PhD: Economics of native species production and rural development in the Cerrado

Have you ever asked yourself if it is possible to harness the economic potential of biodiversity without degrading the environment? Would you like to understand how we can develop markets for native plant species that benefit rural communities while conserving biodiversity? Are you proficient in Portuguese? Then this PhD might be your next step!

The Cerrado is one of the world's biodiversity hotspots but it is increasingly threatened by agricultural expansion and global market pressures, creating tensions between conservation, economic development, and local livelihoods. Native Cerrado species such as macaúba, buriti and pequi not only have an important ecological role for the local ecosystems, but also have the potential to provide food, income, and other livelihood opportunities to the local communities

This PhD position is part of the research project “Leveraging biodiversity for reshaping agricultural production in the Brazilian Cerrado”, which examines how native species can be integrated into farming systems to support biodiversity and improve local livelihoods without further conversion of natural vegetation. The project brings together the expertise from researchers in Brazil and the Netherlands to map current production of native species and their value chains, assess promising business opportunities, estimate future income potential, and test traceability approaches together with farmers, cooperatives, and companies.

Your research will focus on understanding how native species are currently produced, managed and commercialized by smallholder farmers in the MATOPIBA region. By integrating data from primary household/farm surveys and secondary geospatial datasets, and using advanced econometric methods, you will evaluate if greater production diversity involving native species, the adoption of sustainable production practices, and specific market configurations can contribute to food security and biodiversity outcomes. You will have the opportunity to develop your own research questions within the broader objectives of the project. Start date: February 2027.

Your duties and responsibilities include:

• design and implement large-scale household and farm-level surveys with smallholder farmers in the MATOPIBA region to collect socioeconomic and biodiversity field data;
• analyze geospatial and survey data using rigorous econometric methods;
• conduct workshops and focus group discussions with local stakeholders to analyze the political economy of current markets for native species;
• write research papers and present research findings at international academic conferences;
• collaborate with our research partners and contribute to the dissemination of project results.

You will work here
You will be based at the Forest and Nature Conservation Policy Group (FNP) at Wageningen University. The FNP group focuses on the political, socio-economic and cultural dimensions of forests and nature. Our research addresses major challenges including biodiversity conservation, deforestation, forest transitions, climate change and landscape management in both the Global North and Global South. You will be supervised by Dr. Jorge Sellare and Dr Verina Ingram.

Pedagogical trainer/educational advisor

Inspire our educators to provide innovative, high-quality teaching at Wageningen University. As a creative and professional trainer, you drive impactful teacher development, advise on GenAI thoughtfully, and help teachers build dynamic learning environments to bring our educational vision to life.

You have a passion for didactical (pedagogical) development of teachers within higher education. You develop and provide teacher training in Supervision, Teaching, Design, and Assessment, which contributes towards the learning of our teachers within the University Teaching Qualification (UTQ).

You are creative and you balance your creativity with project management skills in the development and quality management of courses, workshops, and resources for teacher professionalization. You have experience in and a view on use of and impact on GenAI in education. In your training and advising, you inspire and facilitate teachers to develop themselves as professional teachers of Wageningen University.

Through the professionalization of teachers and teaching teams you inspire and support the development and implementation of innovative learning environments. In doing so, you support the implementation of the University’s vision for education.

PhD Developing green façades for building insolation & enhancing urban diversity

Are you a highly motivated and curious, and can you translate ecological expertise into successful designs of biodiverse, climate-resilient, aesthetically attractive and multifunctional green facades? Do you enjoy bridging fundamental ecological knowledge with practical applications? Then Wageningen University & Research offers an exciting opportunity for you.

BIO-SKIN (Bio-Inspired Outer Surfaces to Kool, Insulate and Nurture) is developing bio-based, waste-derived, and circular façade systems that integrate plant growth. The project goal is to help bio-based facade panels that keep buildings cool, insulate, support biodiversity, and contribute to more sustainable urban environments. We work in a team of people with backgrounds in design, materials, biomaterial chemistry, architecture, biology, engineering, sustainability, and the built environment.

