You will be carrying out an interdisciplinary research project about the assessment and valuation of ecosystem services. You will be tasked to assess how the use of biochar, a soil amendment made from pyrolysis of biomass, impacts on ecosystem services (e.g. biodiversity, crop productivity, carbon sequestration, water purification), in particular for marginal soils, and to value these changes in services in monetary terms. The ultimate goal of your PhD is to provide quantitative guidance to policy-makers and businesses on the full societal advantages and disadvantages of using biochar as a soil amendment.

Within this project you will work closely together with colleagues from different disciplines, from different national and international universities, and with an extensive advisory board that spans the full biochar stakeholder chain.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Selection process

You can only apply online up to and including 31 May 2019.

The selection procedure consists of a preselection based on application file, an interview and a test lesson / presentation.

Preselection is based on CV, motivation letter and a single writing sample of your own work.

Offer Requirements

REQUIRED EDUCATION LEVEL

Engineering: Master Degree or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

  • You have obtained the degree of master in business engineering, civil engineering, bioengineering (or equivalent). Final-year students are (likewise) encouraged to apply.
  • You are interested in environmental issues, passionate about research and persistent.
  • You have experience with data collection, quantitative research methods and the matching software.
  • You have the necessary background to analyze environmental issues from both a scientific and an economics perspective.
  • You have excellent grades.
  • You have excellent communication skills.
  • Your profiency in English is excellent.
  • Experience and/or knowledge of the monetary valuation of non-market goods (such as ecosystem services) is a plus.
  • Experience in system dynamics modeling is a plus.
  • Experience with concepts such as the biobased economy is a plus.
  • You have experience in working in multi-disciplinary teams.
APPLICATION DEADLINE
31/05/2019 23:00 – Europe/Brussels

Apply here: https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/406335