项目介绍

2026年5月17日

Curious about the relationship between the geological history of islands and the resilience of their ecosystems in the face of human-induced environmental change? Then apply for this PhD! 

Your job

The department of Earth Sciences is seeking an enthusiastic candidate for a PhD project focussing on ecosystem health and resilience on islands, in context of geological and paleoenvironmental changes over millions of years. 

Ecosystems are threatened by anthropogenic climate change and habitat loss. Within this context, ecosystem health is largely determined by ecosystem resilience: the capacity of a system to manage disturbance by resisting change, recovering from change, or adapting and benefiting as a result of change. Observational data cover only the first two aspects of resilience: resistance and recovery, as they act on ecological timescales. Adaptation, however, happens on evolutionary timescales, and its importance therefore remains unknown. 

The aim of this PhD project is to study ecosystem resilience resulting from adaptation to disturbances on geological and evolutionary timescales. We focus on islands: ideal natural laboratories serving as isolated model systems of the natural world. We hypothesize that the intensity and frequency of paleoenvironmental changes is a predictor of ecosystem resilience to human-induced environmental change. We will determine whether islands with intermediate dynamic geological histories have produced ecosystems accustomed to environmental change, thus making them more resilient to disturbances today. Islands with geological histories characterized by long-term stability, or instead, with disturbances that are too severe, are expected to harbour more vulnerable ecosystems. 

We will select a set of volcanic islands that are well-studied in terms of their geological and socio-ecological histories. Testing the hypothesis that an island’s ecosystem resilience can be predicted from its paleoenvironmental history requires the following:

1. Reconstructing the paleoenvironmental history of islands. The PhD candidate will compile data on the timing and severity of disruptions, focussing on three aspects: 

1a. Sea level fluctuations. The PhD candidate will reconstruct insular environmental changes in response to sea level fluctuations, particularly during the Pleistocene.

1b. Volcanism. The PhD candidate will compile data on 1) the ages of volcanic activity; 2) the type of volcanism; 3) catastrophic explosive caldera eruptions and volcano/island collapses and their ages. 

1c. Human settlement. Following initial human settlement, island socio-ecological systems have gone through different phases (cultural, socioeconomic, technical, demographic, etc.). The PhD candidate will compile data on these past societal dynamics. 

Besides this data compilation, the project will focus on one archipelago as case study: Cape Verde. We will date volcanic activity through field and laboratory work, using an efficient new approach using zircon minerals found in beach sands. 

2. Quantifying island-ecosystem resilience. Ecosystem resilience, including resistance, recovery and adaptation, can be approximated by ecological parameters such as taxonomic, functional and (phylo)genetic diversity, and traits such as niche breadth. The PhD candidate will produce a proxy of ecosystem resilience based on multiple parameters. 

3. Analysing the predictive power of paleoenvironmental history on ecosystem resilience. After separate analysis of both the predictor (the paleoenvironmental history of an island), and the response variable (ecosystem resilience), the PhD candidate will perform statistical analyses to test the predictive power of paleoenvironmental history on ecosystem resilience in response to human-induced environmental changes.

The PhD candidate will be part of the research group of daily supervisor Lydian Boschman and promotor Douwe van Hinsbergen at the department of Earth Sciences, and will be co-supervised by Sietze Norder (island biogeography and human-nature relationships; department of Sustainable Development) and Valérie Reijers (ecology and ecosystem adaptation; department of Physical Geography), all part of the Faculty of Geosciences at Utrecht University.

Your development
A personalised training programme will be set up, reflecting your training needs and career objectives. About 20% of your time will be dedicated to this training component, which includes following courses/workshops as well as training on the job in assisting in the Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes of the department at Utrecht University. Through interactions with other scientists, the Municipality of Utrecht, the Dutch Geological Survey, and industry partners, you will be exposed to diverse career paths in both academia and the applied sector, helping you shape your professional future.

Your qualities

As the ideal candidate, you have an interdisciplinary mindset and are not afraid to branch out into new fields, learn new skills, and communicate with multiple different communities of researchers. Furthermore, you have:

• A Master’s degree (ultimately obtained at the start of the position) in Earth sciences and affinity with biodiversity/biogeography/ecology. Or vice versa: a Master’s degree in biology/ecology and an affinity with geology/volcanology/geochronology.
• Enthusiasm for (and the ability to perform) geological fieldwork and the organisation thereof;
• Excellent skills in writing and speaking English (C1 level).

