Besides specific openings, we are always looking for creative and curious people to join the group, so feel free to get in touch with us. If you are interested in joining the group, please don’t hesitate to contact us with an explanation of your background and your interests. Applications from minorities and other under-represented groups are particularly encouraged.
Open positions:
Your mission:
The Catchment Hydrology and Geomorphology Lab is looking for a PhD student to work on the SNSF-funded project SMART-AGRI (A global spatially-explicit quantification of the benefits of climate-smart agricultural practices under future climates).
Sustainable food production requires finding the right balance between food and nutritional security while protecting the environment and addressing climate issues. Climate‐smart agriculture has been promoted as a systematic approach for developing agricultural strategies that ensure food security in the context of climate change. However, a detailed quantification of the effects of such practices across different environmental settings and under future climates is currently missing, making it difficult to assess their actual potential. The SMART-AGRI project aims to quantify the benefits of different climate-smart practices across global cropland areas, and identify the combinations of practices that concurrently optimize multiple objectives (from crop production to climate change mitigation and preservation of environmental resources). As a PhD student, you will have the opportunity to further current understanding in this field through a combination of data analysis, numerical model development, and global-scale simulations of coupled water, energy, carbon, and nutrient dynamics under current and future climates.
Main duties and responsibilities include:
- Perform original research in the area of ecohydrology for agroecosystems and climate-smart agriculture.
- To lead and contribute to publications for high-impact journals.
- Contribute to broad Lab activities (including co-supervision of MSc students and teaching assistance).
Your profile:
- A MSc in Environmental Sciences, Physics, or Engineering.
- Strong interest in ecohydrological modeling.
- Hands-on experience with numerical modeling and analysis of large datasets.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.
- Ability to work independently as well as in a team.
- Creative, enthusiastic, and willing to learn.
- Self-motivated and have a sense for scientific novelty.
- Experience with scientific writing is valued.
We offer:
- A stimulating and international working environment in the new EPFL-Valais campus in Sion.
- Competitive salary and excellent educational conditions.
- Opportunity to perform state-of-the-art research in one of the most dynamic scientific institutions in Europe.
Start date:
September 2024 (start date is negotiable).
Work rate:
100%
Duration:
1-year fixed-term contract, renewable for 4 years according to EPFL rules.
Contact:
Interested applicants should send the following documents (in a single pdf) to [email protected]:
- CV and contact details of 2-3 references
- A brief letter of motivation/interest in the project
- Grades from master and bachelor studies
Screening will start on May 10th, but the position will remain open until filled.
To be eligible for a PhD at EPFL, note that candidates also need to apply to the Doctoral Program in Civil and Environmental Engineering (EDCE).
Your mission:
The Catchment Hydrology and Geomorphology Lab (CHANGE) and the Soil Biogeochemistry Lab (SOIL) at EPFL in Sion are looking for a postdoctoral researcher in the area of wetland ecohydrology and biogeochemistry.
Wetlands play a key role in the global carbon cycle by storing 30% of the world’s soil carbon on only 3% of the total land surface area. However, many wetlands are currently degraded, often by draining to be converted to agricultural land. These degraded wetlands have not only lost their ecosystem functions, but are also significant sources of carbon dioxide and methane to the atmosphere. The restoration of degraded wetlands and their capacity to sequester atmospheric carbon dioxide by peat formation is key in the context of climate change. As a postdoc working jointly at SOIL and CHANGE, you’ll contribute to modeling and monitoring carbon sequestration capacity in Swiss wetland ecosystems.
Main duties and responsibilities include:
- Perform original research in the area of wetland ecohydrology and biogeochemistry.
- Develop, validate, and apply an integrated model of soil, hydrology, and vegetation dynamics in wetland ecosystems.
- Implement and maintain a monitoring system for key wetland parameters.
- Perform point sampling and physicochemical analysis of wetland soils.
- Quantify climate-relevant carbon fluxes at selected wetland sites in Switzerland.
- Lead and contribute to publications for high-impact journals.
- Contribute to broad Lab activities (including co-supervision of MSc students).
Your profile:
- You have (or are close to completing) a PhD in Environmental Sciences or Engineering.
- You have research experience in wetland ecohydrology/biogeochemistry.
- You have strong computational and analytical skills, and familiarity with ecohydrological models.
- You have some experience in in-situ ecosystem monitoring.
- Experimental skills and experience in analyzing common soil physicochemical parameters are an asset.
- You have a strong publication record (relative to your career stage) in internationally leading journals.
- You are independent, creative, and solution-oriented.
- You have excellent written and oral communication skills in English.
We offer:
- A stimulating and international working environment in the new EPFL-Valais campus in Sion.
- Competitive salary and excellent working conditions.
- Opportunity to perform state-of-the-art research in one of the most dynamic scientific institutions in Europe.
Start date: September 2024 (start date is negotiable).
Work rate: 80-100%
Duration: Up to 2 years (renewable on a one-year basis).
How to apply: Only applications submitted through the online platform are considered (link here). You are asked to supply your CV, a brief research statement (max 2 pages), and contact details of 3 references. Applications will be reviewed starting June 1st, 2024.