27 PhD Funded Positions in Environmental Sciences

More than 27 PhD Funded Positions in Environmental Sciences and related fields at Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry in Germany; The International Max Planck Research Schools (IMPRS) promotes doctoral researchers. Talented foreign and German junior scientists are offered the opportunity to earn a doctorate under excellent research conditions. A shared characteristics of the graduate programmes at Max Planck Institutes is a close colloboration with universities. The IMPRS-gBGC in cooperation with the Friedrich Schiller University Jena (FSU) offers a PhD program in global biogeochemistry and related Earth system sciences.

In cooperation with Friedrich Schiller University Jena (FSU), the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry (MPI-BGC) houses a unique and flexible research program that grants German and foreign students a broad selection of learning opportunities while still maintaining a research focus. The International Max Planck Research School for Global Biogeochemical Cycles (IMPRS-gBGC) offers a PhD program specializing in global biogeochemistry and related Earth system sciences.

Biogeochemistry is the study of how the elements essential to life are distributed among the components of the Earth system – atmosphere, biosphere, lithosphere, land and oceans. The study of these global biogeochemical cycles takes on particular importance in the face of ongoing global environmental change and the recognition that they are linked to past and current climate change. Understanding and predicting the response of the Earth system requires a broad base of scientific knowledge and the skills to evaluate the importance of processes at a range of spatial and temporal scales.

Overview of open PhD projects by background:

The following PhD projects are offered during the 29th call for applications. Online application is possible from June 14, 2024 through July 28, 2024. Third-party funded projects are highlighted with:

PhD Positions in Environmental Science:

1. Interpretable Machine Learning for Spatiotemporal Modeling of Land Surface Thermal Dynamics (more info)
2. Understanding impacts of 21^st century extreme events on global forest ecosystems through the lens of plant water transport (more info)
3. Adapt Generative Diffusion Models to Assess Vegetation’s Role in Extreme Weather Formation (more info)
4. From Sea to Land – mapping the provenience of atmospheric sulfur (more info)
5. Groundwater under pressure – exploring climate change impacts on groundwater recharge and quality and drinking water safety (more info)
6. Fighting drought – Improving soil properties through artificial carbonaceous substances (more info)
7. What can new organic markers reveal about the seasonal metabolism of the tropical critical zone? (more info)
8. How vulnerable are groundwater microbiomes in European Critical Zone Observatories (CZOs)? (more info)

PhD Positions in Soil Science:

1. Fighting drought – Improving soil properties through artificial carbonaceous substances (more info)
2. What can new organic markers reveal about the seasonal metabolism of the tropical critical zone? (more info)

PhD Positions in Remote Sensing:

1. Interpretable Machine Learning for Spatiotemporal Modeling of Land Surface Thermal Dynamics (more info)
2. Detecting ecosystem stress from space using synergistic remote sensing and fluorescence (more info)

PhD Positions in Ecology:

1. Studying Impacts of Nutrient on Biodiversity-Ecosystem Function Relationships Using Multiple Data Streams in Semi-Arid Regions (more info)
2. Understanding impacts of 21^st century extreme events on global forest ecosystems through the lens of plant water transport (more info)
3. Detecting ecosystem stress from space using synergistic remote sensing and fluorescence (more info)
4. Groundwater under pressure – exploring climate change impacts on groundwater recharge and quality and drinking water safety (more info)
5. Fighting drought – Improving soil properties through artificial carbonaceous substances (more info)

PhD Positions in Biology:

1. Understanding impacts of 21^st century extreme events on global forest ecosystems through the lens of plant water transport (more info)
2. From Sea to Land – mapping the provenience of atmospheric sulfur (more info)
3. Fighting drought – Improving soil properties through artificial carbonaceous substances (more info)
4. Explore the potential of microorganisms to restore disturbed environment (more info)
5. How vulnerable are groundwater microbiomes in European Critical Zone Observatories (CZOs)? (more info)

PhD Positions in Remote Sensing:

1. Interpretable Machine Learning for Spatiotemporal Modeling of Land Surface Thermal Dynamics (more info)
2. Detecting ecosystem stress from space using synergistic remote sensing and fluorescence (more info)

PhD Positions in Biogeochemistry:

1. Fighting drought – Improving soil properties through artificial carbonaceous substances (more info)
2. Explore the potential of microorganisms to restore disturbed environment (more info)
3. What can new organic markers reveal about the seasonal metabolism of the tropical critical zone? (more info)

Your application consists of three steps:

1. Online registration & submission of application documents (from June 14^thuntil July 28^th, 2024)
2. (Possibly) Phone or video conference interview (August 2024)
3. Selection symposium in Jena (September 23-27, 2024)

Application Form

The funding period at the IMPRS is three years. It is not easy to complete a PhD project in such a short time. It will be even more difficult for the doctoral researcher, if his/her previous education has been in a very different field and none of the background knowledge or technical skills necessary for the project are available. Therefore, applicants with an educational background similar to the PhD project are at an advantage. However, it is possible to change the scientific field. For example, we do have some doctoral researcher with a background in physics or information science who are now successfully working in Earth System Science.

The important bit: you must have made up your mind about why you want to pursue your PhD in a certain field of research. It is not sufficient to state that you like research in general. You need to show that you understand the context of the PhD project you are applying for. The IMPRS aims to find good doctoral researcher that can fruitfully collaborate with colleagues, but also happy researchers (who are not overstrained because their projects do not fit them). Here you can discover other International Max Planck Research Schools.