PhD position: Upscaling of nature-based solutions for resilient landscapes of the future

Are you keen to contribute to a resilient and sustainable future for the Netherlands based on nature-based solutions? Would you like to work in a large team of researchers and stakeholders on the largest landscape transition of the 21st century? Then you could be the ideal PhD candidate to join our team!

Your PhD project will be part of the large knowledge and innovation program NL2120 funded by the National Growth Fund. In this knowledge programme, governments, nature organizations, consultancy and engineering firms, join forces with knowledge institutes and universities. NL2120 is one of the largest partnerships in the world in the field of nature-based solutions. You will be embedded within this knowledge programme together with a large team of PhD researchers that are based at different universities within the Netherlands and will collaborate with many of the partners.

Currently, land-use and water systems in the Netherlands are disconnected from natural patterns of water availability and soil suitability. As this system is not sustainable and not climate proof, a transformation is required where land use is re-aligned with land suitability and natural processes foster resilience. The recently adopted national policy on ‘water en bodem sturend’ (water and soil guiding in spatial planning) is a first step in the right direction.

Over the past years, nature-based solutions (NBS) are being employed in the Netherlands to restore the natural functioning and potential of landscapes, such as raising water levels in peat areas to prevent soil subsidence and limit greenhouse gas emissions, restoring river segments and create water-retention areas to mitigate droughts and floods. So far, most of these measures are restricted to pilots in relatively small areas. To foster the required transformation, we envisage that such NBS approaches should become mainstream.

As PhD candidate you will investigate how nature-based solutions can be upscaled from the pilot and local level towards a regional level in larger parts of The Netherlands, looking at the biophysical (soil and water) and governance domain. You will investigate how temporal and spatial scales matter for the efficiency and effectiveness of NBS towards providing ecosystem services such as water retention and greenhouse gas emission reduction. Towards this, you will collect and analyse soil and hydrological data, satellite data and employ additional field measurements. You will analyze governmental policies and ongoing decision-making processes to identify barriers to and opportunities for the adoption and upscaling of NBS in practice.

Your duties and responsibilities include:

• developing your own research proposal in close connection to the NL2120 project
• conducting qualitative field research in different regions in the Netherlands to analyse policy barriers to the adoption of NBS in practice;
• analysing soil and hydrological data of the existing climate-buffers to quantify scale dependencies;
• designing governance arrangements that facilitate upscaling of nature-based solutions;
• writing multiple scientific publications and practitioner oriented publications. The scientific publications will be part of a PhD dissertation;
• presenting at and organizing webinars and project conferences for different audiences.

Requirements:

You have:

• a completed (or about to be completed) MSc degree in Land and Water Management, Spatial Planning, Climate Studies, Geo-information Science or a related Environmental Sciences;
• a keen interest in biophysical and social-ecological aspects of landscapes such as soil-water interactions, nature-based solutions and climate-adaptive decision making;
• preferably some experience with empirical social science methods, for example: conducting interviews, participatory observations, policy document analysis, qualitative comparative analysis;
• preferably experience with environmental science methods, for example: hydrological data analysis, remote sensing, GIS-analysis, soil-organic-carbon measurements, soil moisture measurements;
• creativity and intrinsic motivation for pursuing a PhD project.

You also possess:

• affinity with working closely together with stakeholders and developing innovative and interactive methods to co-create knowledge;
• interest and ability to work independently as well as in a transdisciplinary team with scientists from various disciplines and with (societal) stakeholders;
• collaborative and organizational skills;
• strong writing skills and high Dutch and English language proficiency.

For this position your command of Dutch language is expected to be at C2 level (high proficiency). 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.

You will work here
You will become part of the Nationaal Groeifonds funded project NL2120. Your PhD research will be embedded within the Soil Geography & Landscape group and Public Administration and Policy group. This environment, in combination with the embedding in a large transdisciplinary knowledge program, gives you all opportunities to develop new skills and kick-start your academic career. You will be supervised by dr. Jasper Candel, dr. Wieke Pot and prof.dr. Jakob Wallinga.

Salary Benefits:

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;
• the option to accrue additional compensation / holiday hours by working more, up to 40 hours per week;
• 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 December 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 € 2.872 - per month rising to € 3.670,- 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.

There are plenty of options for personal initiative in a learning environment, and we provide excellent training opportunities. We are offering a unique position in an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere.

You are going to work at the greenest and most innovative campus in Holland, and at a university that has been chosen as the “Best University” in the Netherlands for the 19th consecutive time.

Coming from abroad
Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees.
Our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.

Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. Wageningen University & Research's International Community page contains practical information about what we can do to support international employees and students coming to Wageningen. Furthermore, we can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example helping your partner to find a job, housing, or schooling. Finally, certain categories of international staff may be eligible for a tax exemption on a part of their salary during the first five years in the Netherlands

38 hours per week

Droevendaalsesteeg