Lab Research Assistant – Soil Monitoring in Regenerative Agriculture

Are you interested in working in the Soil Biology Lab and collaborating with 100 pioneering farmers in the Netherlands? Do you have affinity with soil sampling and analyses related to the role of soil biota in supporting a range of soil functions? Within the ReGeNL project, we are looking for a laboratory assistant to provide technical support for the monitoring campaigns of the pioneering farmers participating in ReGeNL.

There is steadily growing pressure on agriculture and the entire food system to increase global production while promoting sustainability in terms of farmers' incomes, soil health, input use, and environmental and climate impact. Regenerative agriculture is a promising avenue to support a healthy, multi-functional and future-proof soil and farming system. Together with regenerative Dutch farmers, ReGeNL is developing a future-proof agricultural sector in which agriculture goes hand in hand with soil health and nature restoration, and a good revenue model for farmers. Between now and 2030, ReGeNL will start the transition to regenerative agriculture with 1000 farmers. The aim is to make regenerative agriculture the new normal by 2040.

In this role, you will support the monitoring of 100 pioneering regenerative farmers within the ReGeNL program. Wageningen University, together with its partners, is responsible for monitoring and studying changes in the farmers’ management practices and evaluating the outcomes of these changes. Through-out the year, fieldwork will be conducted to monitor various aspects of soil health and to document the management practices applied by these pioneering farmers.

The successful candidate will be responsible for the following key tasks:

• Coordinate and lead field sampling campaigns and data collection activities across different soil types and land-use systems in the Netherlands.
• Conduct laboratory analyses to explore the dynamic relationships between management practices, soil biota, and soil chemical and physical properties.
• Collaborate closely with soil biology researchers and technical staff.

You will work here
The Soil Biology group integrates knowledge on soil biota across a range of scales from the microbe to the globe. Our mission is “to explore the potential of life to increase the quality of soil”.

Soils are among humankind’s most precious natural resources, but their sustainable use is under serious threat. Our aim is to advance and share knowledge on how soil life can improve the quality and functioning of soils in agroecosystems around the world, and how land management may impact soil life. Our ambition is to cover research across a range of scales and levels of detail to ensure dissemination of fundamental insights: starting with interactions at small-scale hotspots in the soil (in particular the rhizosphere and detritusphere), through management-oriented research at the plot and field scale, towards policy-relevant research at the farm, landscape and regional scale. The soil biology laboratory supports both on-going research of the Soil Biology Group (PhD projects and larger projects) and external analyses. In addition, the lab oversees approximately 25-30 MSc thesis projects per year and contributes to the Soil Biology education programmes at both BSc and MSc levels.

Postdoctoraal Onderzoeker Bio-economie-innovaties

Ben je geïnteresseerd in het verduurzamen van innovaties binnen de bio-economie? Meer specifiek: in het evalueren van biodiversiteitsindicatoren op lokaal niveau en het samenwerken met belanghebbenden om de effecten op klimaatverandering, welzijn en toekomstige ontwikkelingen in kaart te brengen? Wil je werken in een wereldwijd interdisciplinair team met leden van 15 organisaties, allemaal betrokken bij een EU Horizon-project (CASI-BIO, “Cascading and Sustainable Innovation for the Bioeconomy”)? Het werk omvat een combinatie van kwalitatieve en kwantitatieve onderzoeksmethoden, beleidsanalyse, toekomstverkenningen en participatief onderzoek binnen de context van een living lab in Nederland.

Jouw taken en verantwoordelijkheden:

• Het mede coördineren van een werkpakket binnen een EU Horizon-project;
• Het organiseren en begeleiden van workshops en focusgroepen met stakeholders in Nederland;
• Het ontwikkelen van instrumenten om de effecten van bio-economieprojecten op milieugerelateerde en sociaaleconomische uitkomsten te analyseren;
• Het schrijven en publiceren van wetenschappelijke artikelen en projectrapportages.

Jouw team
Je werkt voornamelijk samen met dr. Jorge Sellare en dr. Marko Lovric van Wageningen University & Research (WUR) en werkt daarnaast nauw samen met collega’s binnen het CASI-BIO-project.

Hier ga je werken
Je maakt deel uit van de leerstoelgroep Forest and Nature Conservation Policy (FNP) van Wageningen University. Wij zijn een interdisciplinaire en internationale onderzoeksgroep, bestaande uit meer dan 40 onderzoekers die een brede belangstelling delen voor uiteenlopende aspecten van bossen en natuur.

Chair Group Operational Manager

Are you an experienced organiser who thrives in a dynamic academic environment? Do you enjoy bringing people together, creating structure and ensuring that ideas turn into results? Then this could be the perfect opportunity for you!

