Postdoc in Food-Web Responses to Artificial Flood Restoration in Alpine Rivers at Eawag, Switzerland

Eawag, the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, is inviting applications for a Postdoctoral Researcher position in Food-Web Responses to Artificial Flood Restoration in Alpine Rivers. The position is based within the Department of Fish Ecology and Evolution (FishEc) in Kastanienbaum, Switzerland.

The research project will investigate how artificial floods used for river restoration reshape aquatic and riparian food webs, resource pathways, and aquatic-terrestrial connectivity in hydropower-regulated Alpine rivers.

The successful postdoctoral researcher will work with long-term ecological data from the River Spöl in the Swiss National Park, collected from 1999 onward, and will conduct new field sampling around the restart of artificial flooding. The project combines food-web ecology, stable isotope analysis, hydromorphology, habitat dynamics, and adaptive river management. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, beginning 17 August 2026, and the position remains open until filled. The preferred start is flexible, with an ideal start by January 2027.

About Eawag

Eawag is an internationally networked aquatic research institute within the ETH Domain, Switzerland’s federal network of institutions for science and technology. The institute conducts research, education, and expert consulting with a dual focus: meeting human needs for water while protecting the function and integrity of aquatic ecosystems.

This postdoctoral project sits within Eawag’s Department of Fish Ecology and Evolution (FishEc) and connects aquatic ecosystem research with practical questions surrounding river restoration and hydropower management.

About the Food-Web Ecophysiology Research Group

The Food Web Ecophysiology group studies how nutrients and contaminants move through animals, food webs, and ecosystem boundaries. The group also investigates how major environmental changes, including land-use change and climate change, affect these processes.

The current project focuses on artificial flooding as a tool for river restoration. In hydropower-regulated rivers, controlled floods can alter habitat structure, resource availability, and ecological processes. Understanding how these changes affect aquatic and terrestrial organisms can provide important evidence for more effective river restoration and environmental-flow management. The postdoctoral researcher will contribute to this research by examining how artificial floods influence resource availability, resource use, food-web structure, and recovery trajectories.

Research Project: Artificial Floods and Alpine River Food Webs

The central research project has two major objectives. The first is to understand how artificial floods change the availability and use of aquatic and terrestrial resources within stream and riparian food webs. The second is to determine whether stream food webs display consistent recovery trajectories when artificial flooding is restored after a prolonged interruption.

These questions will be addressed using a combination of long-term ecological data and new field observations from the River Spöl in the Swiss National Park. The project provides a valuable opportunity to connect historical ecological datasets with contemporary field research. It will also examine how flood-induced changes in habitat structure and hydromorphology influence resource pathways and food-web responses.

Field Research in the River Spöl

The River Spöl provides the central field setting for the project. Long-term data on artificial flood restoration have been collected from the river since 1999, creating an unusually valuable dataset for investigating ecological responses over time.

The postdoctoral researcher will participate in field sampling before and after the restart of artificial flooding. These observations will be combined with existing samples and datasets to examine changes in food-web processes and resource use. Fieldwork will therefore be an important component of the position, alongside laboratory and analytical research.

Stable Isotope and Food-Web Analysis

The project includes bulk stable isotope analyses of both newly collected and existing samples. Stable isotope approaches can provide information about resource pathways and patterns of resource use within ecological communities. In this project, these analyses will be integrated with food-web observations and information about changes in river habitat and hydromorphology.

The combination of field sampling, long-term datasets, stable isotope analysis, and habitat information will allow the researcher to develop a more comprehensive understanding of how artificial flooding influences aquatic and riparian ecosystem processes. Applicants with additional analytical expertise are encouraged to bring their own creative research questions to the project where these can be accommodated within the available timeframe and budget.

Research Questions and Scientific Opportunities

The postdoctoral project offers considerable scope for independent scientific development. In addition to addressing the core research questions, the successful candidate will be encouraged to develop complementary questions related to:

• Aquatic and terrestrial food-web responses
• Resource availability and resource use
• Aquatic-terrestrial connectivity
• Stable isotope ecology
• River restoration
• Artificial flood management
• Hydromorphology and habitat dynamics
• Ecological recovery trajectories
• Environmental flows
• Adaptive management of hydropower-regulated rivers

This flexibility makes the position suitable for an experienced researcher who wants to develop an independent research profile while contributing to a collaborative project.

From Research to River Management

An important feature of the position is its connection to the science-practice interface. Results from the River Spöl will be interpreted in the broader context of environmental flows and adaptive restoration in hydropower-regulated rivers. The postdoctoral researcher will have opportunities to engage with Swiss practitioners working in hydropower and aquatic resource management.

These interactions may include meetings, scientific presentations, and outreach publications. The position therefore extends beyond academic research and provides an opportunity to contribute evidence that can inform practical approaches to river restoration and environmental management.

Your Profile

The successful candidate should be able to work independently while also contributing effectively to a small research team. Eawag is looking for a self-motivated researcher who is willing to develop new skills, explore new research topics, and approach scientific challenges with a resilient and growth-oriented mindset.

Prior wet-laboratory experience, including stable isotope and other biogeochemical analyses, is expected. Applicants should be comfortable performing laboratory work independently. A particular interest in connecting mechanistic food-web ecology with hydromorphology, habitat dynamics, artificial floods, and adaptive river management is highly welcome.

