PhD Candidate in Health Sciences

Utrecht University

Position Type: PhD Candidate (Full-time, 32–40 hrs/week)
Faculty: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
Department: Department of Population Health Sciences, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS)
Location: Utrecht, Netherlands
Duration: 1 year initial, extendable to 4 years upon positive evaluation
Application Deadline: 3 March 2026

Project Overview

  • Investigate how nitrogen deposition and soil acidification affect microbial communities and the health of forest ecosystems.

  • Focus on weakly buffered soils where nitrogen-induced eutrophication and acidification interact with drought stress to impact tree growth, survival, and soil function.

  • Embedded in a larger nitrogen deposition project with spatial and temporal modelling of deposition and air concentrations.

Key Responsibilities

  • Study impacts of nitrogen deposition and soil acidification on soil microbial communities and forest vitality.

  • Conduct fieldwork along nitrogen deposition gradients in Dutch forests and abroad.

  • Collect soil and tree growth data using dendrometers.

  • Perform laboratory analyses, including PCR, PLFA, microbial biomass, soil carbon, respiration, and enzymatic activities.

  • Contribute to interdisciplinary research combining ecology, soil science, and forest biology.

Candidate Profile

Required Qualifications & Skills:

  • MSc in Ecology, preferably with soil microbial ecology focus.

  • Skills in field and lab work, including soil sampling and microbial analysis.

  • Experience with experimental design and (multivariate) statistical analysis.

  • Strong English communication and teamwork skills.

  • Independent, motivated, and eager to learn.

Advantageous:

  • Experience with tree growth measurements and forest ecology.

Offer / Benefits

  • Salary: €3,059 – €3,881 per month (gross, full-time, CAO NU scale P)

  • 8% holiday pay + 8.3% year-end bonus

  • Pension scheme, partially paid parental leave, flexible employment terms

  • Professional development and participation in workshops

  • Working in a highly interdisciplinary and internationally connected environment

How to Apply

Required Documents:

  • CV

  • Letter of motivation

Application: Apply via Utrecht University portal (“Apply Now”)
Contacts:

Deadline: 3 March 2026

This position is ideal for candidates interested in forest ecology, soil-microbe interactions, and environmental stressors, combining fieldwork, lab experiments, and statistical modeling.

Apply