, Matlab or Python
• A good command of English and French, both written and oral
• Demonstrated excellence in scientific writing through high-quality publications
• Willingness to collaborate and be a team player with good communication skills.
• Interested in developing their leadership skills and supervision of PhD students.
• Experience with remote sensing analysis is a plus

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

• We offer you a contract of indefinite duration with a maximum term of 2 years
• Your contract will start on 1/05/2024 at the earliest.
• Your remuneration will be determined by salary scale PD1. Click here for more information about our salary scales.
• All Ghent University staff members enjoy a number of benefits, such as a wide range of training and education opportunities, 36 days of holiday leave (on an annual basis for a full-time job) supplemented by annual fixed bridge days, a bicycle allowance and eco vouchers. Full benefits on https://www.ugent.be/en/work/talent/next-steps/employeebenefits.htm
• Collaboration in a young and dynamic international scientific team
• Opportunities to present your work at scientific conferences
• Opportunities to develop scientific leadership

INTERESTED?

Apply online through the e-recruitment system before the application deadline (see above). We do not accept late applications or applications that are not submitted through the online system.

Your application must include the following documents:

• In the field ‘CV’: your CV and an overview of your study results (merged into one pdf file)
• In the field ‘Cover letter’: your application letter in pdf format
• In the field ‘Diploma’: a transcript of the required degree (if already in your possession). If you have a foreign diploma in a language other than our national languages (Dutch, French or German) or English, please add a translation in one of the mentioned languages.
• In the field “other documents”: an optional reference letter, an abstract of your PhD Thesis.

Note that the maximum file size for each field is 10 MB.

As Ghent University maintains an equal opportunities and diversity policy, everyone is encouraged to apply for this position.

MORE INFORMATION

For more information about this vacancy, please contact Prof. Marijn Bauters (Marijn.Bauters@UGent.be, +32(0)9/264 62 06). Important: do NOT send your application by email, but apply online.

Do you have a question regarding the online application process? Please read our FAQ or contact helpdesk (dpo@ugent.be – tel. 09/264 98 98).