PhD Position in Agricultural Sciences

At the University of Göttingen -Public Law Foundation-, DNPW - Abt. Pflanzenbau, there is a position as

to be filled. Starting date is 4/1/2026. The position is limited to 4 years.

The Division of Agronomy at the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Göttingen, Germany, is pleased to announce a four-year PhD student position (65% TV-L E13). Starting date is 01 April 2026. This position is open to all qualified individuals (m/f/d) who are eager to engage in cutting-edge, interdisciplinary research at the interface of crop modelling, plant–pathogen interactions, and model integration and evaluation, contributing to the DFG-funded Research Unit “Concurrent multiple abiotic and biotic stress interactions in maize: impacts and mechanisms” (MultiStress RU 6101).

Project context: The DFG-funded MultiStress RU investigates how maize responds to multiple, interacting abiotic (drought, nitrogen deficit) and biotic (Setosphaeria turcica, stemborers) stress factors. Through an integrated experimental–modelling approach, the project aims to improve our understanding and prediction of crop performance under complex stress environments. This PhD student position will focus on developing and applying process based models to represent and analyse the effects of stemborer infestation on maize growth, yield, and quality, and its interactions with water and nutrient stress across temperate and tropical environments. It will also contribute to integrate the new model routines into the general Multistress modeling system that also considers also other stress factors.

Main Tasks

• Develop and implement new routines describing stemborer development and damage on maize with- and without interaction with abiotic stressors.
• Integrate and test these routines within the MultiStress crop model.
• Calibrate and validate the model using experimental data from field trials performed in Germany and Kenya.
• Analyse model outputs to explore how biotic and abiotic stresses jointly affect yield and quality, water use, etc. under varying environmental conditions and future climate scenarios.
• Collaborate closely with other subprojects within the Research Unit, linking experimental, modelling, and synthesis activities.
• Publishing the research results in international peer-reviewed journals.

Required Qualifications:

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Crop Science, Agronomy, Agricultural or Environmental Sciences, Plant Pathology, Systems Biology, or a related field
• Strong interest in quantitative crop modelling and the interaction between plant physiology, environment, and disease.
• Solid skills in programming and data analysis (e.g. R, Python or other programming languages).
• Experience with process-based models, experimental datasets, or parameter estimation is an advantage.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in an interdisciplinary and international team.
• Very good command of English, both written and spoken.

 We offer:

• A dynamic, interdisciplinary, and internationally leading and pioneering research environment within the DFG Research Unit MultiStress, which consists of a research consortium of ten universities / research organisations from Germany, Kenya, Italy (+ CIMMYT), representing all important disciplines of crop science.
• Excellent supervision and training opportunities in model development, data interpretation, and scientific communication.
• Access to unique multi-stress experimental datasets (and travel to associated experimental sites in Germany and Kenya).
• Access to high-performance computing infrastructure.
• Opportunities for unique international collaboration around maize and participation in versatile project thematic workshops and international conferences.
• A four-year PhD position (65% TV-L E13).

The University of Göttingen is an equal opportunities employer and places particular emphasis on fostering career opportunities for women. Qualified women are therefore strongly encouraged to apply in fields in which they are underrepresented. The university has committed itself to being a family-friendly institution and supports their employees in balancing work and family life. The University is particularly committed to the professional participation of severely disabled employees and therefore welcomes applications from severely disabled people. In the case of equal qualifications, applications from people with severe disabilities will be given preference. A disability or equality is to be included in the application in order to protect the interests of the applicant.

Please upload your application in one pdf file including the usual documents until 1/31/2026 on the application portal of the university using this link: http://obp.uni-goettingen.de/de-de/OBF/Index/76187. For more information get in touch with Stefan Siebert directly via E-Mail: stefan.siebert@uni-goettingen.de, Tel. +49 551 39 24359 .

Please note:
With submission of your application, you accept the processing of your applicant data in terms of data-protection law. Further information on the legal basis and data usage is provided in the Information General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

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