Doctoral Candidate in Biodiversity Policy and Response / Doctoral Candidate in Biodiversity Policy and Response

Join the University of Zurich

The University of Zurich, the largest university in Switzerland, provides a variety of attractive positions across multiple subject areas and professional fields. With approximately 10,000 employees and 12 professional apprenticeship streams, the University fosters an inspiring working environment centered on cutting-edge research and exemplary education. Put your talent and skills to use with us and learn more about UZH as an employer!

Your Responsibilities

• Review and synthesize response diversity research pertinent to EU biodiversity policy needs, specifically focusing on restoration, deforestation, and corporate biodiversity reporting.
• Utilize AI-assisted text analysis and network analysis on scientific literature, policy documents, and decision-making frameworks.
• Identify conceptual alignments, mismatches, and evidence gaps between restoration diversity science and European biodiversity, restoration, and sustainability policy.
• Analyze governance processes to pinpoint areas where ecological resilience, system stability, and diversity mechanisms can enhance conservation and restoration policy.
• Specify research needs for restoration diversity metrics and assessment methods that support biodiversity policy goals.
• Develop draft indicator sets and monitoring templates linking restoration diversity to ecosystem function, resilience, and sustainability goals.
• Produce peer-reviewed publications, policy-relevant outputs, and recommendations for integrating restoration diversity metrics into environmental assessments, reporting standards, and restoration funding guidelines.
• Actively participate in ReDiLEEP network training, secondments, dissemination, reporting, and cohort activities.

Network Training and Secondments

The position includes planned secondments of four months, with two months in non-academic settings, aimed at strengthening the science-policy-practice interface:

• BioAgora: Embedding in a BioAgora demonstration case (1 month, expected around project month 6).
• Swansea University: Translating restoration diversity research from field to policy (1 month, expected around project month 12).
• CarU: Connecting restoration diversity monitoring and policy (1 month, expected around project month 18).
• Advanced Invasives: Transitioning restoration diversity research from field to policy (1 month, expected around project month 24).

The successful candidate will join an interdisciplinary cohort of doctoral researchers and benefit from ReDiLEEP training in response diversity methods, data management, reproducible code, R/Tidyverse, machine learning and AI for ecologists, visualization, evidence-based policymaking, science-policy communication, and policy brief writing.

Your Profile

• A Master's degree or equivalent in ecology, environmental science, geography, sustainability science, environmental policy, biodiversity governance, computational social science, data science, or a closely related field.
• A strong interest in biodiversity policy, ecosystem resilience, restoration, sustainability reporting, and the application of ecological science in decision-making.
• Experience with literature synthesis, policy analysis, quantitative text analysis, network analysis, statistical modeling, or programming, preferably in R, Python, or similar tools.
• An enthusiasm for AI-assisted analysis methods, science-policy interfaces, indicator development, monitoring frameworks, and EU environmental governance.
• A capability to work independently while constructively contributing to an international, interdisciplinary doctoral network.
• Excellent written and spoken English, along with strong scientific writing skills.
• Experience with EU biodiversity or sustainability policy, environmental assessment, corporate sustainability reporting, natural capital frameworks, stakeholder engagement, or open-science workflows is advantageous.

Employment Conditions

The position is funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Networks framework (36 months) and the University of Zurich (12 months) and will adhere to the applicable MSCA Doctoral Network conditions and University of Zurich employment regulations.

• Gross Salary: In accordance with the regulations of the Marie Curie Fellowship and UZH salary rates for the last 12 months.
• Duration: 48 months, full-time.
• Place of Work: University of Zurich, Irchel campus, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
• Start of Employment: Between February 1st and June 30th, 2027. The appointment is subject to final MSCA eligibility verification, doctoral programme enrollment, and completion of UZH administrative onboarding.

Apply online using the form below. Please note that only applications matching the job profile will be considered.

For inquiries, please contact:

Maja Weilenmann
Administrative Assistant
+41 44 635 61 24