In this position, you will investigate how plant-soil-insect interactions develop in ecosystems with shallow soils and translate these ecological insights into design principles for next-generation green façades. Your research will contribute to a better understanding of how ecological communities establish and function in constrained urban environments, while helping to develop façade systems that support biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.

As a PhD candidate, you will combine fundamental and applied research to develop innovative green façade concepts that enhance ecosystem complexity and deliver key ecosystem services, including thermal insulation, carbon sequestration, microclimate regulation, and habitat provision for insects and other arthropods. This involves designing and setting up mini-ecosystems in minimal soil/vertical environments at various Living/Field Lab locations, and monitoring their performance, biodiversity and impact for energy efficiency. You will design the façade-panel experiments in close collaboration with a postdoctoral researcher, analyse ecological and physiological data, and contribute to scientific publications.

The project offers a unique opportunity to connect ecology, ecophysiology, urban greening, and green façade design.

We are looking for a candidate who enjoys working in interdisciplinary teams. You will bring strong botanical expertise to a collaborative group of researchers, designers, and material developers, and partners from companies that produce green façades, jointly creating innovative green façade solutions that contribute to sustainable construction and healthier urban environments.

Your activities include:

• Investigating plant species performance, community assembly and plant-insect-soil interactions in shallow-substrate systems (drawing on insights from literature as well as field studies);
• Year-round monitoring at various Living/Field Lab locations on the impact of plant species for enhancing energy efficiency and biodiversity by green façade panels;
• Analysing ecological and ecophysiological datasets;
• Publishing results in peer-reviewed journals and presenting findings at scientific conferences;
• Collaborating with academic and non-academic partners to translate scientific insights into practical applications;
• Teaching in courses and supervise BSc and MSc students in biodiversity-themed research.

You will work here
The research is embedded within the Biosystematics Group and the Laboratory of Entomology You will be supervised by dr. ir. Casper Quist and Prof. Bregje Wertheim. As a member in the BIO-SKIN team you will work one day a week together with the other BIO-SKIN PhDs and Post-docs at the AMS institute in Amsterdam. In addition, you will be embedded in the PE&RC graduate school (Home | PE&RC), which will allow you to follow a wide variety of training courses and provide support during your academic journey.

Marketing Data Analist

Wil jij met data zichtbaar maken wat werkt en collega's helpen om betere keuzes te maken? Als Marketing Data Analist bij Wageningen University & Research combineer je analytische en technische kennis met jouw vermogen om inzichten begrijpelijk en bruikbaar te maken voor collega's. Daarbij is er volop ruimte om jouw eigen kennis, ervaring en ideeën in te brengen.

Als Marketing Data Analist help je ons met het verder versterken van datagedreven werken. Samen met onder andere doelgroepenteams, data-analisten en online marketingspecialisten analyseer je data uit onze website, campagnes en online kanalen. Je brengt deze data met elkaar in verband en maakt inzichtelijk wat er gebeurt in de funnel en customer journey. Je signaleert trends en afwijkingen en werkt samen met collega’s om te onderzoeken wat er achter de cijfers zit. Je zorgt dat de juiste data en inzichten beschikbaar zijn en helpt collega’s deze te interpreteren en toe te passen.

Techniek en analyse zijn een belangrijk onderdeel van je werk, maar minstens zo belangrijk is wat je vervolgens met de inzichten doet. Je deelt ze met collega's, adviseert over de interpretatie van data en helpt om inzichten te vertalen naar concrete acties.

