What you will be doing

How can citizen science contribute to the protection and recovery of pollinator populations? And how can data collected by citizens help translate environmental legislation into effective action on the ground?

The European more4nature project aims to strengthen environmental protection by connecting citizen science initiatives, communities, researchers and public authorities. The project explores how citizen-generated data and community-led action can contribute to biodiversity protection and environmental compliance, and how this knowledge can be better integrated into policy implementation and monitoring.

We are looking for a Postdoctoral Researcher with a strong interest in citizen science, pollinator conservation and environmental policy. You will focus on the links between pollinator monitoring, citizen-generated data and the implementation of environmental legislation, with particular attention to the EU Nature Restoration Regulation (NRR) and relevant national and local policies.

The NRR establishes a binding objective for Member States to reverse the decline of pollinator populations by 2030 and achieve an increasing trend thereafter. Meeting these objectives requires reliable monitoring, meaningful indicators and effective implementation of restoration measures. Citizen science initiatives may provide valuable complementary data and local knowledge, but questions remain about how these contributions can be assessed, integrated into monitoring frameworks and used by policymakers and public authorities.

Building on existing results from more4nature and data from established citizen science initiatives, you will investigate how citizen-generated evidence can support pollinator conservation and policy implementation. You will examine the opportunities and limitations of these data, explore their relevance to policy objectives and monitoring requirements, and identify ways to connect ecological evidence with the needs of authorities and other stakeholders.

A major component of the position will be scientific writing and publishing. You will have ample opportunities to develop and lead scientific publications based on existing project results and citizen science datasets. You will formulate research questions, synthesise evidence, conduct analyses where appropriate and prepare manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals. Depending on your interests and expertise, this could include research on the contribution of citizen science to pollinator monitoring, the use of citizen-generated data in policy implementation, or the relationship between ecological evidence and environmental governance.

You will also engage with researchers, citizen science initiatives, conservation organisations and policymakers to understand their perspectives and connect scientific findings with practical policy challenges. Stakeholder engagement will primarily support your research and scientific synthesis, rather than involve organising extensive programmes of interviews or workshops. Experience in facilitating stakeholder discussions or organising participatory activities would nevertheless be an advantage.

This position is particularly suited to someone who enjoys working across disciplinary boundaries and can connect ecological knowledge, citizen science, policy and practice. You will contribute to a better understanding of how citizen-generated evidence can support effective pollinator protection, from local conservation efforts to national policy implementation.

What you will be contributing

We are looking for an independent and motivated researcher with excellent scientific writing skills, an affinity for citizen science and an interest in the relationship between biodiversity conservation and environmental policy. You have:

• A PhD in ecology, conservation biology, environmental science, environmental governance, sustainability science or a related discipline.
• A strong interest in pollinator ecology and conservation, and in the policy and legislative frameworks designed to protect biodiversity.
• An affinity with citizen science and an interest in how citizen-generated data can complement established monitoring approaches and support environmental decision-making.
• Excellent scientific writing skills and the ability to develop research questions, critically synthesise existing evidence and prepare high-quality manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals.
• An interest in the EU Nature Restoration Regulation and its implementation, as well as relevant national and local policies. Experience with environmental legislation, policy analysis or biodiversity monitoring frameworks is an advantage.
• Strong analytical and critical-thinking skills, with the ability to assess the opportunities, limitations and policy relevance of different data sources.
• Good communication and collaboration skills, including an ability to engage constructively with stakeholders from different professional and disciplinary backgrounds.

Transdisciplinary experience or an interest in transdisciplinary research is particularly welcome. We value the ability to connect knowledge from ecology, social sciences and policy research, and to understand how scientific evidence interacts with institutional contexts, stakeholder perspectives and practical conservation challenges. Experience working across academic and non-academic settings, or translating research findings for policy and practice, would be an asset.

Experience with quantitative or qualitative data analysis, pollinator monitoring, citizen science projects, environmental policy research or stakeholder engagement would be beneficial. We do not expect every candidate to bring expertise in all these areas. We particularly welcome candidates who combine strong scientific writing with curiosity about how research can inform real-world environmental policy.

What do we offer?

We offer an engaging postdoctoral position within an international European research project addressing a pressing challenge: how to strengthen environmental protection by connecting citizen-generated evidence with policy and practice.

The position offers considerable scope for scientific publishing, with existing more4nature results and data from citizen science initiatives providing a foundation for developing new research questions and manuscripts. You will have the opportunity to shape your research within the project's objectives, develop your scientific publication record and contribute to research with relevance for both biodiversity conservation and environmental governance.

You will work at the interface of ecology, citizen science and policy, engaging with an international network of researchers and practitioners. The position provides opportunities to deepen your understanding of European environmental legislation, particularly the Nature Restoration Regulation, and explore how evidence from citizen science can support its implementation at national and local levels.

The appointment is for 12 months. The start date and employment fraction will be agreed with the successful candidate. Salary and other employment conditions will be in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities/Academy, depending on qualifications and experience.

Your workplace

The Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) is one of the leading ecological research institutes in the Netherlands. Based in Wageningen, NIOO conducts fundamental and applied research into biodiversity, ecosystem functioning and environmental change, with the aim of advancing ecological knowledge and contributing to a sustainable future.

Through more4nature, NIOO-KNAW contributes to a European collaboration exploring how citizen science initiatives and community-led actions can strengthen environmental protection. The project brings together scientific organisations, citizen science initiatives, public authorities and other partners to improve the use of citizen-generated data in environmental monitoring, governance and compliance assurance.

You will work in an interdisciplinary research environment where ecological evidence, social perspectives and policy frameworks intersect. This offers an opportunity to develop research that connects scientific findings with the practical challenges of protecting pollinators and implementing environmental legislation.

More information

For further information about the position, please contact:

Dr. Sven Teurlincx
s.teurlincx@nioo.knaw.nl

More information about more4nature: https://more4nature.eu/

More information about NIOO-KNAW: https://nioo.knaw.nl/en

Application procedure

To apply, please submit your CV and a motivation letter describing your research experience, scientific writing track record, interest in citizen science and pollinator conservation, and motivation to work at the interface of science and policy.