Eawag, the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, is an internationally networked aquatic research institute within the ETH Domain (Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology). Eawag conducts research, education and expert consulting to achieve the dual goals of meeting direct human needs for water and maintaining the function and integrity of aquatic ecosystems.
The Department of Systems Analysis, Integrated Assessment and Modelling (Siam) located in Dübendorf (Zurich) offers a PhD position in Ecological Modelling in the project “Mechanistic modelling of mesocosm experiments with pesticide treatments”. The goal of the project is to describe and understand the community dynamics of benthic and planktonic organism groups in freshwater mesocosms as well as their response to pesticides.
To this end, we aim to further develop a food web model based on ordinary differential equations for the simulation of pond mesocosm experiments and to assess the contributions of different sources of uncertainty and stochasticity.The project is funded for a duration of four years. The start is planned around January 2024. The position will be affiliated with the research group of Dr Nele Schuwirth embedded in a multidisciplinary, international department with a focus on modeling (Siam).
The project will be carried out in collaboration with Andreas Scheidegger and external partners who are conducting mesocosm experiments. The PhD degree will be awarded by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich. The position includes a small part (max 10%) of teaching assistance for the course “Modelling Aquatic Ecosystems” at ETH Zurich.
We are looking for an intrinsically motivated, curious, and enthusiastic person with a passion for environmental sciences. We expect a great interest in modelling, statistical data analysis and programming. Candidates should hold either an MSc degree in ecology, environmental sciences or a related field with a strong interest in applied statistics and mathematics, or an MSc degree in mathematics, physics or a related field with a strong interest in ecological and ecotoxicological applications.
Eawag is a modern employer and offers an excellent working environment where staff can contribute their strengths, experience and ways of thinking. We promote gender equality and are committed to staff diversity and inclusion. The compatibility of career and family is of central importance to us.
Applications should include a concise statement describing your motivation to carry out a PhD project on this topic, curriculum vitae (without a picture), copies of your academic qualifications and contact information for two references. The deadline for applications is 15 September 2023 or until the position is filled. For further information, please contact Dr Nele Schuwirth
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