Researcher in the field of quantifying and modelling marine and estuarine ecosystem services

Department: Department of Biology
Regime Full-time

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The ECOSPHERE Research Group of the Department of Biology in the Faculty of Science is looking for a full-time (100%) researcher in the field of quantifying and modelling marine and estuarine ecosystem services.

Context

ECOSPHERE is a research group of the Department of Biology at the University of Antwerp. ECOSPHERE’s research concentrates on the ecology of aquatic ecosystems and wetlands and the processes in the land-water interaction along the whole river continuum and the river-coastal sea interaction.

The concept of ecosystem services has gained attention since the publications of Costanza et al. (1997) in Nature and the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment in 2005. The concept received increasing attention ever since, both from science and policy. The strong integrative and multidisciplinary character allows to make the link between ecology, economy and society, creating opportunities for better underpinned nature and environmental policy. Major advances have been made for the quantification and modelling of terrestrial ecosystem services but for the marine and estuarine environment research on ecosystem services is still in its infancy.

ECOSPHERE is looking for a researcher to develop methods to quantify and model the impact of human activities on marine and estuarine ecosystem functioning and the thereof dependent human well-being (ecosystem services).

Position

• You develop methods to quantify and model ecosystem services in the Belgian part of the North Sea and in the Schelde-estuary, using different types of software, e.g. statistical, foodweb modelling, GIS, … . The methods are developed based on available knowledge from literature and from existing mechanistic models for different aspects of the ecosystem;
• You couple the ecosystem-functioning knowledge with sociological demand for ecosystem services;
• You are motivated to increase the sustainability of human activities in marine and estuarine ecosystems by harnessing ecological knowledge and making it usable for solving socio-ecological dilemmas;
• You prepare for the application of a PhD scholarship at FWO which is in the field of marine and/or estuarine ecosystem services but can be steered towards your area of interest;
• You publish scientific articles related to your research;
• You carry out a limited number of teaching and research support tasks for ECOSPHERE.

Profile

• You hold a Master degree in Biology, Geography, Oceanography or Bio-engineering. Masters in Biochemics, Biotechnology or Applied Sciences with a strong affinity for the subject are also eligible;
• You can demonstrate excellent study results;
• You have knowledge on hydrodynamic, biogeochemical and ecological processes and a strong affinity with the marine and estuarine environment;
• Programming and modelling skills (R, python, …) are nice-to-have;
• You are passionate about writing down your research results and those of the team in scientific articles. A good knowledge of English is important;
• You are communicative and entrepreneurial. You are involved in multidisciplinary research in which you need to consult information and knowledge from various disciplines and policy areas.

What we offer

• We offer a research position for a period of 6 months which may be renewed.
• The candidate can start immediately, or a date can be set in agreement with the candidate and as soon as possible.
• Your monthly scholarship amount is calculated according to the scholarship amounts for assistant on the pay scales for contract research staff (Dutch: Bijzonder Academisch Personeel, BAP).
• You will do most of your work at campus Drie Eiken (Wilrijk) in a dynamic and stimulating working environment.
• Additional training and educational opportunities.
• Regular participation in (inter)national conferences.
• Find out more about working at the University of Antwerp here .

Want to apply?

• You can apply for this vacancy through the University of Antwerp’s online job application platform until 17 August 2022. Click on the 'Apply' button, complete the online application form and be sure to include the following attachments: a motivation letter and your academic CV;
• The selection committee will review all of the applications as soon as possible after the application deadline. As soon as a decision has been made, we will inform you about the next steps in the selection procedure;
• If you have any questions about the online application form, please check the frequently asked questions or send an email to [email protected] . If you have any questions about the job itself, please contact Katrien Van der Biest ([email protected] ) or Jan Staes ([email protected] ).

The University of Antwerp received the European Commission’s HR Excellence in Research Award for its HR policy. We are a sustainable, family-friendly organisation which invests in its employees’ growth. We encourage diversity  and attach great importance to an inclusive working environment and equal opportunities, regardless of gender identity, disability, race, ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation or age. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds and with diverse characteristics to apply.