As Chair Group Operational Manager of Environmental Systems Analysis (ESA), you are the organisational hub of our chair group. You work closely with the Chair and the Management Team (MT) to ensure that our research, education and organisational processes run smoothly.

Your responsibilities

• Management Team support; you are the secretarial and operational partner of the Management Team.
• Research planning and funding coordination; you help the chair group maintain oversight of its research portfolio, future capacity and identify future gaps.
• Operational coordination; you coordinate a range of recurring organisational processes like: development and competencies interviews m(R&O), keep an overview of BSc and MSc thesis supervision and internships, organize retreats, and more.
• Governance and quality assurance; you help the chair group remain well organised and compliant with university policies.
• Project coordination and continuous improvement; you ensure that decisions are translated into results.

Your team
You will become part of Environmental Systems Analysis (ESA), within Earth Systems and Global Change (ESC), an ambitious and internationally oriented chair group within Wageningen University & Research. Our researchers, teachers and support staff work together on high-quality research and education with societal impact. We value collaboration, openness, professionalism and mutual support.

As Chair Group Operational Manager, you will work closely with the Chair, the Management Team and colleagues throughout the chair group. You will play a central role in connecting people, coordinating processes and ensuring that our organisation continues to develop professionally.

Scientist Soil Ecology

Make an impact to sustainable soil and plant health.

Are you an ambitious scientist with expertise in soil ecology and plant-soil interactions? Do you enjoy acquiring and leading research projects and collaborating with partners across science, industry, farmers, and government? Then this position could be the perfect next step in your career.

As a Soil Ecology scientist at Wageningen Plant Research in Wageningen, you will contribute to understanding the role of soil organisms and translate these findings into practical management in diverse ecosystems, including agriculture, grasslands and more urban systems. You will play a key role in initiating, coordinating, and conducting (fundamental up to more applied) research projects together with multidisciplinary teams and external partners.

In this position, you will have a high degree of independence and responsibility. You will cooperate in running projects, identify new research opportunities and initiate/acquire new projects, lead and manage research projects, contribute to knowledge development and sharing, and work closely with colleagues, clients, and stakeholders from both the public and private sectors. We are looking for an enthusiastic and creative scientist with experience in the fields of soil ecology and plant health.

You will be based in Wageningen and collaborate with experts from related fields such as (meta)genomics, biocontrol, plant breeding, microbiome, phytopathology, bacteriology, nematology, entomology and diagnostics.

Your duties and responsibilities include:

• acquiring, coordinating, leading, and conducting research projects on soil ecology within multidisciplinary teams;
• reporting research outcomes through reports, scientific publications, trade articles, presentations, newsletters, and online communication channels;
• supervising project staff, interns, and students;
• building and maintaining strong relationships with clients and translating their questions into relevant and feasible research projects;
• translating research findings into practical recommendations and applications for clients and other stakeholders.

Your team
You will join Wageningen Plant Research, part of Wageningen University & Research. You will work together with colleagues who are dedicated to understand the role of soil ecology in diverse ecosystems and to developing innovative and sustainable solutions for diseases and pests in agriculture and horticulture.

While current crop protection agents reduce yield losses, they often may have a negative impact on people and the environment. Wageningen Plant Research develops solutions such as biological crop protection and resilient cropping systems, offering opportunities for sustainable food production worldwide. The interaction between plants, soils and diseases & pests is the focal point of our research.

We study the interactions between plants and harmful or beneficial organisms, including insects, fungi, viruses, and bacteria, both above and below ground. In addition, we develop advanced diagnostic methods to detect harmful organisms throughout the production chain.

The team is based in Wageningen and works closely with national and international partners from science, industry, and government.

Post-Doctoral Researcher Bioeconomy Innovations

Are you interested in making bioeconomy innovations more sustainable? More specifically, evaluating biodiversity indicators on a local level, and engaging with stakeholders to assess impacts on climate change, welfare, and foresight future developments? Want to work in a global interdisciplinary team with members from 15 organizations, all within a EU-Horizon Project (CASI-BIO, “Cascading and Sustainable Innovation for the Bioeconomy”)? The work would entail a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches, policy analysis, futures study, and participatory research within a context of a living lab in The Netherlands.

Your duties and responsibilities include:

• co-coordinate a Work Package in a EU Horizon project;
• run workshops and focus groups with stakeholders in the Netherlands;
• develop tools to help analyze the impacts of Bioeconomy projects on environmental and socioeconomic outcomes;
• write and publish scientific papers and project reports.

Your team
You will work primarily with Dr. Jorge Sellare and Dr. Marko Lovric at WUR and will collaborate with other colleagues from the CASI-BIO project.

You will work here
You will work as part of the Forest and Nature Conservation Policy (FNP) Chair Group at Wageningen University. We are an interdisciplinary and international chair group composed of over 40 researchers who share an interest in various aspects of forests and nature.