Two Postdoctoral Researchers for Regenerative Agriculture in East Africa

1) Postdoctoral Researcher in crop modeling for Regenerative Agriculture in East Africa

We are looking for a highly motivated Postdoctoral researcher to join to Earth Change Observation Laboratory (ECHOLAB) group. The position is located at the Department of Geosciences and Geography, at Faculty of Science.

Description

We are recruiting a Postdoctoral Researcher, who will be part of the international research team working on Regenerative agricultural systems for climate resilience in agroecological gradient in East Africa (REACT) project funded by Academy of Finland.

REACT aims to develop new knowledge on water, soil, biodiversity, and land management to improve resource use efficiency for regenerative smallholder agricultural systems in different agroecological zones in Kenya. We develop research-based measures with local agricultural stakeholders to enhance the climate resilience of cropping systems. The project will contribute to this systemic change by identifying efficient adoptable pathways to improve plant water availability and stable soil organic carbon sequestration for improved water retention in variable conditions. This targets to ensure long term productive and resilient regenerative farming systems for maintaining food security whilst operating within current and future environmental limits under climate change.

The Postdoctoral researcher will be employed for 24 months at the University of Helsinki. In addition to conducting research person will take part in teaching (5% of worktime), which can be also supervision of MSc thesis work.

The objective of the Postdoc project is to quantify crop water stress based on field measurements and evaluate feasible drip-irrigation strategies at smallholder farms in Kenya. You will set up small-scale drip irrigation test sites and analyze drip-irrigated and rainfed agricultural fields using a crop model. University of Helsinki has a research station in the Taita Hills, Kenya (www.helsinki.fi/taita-research-station ) which serves as a logistic base for the field studies in the area. The project involves longer working durations in Kenya.

Requirements and eligibility criteria

• PhD in a suitable field, such as agricultural sciences, hydrology, meteorology, geography, or equivalent. Successful candidate is assumed to have previous experience in ecosystem or agricultural modeling.
• Demonstrated capacity in data analysis.
• Experience in carrying out research independently and working in a team
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English
• Good time management and project management skills 

2) Postdoctoral Researcher in agricultural sciences for Regenerative Agriculture in East Africa

We are looking for a highly motivated and multidisciplinary orientated Postdoctoral researcher to join to Agrotechnology group (https://www.helsinki.fi/en/researchgroups/agrotechnology ). The position is located at the Department of Agricultural Sciences, at Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry.

Description

We are recruiting a Postdoctoral Researcher, who will be part of the international research team working on Regenerative agricultural systems for climate resilience in agroecological gradient in East Africa (REACT) project funded by Academy of Finland.

REACT aims to develop new knowledge on water, soil, biodiversity, and land management to improve resource use efficiency for regenerative smallholder agricultural systems in different agroecological zones in Kenya. We develop research-based measures with local agricultural stakeholders to enhance the climate resilience of cropping systems. The project will contribute to this systemic change by identifying efficient adoptable pathways to improve plant water availability and stable soil organic carbon sequestration for improved water retention in variable conditions. This targets to ensure long-term productive and resilient regenerative farming systems for maintaining food security whilst operating within current and future environmental limits under climate change.

The Postdoctoral researcher will be employed for 38 months at the University of Helsinki. In addition to conducting research person will take part in teaching (5% of worktime), which can be also supervision of MSc thesis work.

The objective of the Postdoc project is to examine the effects of cropping, tillage, and water management systems on the dynamics of water balance, crop growth and soil organic carbon. The chosen postdoctoral researcher will participate in field and laboratory measures, data processing and analyses, and preparing the scientific publications. She/he also interacts with local stakeholders to co-create regenerative agricultural systems and disseminate the results. University of Helsinki has a research station in the Taita Hills, Kenya (www.helsinki.fi/taita-research-station ) which serves as a logistic base for the field studies in the area. The project involves longer working durations in Kenya.

Requirements and eligibility criteria

• PhD in a suitable field, such as agricultural sciences, agricultural engineering, crop sciences, soils sciences, or equivalent. Successful candidate is assumed to have previous experience in agronomy, managing field experiments and automatic continuous measurements or carbon and nitrogen cycle studies. Experience in agricultural modeling is considered an advantage.
• Experience in working with large datasets
• Experience in carrying out research independently and working in a team
• Good project and time management skills 
• Good written and oral communication skills in English

Salary and benefits

The salary is based on the salary system of Finnish universities. The gross salary of a starting post-doctorate scientist is typically about 3 200 – 3 400 € per month.

The University of Helsinki invests in the welfare of its employees by offering preventative occupational health services and general medical care. Read more about the employee benefits at the University of Helsinki and why the University of Helsinki is an excellent career choice: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/about-us/careers

In position 1) Postdoctoral Researcher in crop modeling, the starting date is 1 March 2023, or as agreed. Questions related to the position should be addressed to professor Petri Pellikka (petri.pellikka(at)helsinki.fi).

In position 2) Postdoctoral Researcher in agricultural sciences, the starting date is 1 June 2023, or as agreed. Questions related to the position should be addressed to professor Laura Alakukku (laura.alakukku(at)helsinki.fi).

How to apply

Please submit your application via our recruitment system by 15 December 2022 (23.59 EET).

The application should include as one single pdf file:

• a motivation letter, including brief overview of past research and other experience (max 1 page) and a clear indication whether you are applying for position 1 or 2 or both
• a complete CV with full contact details, education/previous degrees obtained, prior work/research experience, and list of possible publications and theses with links to their online versions (if available)
• copy/copies of the diploma(s) of master and doctoral degree(s)
• contact information of one or more previous supervisors, employers, or other references

External applicants, please submit your application using the University of Helsinki Recruitment System via Apply Now button.

Applicants who have a helsinki.fi -username and a valid employment contract, a grant researcher’s contract or a visiting researcher’s contract at the University of Helsinki are requested to leave their application by using the employee login.

For further information on the recruitment process and the recruitment system please contact HR Specialist Mirkka Juntunen (mirkka.juntunen(at)helsinki.fi) or HR Specialist Tuire Savolainen (tuire.savolainen(at)helsinki.fi).

The University of Helsinki welcomes applicants from a variety of gender identities, and linguistic and cultural backgrounds.

About us:

The University of Helsinki is among the leading multidisciplinary research universities in the world. In addition to its 11 faculties, the University includes several independent institutes, some of which are jointly operated with other universities. Some 35,000 students are currently pursuing an undergraduate or a postgraduate degree at the University of Helsinki.

Measured in number of students and teachers, the Faculty of Science at the University of Helsinki is the largest science faculty in Finland. There are some 6,000 students taking a basic degree. Out of them, some 1,000 are postgraduates. There are some 500 international students, and over 200 researchers and teachers from abroad.

https://www.helsinki.fi/en/faculty-science

The Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry is nationally unique faculty with a high international standing. The mission of the faculty is to promote the sustainable use of renewable natural resources through scientific research and research-based teaching. We focus on agricultural and forest sciences, food and nutrition, microbiology, as well as on economics and management.
https://www.helsinki.fi/en/faculty-agriculture-and-forestry