PhD Position - Legacy effects of land-use on tropical soils as constraints on the restoration success and service provision of tropical forests in Uganda (RESPONSE DP, ESR 20) in Zürich

100%, Zurich, temporary

Within the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 847585, ETH Zurich is offering a 36-month PhD position for an early-stage researcher (ESR) in the area of sustainable land-use decisions.

We are looking for a doctoral candidate working on legacy effects of land use change on the success of recovery of ecosystem services during tropical forest restoration. The doctoral candidate is supposed to work with state-of-the-art remote sensing technology to bridge the gap between plot-scale analysis and landscape-scale mapping of degraded tropical soils.  Additionally, the student is supposed to conduct field assessments and a range of laboratory analyses to evaluate soil fertility, soil degradation, carbon sequestration and biodiversity along tropical secondary forest successions in Western Uganda.

A planned secondment of twelve months at our partnering NGO (Face the Future) working in the field of forest revitalisation projects in East Africa is an integral part of this project. During this secondment, the ESR will gain skills on forest carbon assessments, plot and site selection, revenue sharing and generation calculations, financial assessments of natural resources and international project management. To achieve this, the ESR will be working closely with the Ugandan Wildlife Authority.

The anticipated results/outcomes of this project are to better understand the boundaries of land degradation i.e. at what point are soil systems so degraded that they fail to allow the recovery of a forest ecosystem. With this, the intended projected is at the crossroads between fundamental and applied sciences with the clear aim to create advice on land management and restoration strategies for policy makers and stakeholders. The results will be communicated and shared with the scientific community in form of peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations, and additionally presented to NGO’s and government agencies working on forest health in Uganda and countries with comparable ecosystems in tropical East Africa through reporting and participation in workshops.

To perform successfully, potential candidates should have a very good university degree (Master/Diploma) in environmental sciences or a closely related field. Understanding of tropical ecology, soil science and a thrive for interdisciplinary work are mandatory requirements. For the successful implementation of the project, a solid background in at least two fields of expertise of the following list are required: Remote sensing techniques, chemical soil analyses, geophysical prospection techniques, reforestation efforts, Geostatistics or GIS. Good scientific writing, communication and interpersonal skills are also essential.

Experience with forest restoration projects, project management with a background in developing countries (preferentially tropical Africa) and training in UAV surveying are important assets. The candidate must be willing to spend at least eleven month in Uganda to conduct field work and for the secondment at our partner institution.

Eligibility: Early stage researcher in the first 4 years (full-time equivalent) of their research careers, including the period of research training, starting at the date of obtaining the degree which would formally entitle them to embark on a doctorate either in the country in which the degree was obtained or in the country in which the initial training activities are provided.

At the time of recruitment (for call 3 = December 1, 2020) by the host organisation, researchers must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Switzerland for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately before the reference date. Compulsory national service and/or short stays such as holidays are not taken into account.

Language requirement: Candidates must be fluent in written and spoken English. Skills in French or an East African language are a strong asset.

Main Research Field: Forest ecosystem sciences

Sub Research Field: Soil system sciences

RESPONSE is open to applicants of any nationality.

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