Jouw taken en verantwoordelijkheden als Marketing Data Analist zijn:

• Je analyseert online marketingdata samen met marketingspecialisten en vertaalt deze naar heldere inzichten en aanbevelingen.
• Je signaleert en deelt trends, afwijkingen en datakwaliteitsvraagstukken, onderzoekt mogelijke oorzaken en adviseert collega’s over hoe zij inzichten kunnen vertalen naar concrete acties;
• Je ontwikkelt en borgt KPI-kaders en meetplannen en bouwt, beheert en verbetert dashboards en rapportages in Power BI;
• Je beheert en ontwikkelt onze marketingdata-infrastructuur verder, waaronder GA4 en het marketingdataplatform in BigQuery, en brengt data uit verschillende kanalen samen.
• Je draagt actief bij aan een datagedreven werkwijze binnen Marketing en verkent hoe ontwikkelingen zoals AI en nieuwe analysetechnieken ons kunnen helpen slimmer te werken.

Jouw team
Je komt te werken in het team Data & Performance Marketing, onderdeel van Marketing binnen Corporate Communications & Marketing van Wageningen University & Research. Hier komen data, onderzoek en online marketing samen. We zijn een enthousiast team waarin we veel met elkaar sparren, kennis delen en elkaar helpen. Er is ruimte voor eigen ideeën en initiatieven, maar ook voor gezelligheid en plezier in het werk. Juist doordat verschillende expertises samenkomen, kun je veel van elkaar leren.

Je werkt nauw samen met data-analisten op het gebied van communicatie en CRM, een marktonderzoeker en online marketingspecialisten op het gebied van social media, CRO, advertising, e-mailmarketing en SEO. Daarnaast werk je veel samen met onze doelgroepenteams, onder andere voor studentenwerving en professional learners, en met de CRM Manager, Brand Manager en andere marketing- en communicatiecollega's. Samen zetten jullie data en inzichten in om de marketingactiviteiten van WUR te onderbouwen en te verbeteren.

Marketing Data Analyst

Would you like to use data to show what works and help colleagues make better decisions? As a Marketing Data Analyst at Wageningen University & Research, you combine analytical and technical expertise with the ability to turn insights into clear and useful information for colleagues. There is plenty of room to bring your own knowledge, experience and ideas to the role.

As a Marketing Data Analyst, you will help us strengthen our data-driven approach to marketing. Together with our target audience teams, data analysts and online marketing specialists, you will analyse data from our website, campaigns and online channels. You will connect data from different sources to provide insight into what happens throughout the funnel and customer journey. You will identify trends and anomalies and work with colleagues to understand what is behind the numbers. You will make sure the right data and insights are available and help colleagues interpret and apply them.

Technical expertise and analysis are an important part of your work, but what you do with the insights is just as important. You will share them with colleagues, advise them on how to interpret the data and help turn insights into concrete actions.

Your tasks and responsibilities as a Marketing Data Analyst include:

• Analysing online marketing data together with marketing specialists and translating it into clear insights and recommendations;
• Identifying and sharing trends, anomalies and data quality issues, investigating possible causes and helping colleagues turn insights into concrete actions;
• Developing and maintaining KPI frameworks and measurement plans, and building, managing and improving dashboards and reports in Power BI;
• Managing and further developing our marketing data infrastructure, including GA4 and our marketing data platform in BigQuery, and bringing together data from different channels;
• Actively contributing to a data-driven way of working within Marketing and exploring how developments such as AI and new analytical techniques can help us work smarter.

Your team
You will join the Data & Performance Marketing team, part of Marketing within Corporate Communications & Marketing at Wageningen University & Research. This is where data, research and online marketing come together. We are an enthusiastic team that enjoys exchanging ideas, sharing knowledge and helping each other. There is plenty of room for your own ideas and initiatives, as well as an informal and enjoyable working atmosphere. With so many different areas of expertise in the team, there is always something to learn from each other.

You will work closely with data analysts specialising in communications and CRM, a market researcher and online marketing specialists in social media, CRO, advertising, email marketing and SEO. You will also work closely with our target audience teams, including Student Recruitment and Professional Learners, as well as the CRM Manager, Brand Manager and other marketing and communications colleagues. Together, you will use data and insights to support and improve WUR's marketing activities.