PhD position (m/f/d) in Ecology / Citizen Science

20.09.2022, Wissenschaftliches Personal

A PhD position is available at the Professorship of Ecoclimatology at the Technical University of Munich in collaboration with the Poznan University of Life Sciences on the topic „Citizen Science Nature Watch – keeping an eye on nature and citizens”. Start as soon as possible.

The Technical University of Munich ranks among Europe’s most outstanding universities in research and innovation. It has bundled its expertise in life sciences in the TUM School of Life Sciences (TUM-SoLS) on the modern Weihenstephan campus in Freising, north of Munich. The Institute for Advanced Study (TUM-IAS) in Garching serves as the flagship for top-level international, interdisciplinary research at TUM. Both TUM-SoLS and TUM-IAS offer excellent working conditions in a lively scientific community, embedded in the vibrant research environment of Greater Munich.

The new focus group “Citizen Science Nature Watch” at TUM-IAS is linked to the TUM Professorship of Ecoclimatology (www.oekoklimatologie.wzw.tum.de) and the Poznan University of Life Sciences (PULS) (http://zoologia.up.poznan.pl). Based on complementary scientific expertise on the impacts of climate change on terrestrial plants and animals as well as ecology and climatology, the aim of the project is to identify phenological match-mismatches by merging relevant citizen science data sources and to model spatio-temporal patterns of human activities in nature in a “digital twin” approach.

• Merge and pre-process diverse citizen science datasets of nature observations and ancillary data
• Perform transdisciplinary statistical analyses and modelling for various research questions related to animal-plant interactions and potential mismatches, as well as digital traces of human activity in nature
• Author, submit and publish of excellent peer-reviewed papers
• Collaborate with colleagues at PULS as well as TUM for questions of spatio-temporal modelling, ecology and behavioural science

• You are a highly qualified and motivated student with a M.Sc. or equivalent degree in biology, ecology or environmental sciences, applied mathematics or related fields
• You have proven firm experience in scientific data analysis and good programming skills in R or any other statistical software
• You have a strong interest in research questions related to ecology and citizen science data
• You demonstrate a strong commitment, motivation, and discipline to work independently and efficiently
• You have excellent communication, presentation, and writing skills in English

• A diverse and exciting position in an international research group with research stays also at PULS
• An excellent research environment at TUM with good infrastructure in an attractive, versatile workplace
• Flexible working hours
• PhD salary based on the current German collective pay agreement TV-L E13 (65%) plus attractive public service benefits

Interested candidates should submit their application to [email protected] as well as [email protected] with the following information:

• A letter of motivation for applying for this position (cover letter)
• A current, detailed curriculum vitae (CV)
• Transcripts of BSc and MSc studies
• Names and contact information of at least two people who can provide references
• (if applicable) A list of relevant projects and publications.

If equally qualified for the position in question, severely disabled applicants shall be given preference. Unfortunately, interview-related expenses cannot be reimbursed. For further information, please contact Prof. Dr. A. Menzel ([email protected]).

We look forward to receiving your application!

Data Protection Information:
When you apply for a position with the Technical University of Munich (TUM), you are submitting personal information. With regard to personal information, please take note of the Datenschutzhinweise gemäß Art. 13 Datenschutz-Grundverordnung (DSGVO) zur Erhebung und Verarbeitung von personenbezogenen Daten im Rahmen Ihrer Bewerbung. (data protection information on collecting and processing personal data contained in your application in accordance with Art. 13 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)). By submitting your application, you confirm that you have acknowledged the above data protection information of TUM.

Kontakt: [email protected]