Required Skills and Experience

The ideal candidate should have:

• Experience relevant to food-web ecology, aquatic ecology, environmental science, or a closely related field
• Prior wet-laboratory experience
• Experience with stable isotope and/or biogeochemical analyses
• Strong data-analysis skills
• Excellent scientific communication skills
• The ability to work independently
• The ability to collaborate effectively within a small interdisciplinary team
• A strong interest in river restoration and aquatic ecosystem processes

Interest in mentoring junior researchers, including Master’s students, is considered an advantage. The working language of the laboratory and department is English. Knowledge of, or interest in learning, a Swiss national language would be helpful for fieldwork and outreach activities.

Research Collaboration and Scientific Network

The successful candidate will be based in the Department of Fish Ecology and Evolution (FishEc) at Eawag’s Kastanienbaum location on the shores of Lake Lucerne. The project also involves close collaboration with researchers in Eawag’s Department of Aquatic Ecology in Dübendorf, as well as scientists at ETH Zürich in the Department of Environmental Systems Science (USYS).

Further collaboration is planned with researchers from the Zürich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), particularly the Institute of Natural Resource Sciences. This network provides an interdisciplinary environment connecting aquatic ecology, environmental systems science, natural resource research, and practical river management.

Working Environment at Eawag

Eawag emphasizes an inclusive working environment in which people with different experiences, strengths, and perspectives can contribute to research and professional development. The institute promotes participation, exchange, and mutual understanding while working to reduce barriers and support compatibility between employment and other areas of life, including care responsibilities.

Applicants who have specific requirements concerning the application process or position are encouraged to discuss these with Eawag. The institute indicates that flexible workplace arrangements, working hours, and job-design solutions may be possible.

Key Details

Detail	Information
Position	Postdoc in Food-Web Responses to Artificial Flood Restoration in Alpine Rivers
Institution	Eawag – Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology
Department	Fish Ecology and Evolution (FishEc)
Research Group	Food Web Ecophysiology
Main Field Site	River Spöl, Swiss National Park
Location	Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
Research Focus	Food webs, artificial floods, river restoration, stable isotopes
Ecosystems	Alpine rivers and riparian ecosystems
Key Methods	Field sampling, stable isotope analysis, biogeochemical analysis, ecological data analysis
Data	Long-term River Spöl data from 1999–present
Collaboration	Eawag, ETH Zürich, ZHAW
Working Language	English
Start Date	Flexible; ideally by January 2027
Application Review	Starts 17 August 2026
Deadline	Until the position is filled
Application	Apply now
Required Documents	Motivation letter, CV, two references, representative peer-reviewed publication
Contact	Dr. Lily Twining
Contact Email	cornelia.twining@eawag.ch

Application Requirements

Applicants should prepare the following documents:

• A letter of motivation
• A curriculum vitae
• Names and email addresses of two references
• A PDF containing a representative peer-reviewed scientific publication

Applications must be submitted through the official online application webpage. Applications sent through other channels will not be considered. The evaluation of applications begins 17 August 2026 and continues until the position has been filled.

How to Apply

Interested researchers should submit their complete application through Apply now Application deadline: Until the position is filled. Preferred start: Flexible, ideally by January 2027

Apply now

For further information about the research position, contact: Dr. Lily Twining
Eawag – Email: cornelia.twining@eawag.ch

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the research topic of this postdoc?

The project investigates how artificial floods affect food webs and resource pathways in Alpine rivers, with particular attention to aquatic-terrestrial connectivity and ecological recovery.

Where is the postdoc based?

The position is based in Kastanienbaum, Switzerland, within Eawag’s Department of Fish Ecology and Evolution. The department is located on the shores of Lake Lucerne.

Where will the field research take place?

The main field site is the River Spöl in the Swiss National Park, where artificial flood restoration has generated long-term ecological data since 1999.

What are the main research questions?

The project asks how artificial floods alter aquatic and terrestrial resource availability and use, and whether food webs follow consistent recovery trajectories when artificial flooding resumes after a prolonged interruption.

Will the postdoc involve fieldwork?

Yes. Field sampling is planned before and after the restart of artificial flooding in the River Spöl.

Will stable isotope analysis be used?

Yes. The project includes bulk stable isotope analyses of both newly collected and previously collected samples.

What other research areas are relevant?

The project connects food-web ecology with hydromorphology, habitat dynamics, artificial floods, environmental flows, aquatic-terrestrial connectivity, and adaptive river management.

Is independent research encouraged?

Yes. The project explicitly encourages the postdoctoral researcher to develop creative research questions related to the project’s themes and to use additional analytical skills where feasible.

What qualifications are expected?

Applicants should have relevant research experience, practical wet-lab experience including stable isotope or biogeochemical analysis, strong data-analysis and communication skills, and an interest in aquatic food webs and river restoration.

Is knowledge of a Swiss national language required?

The laboratory and departmental working languages are English. Knowledge of, or interest in learning, a Swiss national language would be helpful for fieldwork and outreach, but the source does not state it as a mandatory requirement.

When does the position start?

The start date is flexible. Eawag indicates that an ideal start would be by January 2027.