Postdoc: Above-belowground interactions in grasslands under global change - NIOO-KNAW - Wageningen

What you will be doing

Grasslands are under increased pressure of global changes, with nutrient enrichment and changes in vertebrate grazer communities being among the most prominent. Although impacts of global changes on plant communities have been well documented, it is much less well understood how they affect soil community composition and functioning. We now have the unique opportunity to utilise a long-term experiment at the Veluwe (the Netherlands), which is part of the global Nutrient Network (www.nutnet.org), to study impacts of nutrient addition and grazing on plant and soil communities.

With your expertise in plant or soil ecology you will collect field samples and analyse long-term data sets to understand plant and soil community responses to global changes. You will make current datasets FAIR, analyse these data from new angles and write scientific publications. In addition, you will contribute to the development of a long-term strategy for using our experimental facility and help to develop project proposals for funding future work. You will present your research at conferences and scientific meetings.

What are we looking for

We are looking for a highly motivated researcher with a PhD degree in plant or soil ecology, plant-soil interactions, or a related discipline. You should be strong in open communication, work well within a team of researchers and have creative ideas for building a research strategy for the future. Expertise with (multivariate) statistical analyses of plant or soil community data sets, good writing and presentation skills, fluency in English and a driver’s license B are essential. Experience with field work, chemical or molecular laboratory analyses or acquisition of funding would be an advantage.

What do we offer

A fully-funded, 1.0 fte postdoc position of one year initially, with the possibility to extent with max. 6 months (depending on initial starting date). The preferred starting date is 1 July 2026, latest starting date is 1 September 2026. You can become a member of the graduate school PE&RC ( https://www.pe-rc.nl/). The department of Terrestrial Ecology (TE) and the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) organise weekly seminars, science lunches and journal clubs to stimulate scientific discussion and exchange ideas.

Your workplace

You will be based at the department of Terrestrial Ecology (TE) at NIOO-KNAW, consisting of a dynamic, interactive and collaborative group of researchers from diverse backgrounds. You will share an office space with other PhD candidates and postdocs in the department and join an active community of researchers, postdocs, PhDs, research assistants and internship students. In TE, we aim to understand, predict, and mitigate effects of climate change, biodiversity loss and land use change in terrestrial ecosystems. Our research focuses on interactions between plants, microbes, and (in)vertebrates, in the soil and aboveground. Our approach is conceptual-experimental, and ranges from evolutionary adaptation to community interactions and ecosystem processes. NIOO-KNAW has state-of-the-art research facilities.

More information

For more information, do not hesitate to contact:

Prof. Dr. Ciska Veen, Head of department, NIOO-KNAW, c.veen@nioo.knaw.nl

Prof. Dr. Liesbeth Bakker, Associate Professor, NIOO-KNAW, l.bakker@nioo.knaw.nl

More information about the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) and the department of Terrestrial Ecology can be found at the website: http://www.nioo.knaw.nl

Application procedure

For the application, please include a cover letter summarizing motivation and experience, a CV, and contact details of two professional referees (name, address, telephone, and email). Deadline for application is 14th of June 2026. Applications received later than this date will not be considered. Interviews will be held in person or online, depending on the location of the candidate, and are scheduled on Monday 22nd of June 2026. 

About NIOO
The Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO) is a national research institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW). At NIOO we perform ecological research on biodiversity, climate change and sustainable use of land and water. We stimulate ecological research in the Netherlands and share our ecological knowledge with society. Everyone in our organisation is passionate about contributing to a sustainable world from their own area of expertise.

Terms of employment
Depending on education and experience the minimum salary is €3.546 and the maximum salary is €5.538 gross per month for a full-time appointment (scale 10 cao Nederlandse Universiteiten/KNAW). This is exclusive of 8% vacation allowance, 8.3% year-end bonus, travel allowance, internet allowance, home working allowance and pension accrual with ABP.

The KNAW offers its staff an excellent package of secondary benefits. A package that meets the different needs of employees depending on their stage of life, lifestyle or career ambitions. For example, by working an extra two hours a week, it is possible to increase the number of days off from 29 to 41 days a year (with full-time employment).  

For a complete overview of the terms of employment, please refer to the web page: werken bij de KNAW.

Applying for a Certificate of Good Conduct can be part of the employment procedure.

Diversity & Inclusion
The KNAW considers a working environment in which everyone feels welcome and appreciated of great importance. A working environment in which attention is paid to individual quality and where development opportunities are paramount. Together we strive for an inclusive culture in which we embrace differences. We would therefore like to invite candidates who want to contribute to this through their background and experience. In the event of equal suitability, preference will be given to the candidate who thus enhances diversity within the Academy.

We will not respond to any supplier enquiries based on this job advertisement.