PhD Student in Climate Sciences / PhD Student in Climate Sciences

Institute of Geological Sciences

Starting date: April 1

Fully funded for 4 years

Position Overview

As a key member of our dynamic research team, your primary role will involve conducting fundamental research, data acquisition, and data analysis through advanced imaging techniques. We offer you the flexibility to tailor your focus based on your skills and interests while achieving the project's goals. You will have the opportunity to:

• Obtain high-resolution data from sediment cores.
• Run laboratory incubation experiments to understand the stability of sedimentary signals.
• Participate in fieldwork activities.
• Apply advanced data science approaches, including supervised and unsupervised pixel clustering and neural networks, to uncover unique "fingerprints" of past cold and warm climates.

The project is structured into three main work packages that guide you from initial data acquisition to final fingerprinting, with the support of a research assistant specializing in imaging methods and/or data science.

Requirements

We are seeking a highly motivated and curious candidate with a Master's degree in Earth Sciences or a related field. We particularly encourage applications from individuals with diverse academic backgrounds, including those with experience in:

• Biogeochemistry
• Limnology
• Sedimentology
• Environmental research
• Ecology
• Hydrology
• Data science
• Image processing

While data science experience is a plus, we place the highest value on a passion for analytical work, fieldwork, and a willingness to learn advanced data science techniques. Strong analytical skills and a collaborative spirit are essential for success in this project.

Your profile should reflect that you are an independent, curious, creative, and ambitious team player who enjoys interdisciplinary science and is eager to learn and master new skills. You should possess:

• Interest or experience in advanced imaging techniques.
• Interest or experience in data science.
• Ability to work independently and formulate and tackle research problems while collaborating effectively within a team.
• Strong written and oral communication skills in English.

We are committed to enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusiveness in geology and strongly encourage applications from underrepresented groups.

What We Offer

• An exciting, interdisciplinary project that uniquely bridges paleoclimatology and cutting-edge data science, hosted at the Institute of Geological Sciences and the Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research at the University of Bern.
• A stimulating and supportive research environment that actively embraces multi-dimensional diversity.
• Access to state-of-the-art laboratory facilities at the University of Bern, including XRF, μXRF, HSI, and our collaborators at MARUM, University of Bremen MSI.
• Opportunities for international collaborations, conferences, and workshop participation.
• Professional and personal development through specialized training in data science.
• A comprehensive support framework designed for a PhD student's success, including assistance from a research assistant and opportunities for independent, complementary projects.
• Integration into the Sedimentary Geochemistry unit of the Institute of Geological Sciences. For more information about the group, please visit: Institute of Geological Sciences.
• Enrollment in the renowned OCCR climate sciences graduate school. A competitive SNSF-funded PhD student salary starting at approximately 50,000 CHF gross annually for up to 4 years.

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

For any scientific inquiries, please contact Petra Zahajská at petra.zahajska@unibe.ch.

The application deadline is December 15th, 2025. Interviews will be scheduled online during the second half of January 2026.