If you have an international (non-Dutch) Master’s diploma, you will be requested to provide your Bachelor’s and Master’s diplomas as well as the corresponding grade lists (in English) when you are selected for this position. Non-Dutch Master’s diplomas may be subject to specific approval by the Board for Conferral of Doctoral Degrees before you can be accepted into the PhD programme.

We highly encourage applicants from all members of our community and of diverse backgrounds to join us.

Our offer

• a position for 1 year, with an extension to a total of four years upon a successful assessment in the first year, and with the specific intent that it results in a doctorate within this period;
• a working week of 36 – 40 hours and a gross monthly salary between € 3.059 and €3.881 in the case of full-time employment (salary scale P under the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU));
• 8% holiday pay and 8.3% year-end bonus;
• a pension scheme, partially paid parental leave and flexible terms of employment based on the CAO NU.

In addition to the terms of employment laid down in the CAO NU, Utrecht University also offers a range of its own schemes for employees. This includes arrangements for professional development, various types of leave, and options for sports and cultural activities. You can also tailor your employment conditions through our Terms of Employment Options Model. In this way, we encourage you to keep investing in your personal and professional development. For more information, please visit Working at Utrecht University.

About us

A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University, the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major strategic themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Pathways to Sustainability. Sharing science, shaping tomorrow.

Utrecht University’s Faculty of Geosciences studies the Earth: from the Earth’s core to its surface, including man’s spatial and material utilisation of the Earth – always with a focus on sustainability and innovation. With 3,400 students (BSc and MSc) and 720 staff, the faculty is a strong and challenging organisation. The Faculty of Geosciences is organised in four Departments: Earth Sciences, Human Geography & Spatial Planning, Physical Geography, and Sustainable Development.

The Department of Earth Sciences conducts teaching and research across the full range of the solid Earth and environmental Earth sciences, with activities in almost all areas of geology, geochemistry, geophysics, biogeology and hydrogeology. Our key research themes are Earth & Planetary Processes, Sustainable Use of the Subsurface, Planetary Health & Environment, and Climate & Life. The department hosts a highly international tenured staff of over 50 scientists and more than 110 PhD students and postdoctoral researchers. We house or have access to a wide variety of world-class laboratories, among which are UU’s Electron Microscopy Centre, the Geolab, and the Earth Simulation Lab. We also have excellent High- Performance Computing facilities.

About Utrecht
The department and its facilities are located at Utrecht Science Park. Utrecht is the fourth largest city in the Netherlands with a population of nearly 360,000 and forms a hub in the middle of the country. Its historical city centre and its modern central station can easily be reached from the Science Park by public transport or by a 15-minute bicycle ride. Utrecht boasts beautiful canals with extraordinary wharf cellars housing cafés and terraces by the water, as well as a broad variety of shops and boutiques. 

More information

For informal information (not for application) about this position, please contact Lydian Boschman at l.m.boschman@uu.nl.

Candidates for this vacancy will be recruited by Utrecht University.

Apply now

As Utrecht University, we want to be a home for everyone. We value staff with diverse backgrounds, perspectives and identities, including cultural, religious or ethnic background, gender, sexual orientation, disability or age. We strive to create a safe and inclusive environment in which everyone can flourish and contribute.

You can only apply via our online procedure using the ‘apply now’ button. E-mail applications cannot be accepted. Include the following information in your application:

• a letter of motivation, in which you describe why you wish to pursue this PhD position and what makes you the best candidate for it; also include why you wish to pursue your PhD in our department in general;
• your curriculum vitae, including any courses taken that are relevant for the position;
• academic credentials (mark sheets and degree statements) as far as already available and relevant. 

No reference letters need to be submitted in your initial application. If you are short-listed, we will contact you for referees. We aim for a quick selection procedure after the application deadline of June 15, 2026. Candidates must meet the requirements and must be able to start ultimately by January 1, 2027. Sooner is possible and preferred.

In that perspective, note that international candidates that need a visa/work permit for the Netherlands require at least four months processing time after selection and acceptance. This will be arranged with help of the International Service Desk (ISD) of our university. Finding appropriate housing in or near Utrecht is your own responsibility, but the ISD may be able to advise you therewith. Unfortunately, we must warn that it is a tight market at the moment. In case of general questions about working and living in The Netherlands, please consult the Dutch Mobility Portal.

The application deadline is 15 June 2026.