PhD Candidate: "Fanged friends: Investigating co-benefits for large carnivores and agriculture"

Protecting biodiversity while ensuring food security is one of the most pressing sustainable development challenges globally. This is particularly the case where large carnivores – species ranging from wolves and bears to lions and leopards – live alongside humans. Indeed, there is an overwhelming body of literature highlighting the negative impacts of large carnivores on livestock and human livelihoods. However, large carnivores may provide unforeseen net-benefits to agriculture by controlling pest populations – pervasive species like wild pigs and deer – that compete with livestock and destroy crops. And there is no assessment of these benefits to agricultural productivity at multiple and relevant spatial scales. This information gap is likely hampering efforts to understand and improve tolerance – and thus coexistence – of imperilled carnivores that are at risk of extinction, while maximising cost-effective food production. To address this critical gap, the PhD project will quantify the local and global ramifications of large carnivores on key agricultural pests and implications for food production and human tolerance at policy relevant scales.

The project is ideally suited for an individual who has experience in ecological and spatial modelling to address conservation challenges. Applicants who have experience in environmental economics will also be considered.

The PhD student will be supervised by Dr. Christopher O’Bryan: https://www.christopherobryan.com and Prof. Pim Martens: https://pimmartens.com at Maastricht University.

Job Description
This PhD project aims to connect the dots between predator-prey ecology and human well-being. As such, this is an exciting opportunity to explore multiple disciplines including large carnivore conservation, spatial ecology, food production, and environmental economics. This also provides a unique chance to join a young and vibrant department and university in the heart of Europe.

As a PhD Candidate you will:

• Carry out independent research, supported by your supervisors and collaborators;
• Participate in teaching and service within the new System Earth Science Institute and within the Faculty of Science and Engineering;
• Participate and present your work at regional and global conferences;
• Write publications based on your scientific work, culminating in a PhD thesis.

Specifically, you will work at the interface of conservation, ecological modelling, spatial analysis.

Where are you going to work?
The successful applicant will be based at the System Earth Science Research Institute located at the Maastricht University Greenport Venlo Campus in the Netherlands.

Requirements
You are a scientifically curious person who wants to explore large carnivore conservation and agriculture.
You have:

• MSc degree in conservation biology, ecology, ecological modelling, applied mathematics, environmental economics or a related discipline;
• Strong ability to work independently and be a proactive lab member;
• Experience with building ecological models (e.g., population models, predator-prey models, meta-models, etc.) and/or economic models that incorporate population models.
• Experience with spatial analyses;
• Experience with decision science desireable but not mandatory;
• To be able to start as PhD student at Maastricht University’s Brightlands Campus Greenport Venlo within four months

Other job-related requirements are:

• you can be (or have been) in a PhD programme, but you cannot be a PhD holder;
• you must have less than 4 years of research experience, i.e., you should be an early-stage researcher;
• you should have high-level of English.

What we offer
As a PhD Candidate at Faculty of Science & Engineering, you will be employed by the most international university in the Netherlands, located in the beautiful city of Maastricht. In addition, we offer you:

• Good employment conditions. The position is graded in scale P according to UFO profile PhD Candidate, with corresponding salary based on experience ranging from €2901,00 and €3707,00 gross per month (based on a full-time employment of 38 hours per week). In addition to the monthly salary, an 8.0% holiday allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus apply.
• An employment contract for a period of 12 months with a scope of 1,0 FTE. Upon a positive evaluation, an extension of 3 years will follow.
• At Maastricht University, the well-being of our employees is of utmost importance, we offer flexible working hours and the possibility to work partly from home if the nature of your position allows it. You will receive a monthly commuting and internet allowance for this. If you work full-time, you will be entitled to 29 vacation days and 4 additional public holidays per year, namely carnival Monday, carnival Tuesday, Good Friday, and Liberation Day. If you choose to accumulate compensation hours, an additional 12 days will be added. Furthermore, you can personalize your employment conditions through a collective labor agreement (CAO) choice model.
• As Maastricht University, we offer various other excellent secondary employment conditions. These include a good pension scheme with the ABP and the opportunity for UM employees to participate in company fitness and make use of the extensive sports facilities that we also offer to our students.
• Last but certainly not least, we provide the space and facilities for your personal and professional development. We facilitate this by offering a wide range of training programs and supporting various well-established initiatives such as 'acknowledge and appreciate'.

The terms of employment at Maastricht University are largely set out in the collective labor agreement of Dutch Universities. In addition, local provisions specific to UM apply. For more information, click here.

Maastricht University
Why work at Maastricht University?

At Maastricht University (UM), everything revolves around the future. The future of our students, as we work to equip them with a solid, broad-based foundation for the rest of their lives. And the future of society, as we seek solutions through our research to issues from all around the world. Our six faculties combined provide a comprehensive package of study programmes and research.

In our teaching, we use the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) method. Students work in small groups, looking for solutions to problems themselves. By discussing issues and working together to draw conclusions, formulate answers and present them to their peers, students develop essential skills for their future careers.

With over 22,300 students and more than 5,000 employees from all over the world, UM is home to a vibrant and inspiring international community.

Are you drawn to an international setting focused on education, science and scholarship? Are you keen to contribute however your skills and qualities allow? Our door is open to you! As a young European university, we value your talent and look forward to creating the future together.

Click here for more information about UM.

Faculty of Science and Engineering
At the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE), we focus on themes such as circularity and sustainability, future farming, digitisation and (scientific) instrument development. FSE's leading projects, like the Einstein Telescope Pathfinder, are sure to grab anyone's attention. The faculty is a vibrant hub of education and research in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS). At FSE, over 450 staff members and 3700 students gather to explore e exciting interdisciplinary research and educational programmes. Feel welcome, be part of our team and put your brilliant mind to work!

FSE at the Brightlands Campuses
Maastricht, Sittard-Geleen, Heerlen, and Venlo, the home of four creative Brightlands campuses, are bustling with 30,000 entrepreneurs, researchers, and students working diligently to solve global challenges. The Faculty of Science and Engineering is active on all four Brightlands campuses, and this is where our impact reaches its peak. To give you an idea of what is happening at each campus: Sittard-Geleen is home to the largest chemical site in the Euregion, while Venlo is a large hub for agri-food innovation. Maastricht is the site of the Health Campus, and Heerlen is the place to be for Smart Services.

Curious?
Are you interested in this exciting position but still have questions? Feel free to contact Chris O’Bryan via c.obryan@maastrichtuniversity.nl for more information.

Applying?
Or are you already convinced and ready to become our new PhD Candidate? Apply now, no later than 2 February 2025, for this position.

Please upload your CV and motivation letter.

The vacancy is open for internal and external candidates. In case of equal qualifications, internal candidates will be prioritized.

Maastricht University is committed to promoting and nurturing a diverse and inclusive community. We believe that diversity in our staff and student population contributes to the quality of research and education at UM, and strive to enable this through inclusive policies and innovative projects led by teams of staff and students. We encourage you to apply for this position.

38 hours per week

Nassaustraat 36