PhD position within a project aiming at improving the German agricultural GHG inventory: The Thünen Institute, Germany
The Thünen Institute, Germany, is currently offering a funded PhD position within a project aiming at improving the German agricultural GHG inventory:
The position is for a fixed term of four years and to be filled at the earliest opportunity. The position is directed to applicants who, in addition to their employment, wish to pursue their own
academic career, in particular their doctorate. In this context, the Thünen Institute of Climate-Smart Agriculture cooperates with various universities. The employment is a fixed-term position in accordance with §2 (1) sentence 1 of the Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz (German law regarding academic fixedterm contracts).
Project tasks:
- Conduct literature studies and meta-analyses to derive refined emission factors for calculation of
nitrous oxide and ammonia emissions from agricultural soils - Acquire and model necessary regionalized activity data, in particular regarding nitrogen
fertilization in agriculture - Create regional nitrogen balances and harmonize greenhouse gas reporting with reporting under
the European Nitrates Directive - Create projections and evaluate mitigation options based on regionalized emission factors
- Scientific peer-reviewed publications
- Implement the new model approaches in the national inventory
Requirements:
- M.Sc. in applied statistics, geoecology, agriculture, environmental or soil sciences, meteorology or
related subjects. The degree must fulfill requirements for PhD candidates set by German
universities (see www.research-in-germany.org/en/jobs-and-careers/info-for-phdstudents/language-requirements.html). A master’s thesis with an above-average grade is
expected. - Excellent knowledge and experiences in statistics and empiric modelling
- Good knowledge of biogeochemistry and soil science is desired
- Basic familiarity with agriculture is desired
- Candidates need to be proficient with R and Excel, basic knowledge of python would be an
advantage - Team spirit, flexibility, high motivation and the ability to work independently
- Scientific curiosity and willingness to work on a doctoral thesis
- Excellent communication and writing skills in English, willingness to learn German
Read more and apply on the the Thünen Institute Website.