PhD position: "Do fertile soils ameliorate or aggravate climate change impacts on land ecosystems?"

The impacts of climate warming and shifting precipitation patterns on ecosystems such as forests, grasslands and croplands vary widely and are difficult to predict. Ambient weather (e.g. intensity and timing of heat waves or droughts) and location-specific properties (e.g. site aridity, ecosystem type) partly cause differences in carbon cycle and other ecosystem responses, but these factors alone have unsatisfactorily explained the uncertainty that for example still exists in estimates of future land carbon sequestration. Some recent studies suggest that soil fertility may be the missing link. While some studies find that fertile soils mitigate against climate change impacts, others suggest the opposite. Possibly these results are not as contradictory as they appear at first sight, and they may relate to the scale of impact investigated (leaf, plant, ecosystem) as well as the component of soil fertility considered (effects of manipulated nutrients or pollutants N/P/K, natural soil fertility gradients, …). To address this knowledge gap and ultimately narrow down the uncertainty in estimating future climate change impacts on ecosystems, this PhD project will investigate climate change and soil fertility interactions across scales and ecosystems. The candidate is expected to combine and integrate methodologies such as data synthesis, work in the greenhouse/growth chamber followed by laboratory analyses, and optionally, field work at climate change manipulation experiments within the country or abroad. 

The project is ideally suited for an individual who has experience or interest in large-scale synthesis approaches such as meta-analysis, and graduate-level knowledge of global change ecology including the procedures that are commonly used in both the field and lab.

The PhD student will be supervised by Dr. Kevin Van Sundert, Dr. Suzanne Stas and Prof. Martin Bader at Maastricht University.

Job Description
This PhD project aims to explore how soils and nutrients affect ecosystem responses to climate change, from the plant molecular to ecosystem scale and from greenhouse to the globe. As such, this is an exciting opportunity to explore multiple disciplines including but not limited to ecosystem ecology, ecophysiology, plant and/or soil microbial transcriptomics, database management and advanced statistics. This also provides a unique chance to join a young and vibrant department and university in the heart of Europe. 

As a PhD student you will:

• Carry out independent research, supported by your supervisors and collaborators;
• Participate in teaching and service within the System Earth Science Department and within the Faculty of Science and Engineering;
• Participate and present your work at regional and global conferences;
• Write publications based on your scientific work, culminating in a PhD thesis (requirement for graduation: ≥ 1 article published, 1 accepted, 1 submitted).

Where are you going to work? 
The successful applicant will be based at the Department of System Earth Science, located at the Brightlands Campus Greenport Venlo, Maastricht University, in the Netherlands. The expanding campus hosts a state-of-the-art newly built greenhouse and laboratories where part of your practical work will take place, as well as a small forest which will partly be dedicated to future ecological research and teaching.

Requirements
You are a scientifically curious person who wants to contribute to answering one of the crucial questions of this century and beyond: to what extent will our natural, semi-natural and artificial ecosystems be impacted by further climate change, and still deliver services to society as they do today?

You have: 

• MSc degree in ecology, biodiversity, environmental sciences, agro- and ecosystems (bioscience) engineering or management, statistical data analysis or a related discipline – final year students expected to graduate before the intended start date are also welcome to apply;
• Strong ability to work independently and be a proactive lab member; 
• Experience with field and laboratory methods common in ecological research – additional experience with plant molecular and/or microbiology laboratory procedures is a plus; 
• Insights into how resulting (field) data from previous point feed into large-scale databases of e.g. global change manipulation experiments (e.g. doi.org/10.1111/gcb.16585);
• Experience with statistical analyses (at least general(ized) linear mixed models, experience with meta-analysis and large datasets is a plus);
• To be able to start as PhD student at Maastricht University’s Brightlands Campus Greenport Venlo within the following academic year.

Other job-related requirements are:

• you can be (or have been) in a PhD programme, but you cannot be a PhD holder;
• you must have less than 4 years of research experience, i.e., you should be an early-stage researcher;
• you should have high-level of English.

