PhD student in plant phenology and ecophysiology

Overview

Swiss Federal Institute for Forest Snow and Landscape Research WSL is part of the ETH Domain. Approximately 600 people work on the sustainable use and protection of the environment and on the handling of natural hazards.

The Forest and Soil Ecology research unit which investigates the effects of environmental changes in forest ecosystems is looking for a person to join the Ecosystem Ecology group for a fixed-term period of four years starting January 2026 or by appointment as a

PhD student in plant phenology and ecophysiology

You will be responsible for planning and carrying out experiments in the field and under controlled conditions in the SNF funded project "Linking carbon source-sink dynamics to autumn phenology:
Predicting tree growth rhythms in temperature and boreal forests." You will analyse the interaction between carbon balance and phenology by applying various ecophysiological and biochemical methods and large-scale data analyses. You will carry out statistical and mechanistic modelling approaches. Finally you will be responsible for publishing results in scientific journals.

You have a masters degree in environmental science or a comparable topic and are interested in applying various methods from ecophysiology to model applications. You have a proficient command of written and spoken English, are able to work in a structured efficient and independent manner, have a high level of team spirit, and have a good level of fitness to carry out field work in remote locations.

Please send your complete application to Stefania Pe Human Resources WSL by uploading the requested documents through our webpage. Applications via email will not be considered. The review of the applications will begin on November 3 2025. Arthur Gessler (phone 41 (0); ) and Yunpeng Luo () will be happy to answer any questions or offer further information. WSL is committed to diversity and inclusion as core values.

We actively promote gender equality and foster an open inclusive work environment.

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• Employment Type:
  
  Full-Time
• Experience:
  
  years
• Vacancy: 1