PhD position on forensic tracing of tropical timber in Wageningen, Nederland
Wageningen University & Research
Op afstandWerk vanaf overal
VoltijdStandaard wekelijkse uren
ContractBepaalde tijd of freelance
€ 3.204 - € 4.051 per maand
Wageningen, Nederland
Are you passionate about the reducing illegal timber trade from tropical forests? Do you aspire developing scientific tools to curb illegal trade? Then this PhD position could be a good fit for you! We are looking for a bright and highly qualified team player in this applied research project. The illegal trade in tropical timber is a major environmental problem. New international legislation aimed at curbing this trade requires independent techniques to verify timber origin. In this NWO-funded research project we develop these tools. We have two PhD vacancies: this PhD analyses timber forensic data with geostatistical tools to verify timber origin; the other PhD focuses on radar remote sensing to detect logging activities. You can apply only to one of the positions. You will use state-of-the-art timber forensics measurements and combine these with innovative predictive geostatistical models to verify the origin of tropical timber. Your results are used to develop a publicly accessible dashboard to validate claimed timber origin. Authorities, timber industry and NGOs are members of the project’s user committee. In addition, the project involves international partners in Central Africa, South-East Asia, and South and North America. Your duties and responsibilities include:
Conduct wood chemical analyses of available wood samples with a mass spectrometer
Develop and test multivariate geostatistical models of forensic data to verify timber origin
Lead analyses and writing of multi-authored scientific publications, culminating in a PhD thesis
Collaborate with international partners and members of the user committee
Provide your data and results to the timber verification dashboard
Your team You will work at Wageningen University, with possible trips to visit international collaborators and conferences. No fieldwork is foreseen. The research is embedded within the Forest Ecology and Forest Management group and the Laboratory of Geo-Information Science and Remote Sensing . You will be part of the Timtrace team, consisting of 2 PhD candidates, a post-doc and your supervisors. You are supervised by prof. dr. Pieter Zuidema prof. dr. Sytze de Bruin (PhD2); and dr. Mart Vlam.
Requirements
You have
A strong motivation to contribute to applied research and developing tools
Excellent and proven analytical and critical thinking skills
A collaborative, curious and creative mindset
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
A successfully completed MSc degree in: Ecology, Environmental Science, Forest & Nature Conservation, Geo-Information Science, or a related field
You also possess:
Proven experience in geostatistical modelling of forest-related data, and/or
Proven experience in timber forensics
For this position your command of the English language is expected to be at C1 level . Sometimes it is necessary to submit an internationally recognised Certificate of Proficiency in the English Language. More information can be found here .
Contract terms
Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment . A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:
Partially paid parental leave;
working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
a fixed year-end bonus of 8.3%;
excellent pension scheme.
In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will receive a fully funded PhD position and you will be offered a course program tailored to your needs and the research team. The gross salary for the first year is € 3.204,- per month rising to € 4.051,- in the fourth year in according to the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale P). This is based on a full-time working week of 38 hours. We offer a temporary contract for 18 months which will be extended for the duration of the project if you perform well. We encourage development and internal mobility within our organisation. Our recruitment and selection policy sets out the conditions that apply specifically to you as a (former) employee. If you have any questions, we are happy to help. You will work on the greenest and most innovative campus in the Netherlands, in an international and open working environment.
... radar remote sensing to detect logging activities; the other PhD analyses timber forensic data with geostatistical tools to verify timber origin. You can apply only to one of the positions. You will use novel satellite radar techniques to detect logging activity and logging intensity across pantropical forests. These will ...
... contract (0.8 FTE 5- year contract - 1.0 FTE 4- year contract) of 1.5 years, after which your performance will be evaluated. If the evaluation is positive, your contract will be extended by 2.5 years (4-year contract) or 3.5 years (5-year contract). - You will receive a starting salary of €3,204 gross per month based on a ...
Join us for a 4-year PhD position at Utrecht University’s Mathematical Institute. You will work within the NWO XL consortium project ‘Symmetry on the interface of topology and higher algebra’, a collaboration with Radboud University Nijmegen and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, under Gijs Heuts’ supervision. Your job You will ...
... via the application button and upload the following documents: - A cover letter in which you describe your motivation and specific qualifications for this position (max 1 page). - Your CV - Copies of any journal/conference publications (if any). You can address your application to Dr. G.J. Verbiest. Doing a PhD at TU Delft ...
... from €3204 - €4051 gross per month, from the first year to the fourth year based on a fulltime contract (38 hours), plus 8% holiday allowance and an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%. As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with ...
... profile to apply, even if you do not meet all the requirements. Contract terms A challenging position in a socially engaged organisation. At VU Amsterdam, you contribute to education, research and service for a better world. And that is valuable. So in return for your efforts, we offer you: - a salary of € 3.204,00 (PhD) ...
... of Amsterdam. - Several courses are offered, specially developed for PhD-students. - AMOLF assists any new foreign PhD-student with housing and visa applications and compensates their transport costs and furnishing expenses. More information? For further information about the position, please contact Albert Polman: [email protected] ...
... part of your PhD, you will conduct comparative cross-national analyses on labour migration policies in the service of industrial policy, followed by a process tracing to explain the differences in the relative influence of various actors (such as employers or trade unions) in different national contexts and the EU more broadly. ...
... semiconductor lithography machines. The position involves close collaboration with industry, and you may be asked to spend part of your time (on average up to one day per week) working on ASML premises in Eindhoven. This is what you will do As a PhD candidate, you will work on the design of next-generation computational ...
... over time, such as residential buildings. This PhD project will explore the connection between the dynamics of the optimized system with numerical properties of optimization algorithms to provide a framework for safe learning with minimal interactions over time. Sitting at the intersection of theory and applications, the ...