PhD student on Key Performance Indicators for biodiversity-inclusive agriculture

Doctorat / PhD Type de contrat : TEMPORARY Date limite de candidature : 2026-11-23T23:59:59+01:00

The Institute of Environmental Sciences CML and Faculty of Science is looking for: PhD student on Key Performance Indicators for biodiversity-inclusive agriculture In collaboration with Technical University Eindhoven and Wageningen University and Research, you will design validated and tangible key performance indicators of biodiversity improvements in agriculture and horticulture. What you will do Are you motivated to contribute to the transition towards nature-inclusive agriculture and horticulture? Do you want to work at the interface of innovation science, system dynamics, value chains, biodiversity restoration, and real-world decision-making by farmers and agrifood stakeholders? Join the NWO-KIC project RISE – Resilient Integrated Systems for Ecosystem restoration as a PhD candidate and co-develop a system dynamics model for agrifood transitions in an interdisciplinary team of four PhD candidates, with farmers and societal stakeholders. Within that project, your key responsibilities are: Evaluating the barriers and opportunities for nature-inclusive initiatives in farming practices. Designing validated Key Performance Indicators for biodiversity improvement in farming practices for two regional case areas. Creating actionable biodiversity strategies and indicators for regional agricultural stakeholders. Upscaling frameworks of biodiversity strategies in agricultural landscapes to new applications. Where you will work Research at our faculty Leiden University is situated between Amsterdam (36 km) and The Hague (15 km) and was founded in 1575, making it the oldest university in the Netherlands. It houses around 35,000 students originating from 112 nationalities, facilitated by approximately 8,000 staff. The Institute of Environmental Science (CML) at Leiden University offers a vibrant and supportive community of scientists committed to the challenges of sustainability. CML distinguishes itself for its attention to professional development in coordination with the interests of its scientists. As such, there are plenty of opportunities to learn new skills, expand your knowledge, collaborate across disciplines, and experiment in a friendly environment fully embodying academic freedom across all career levels. The core focus of CML is to perform research and education in the interdisciplinary field of Environmental Sciences. CML focuses on the sustainable use of natural resources and preservation of natural capital and biodiversity. CML has a culture of mutual support and collaboration between researchers. CML has two Departments: Industrial Ecology (CML-IE) and Environmental Biology (CML-EB). Presently, about 150 fte (including postdocs and PhDs) are employed at CML. CML further collaborates with TU Delft and Erasmus University in the Leiden-Delft-Erasmus Centre for Sustainability (LDE-CfS), and with the Naturalis Biodiversity Centre. The…