What we offer
As a PhD candidate at the Faculty of Science & Engineering, you will be employed by the most international university. Additionally, you will be based nearby the beautiful town of Venlo close to the border with Germany. In addition, we offer you:

• Good employment conditions. The position is graded according to UFO profile PhD, with corresponding salary from €2901,00 in the first year and €3707,00 gross per month in the fourth year (based on a full-time employment of 38 hours per week). In addition to the monthly salary, an 8.0% holiday allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus apply.
• An employment contract for a period of 12 months with a scope of 1,0 FTE. Upon a positive evaluation, an extension of 3 years will follow. 
• At Maastricht University, the well-being of our employees is of utmost importance, we offer flexible working hours and the possibility to work partly from home if the nature of your position allows it. You will receive a monthly commuting and internet allowance for this. If you work full-time, you will be entitled to 29 vacation days and 4 additional public holidays per year, namely carnival Monday, carnival Tuesday, Good Friday, and Liberation Day. If you choose to accumulate compensation hours, an additional 12 days will be added. Furthermore, you can personalize your employment conditions through a collective labor agreement (CAO) choice model. 
• As Maastricht University, we offer various other excellent secondary employment conditions. These include a good pension scheme with the ABP and the opportunity for UM employees to participate in company fitness and make use of the extensive sports facilities that we also offer to our students. 
• Last but certainly not least, we provide the space and facilities for your personal and professional development. We facilitate this by offering a wide range of training programs and supporting various well-established initiatives such as 'acknowledge and appreciate'. 

The terms of employment at Maastricht University are largely set out in the collective labor agreement of Dutch Universities. In addition, local provisions specific to UM apply. For more information, click here.

Maastricht University
Why work at Maastricht University?

At Maastricht University (UM), everything revolves around the future. The future of our students, as we work to equip them with a solid, broad-based foundation for the rest of their lives. And the future of society, as we seek solutions through our research to issues from all around the world. Our six faculties combined provide a comprehensive package of study programmes and research.

In our teaching, we use the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) method. Students work in small groups, looking for solutions to problems themselves. By discussing issues and working together to draw conclusions, formulate answers and present them to their peers, students develop essential skills for their future careers.

With over 22,300 students and more than 5,000 employees from all over the world, UM is home to a vibrant and inspiring international community.

Are you drawn to an international setting focused on education, science and scholarship? Are you keen to contribute however your skills and qualities allow? Our door is open to you! As a young European university, we value your talent and look forward to creating the future together.

Click here for more information about UM. 

Faculty of Science and Engineering  
At the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE), we focus on themes such as circularity and sustainability, future farming, digitisation and (scientific) instrument development.  FSE's leading projects, like the Einstein Telescope Pathfinder, are sure to grab anyone's attention.  The faculty is a vibrant hub of education and research in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS).  At FSE, over 450 staff members and 3700 students gather to explore e exciting interdisciplinary research and educational programmes. Feel welcome, be part of our team and put your brilliant mind to work!  
 

FSE at the Brightlands Campuses  
Maastricht, Sittard-Geleen, Heerlen, and Venlo, the home of four creative Brightlands campuses, are bustling with 30,000 entrepreneurs, researchers, and students working diligently to solve global challenges. The Faculty of Science and Engineering is active on all four Brightlands campuses, and this is where our impact reaches its peak. To give you an idea of what is happening at each campus: Sittard-Geleen is home to the largest chemical site in the Euregion, while Venlo is a large hub for agri-food innovation. Maastricht is the site of the Health Campus, and Heerlen is the place to be for Smart Services.  

Curious?
Are you interested in this exciting position but still have questions? Feel free to contact Kevin Van Sundert via kevin.vansundert@maastrichtuniversity.nl for more information. 

Applying?
Or are you already convinced and ready to become our new PhD candidate? Apply now, no later than July 27th, 2025, for this position.

You have a good level of English proficiency. Please demonstrate this through a standardized test, a thesis, or a study program that was conducted in English. You may include this as an attachment.

The interviews are scheduled for week 32 and week 33.

The vacancy is open for internal and external candidates. In case of equal qualifications, internal candidates will be prioritized.

Maastricht University is committed to promoting and nurturing a diverse and inclusive community. We believe that diversity in our staff and student population contributes to the quality of research and education at UM, and strive to enable this through inclusive policies and innovative projects led by teams of staff and students. We encourage you to apply for this position.