Postdoc in eHealth with application within physiotherapy

 

We are currently looking for a postdoc focusing on a project on digital fall prevention for older adults. The employment refers to full-time for two years. Admission as soon as possible or by agreement.

Project description

As a postdoctoral fellow you will work in a project where we evaluate new digital methods to provide support for older people to get started with and maintain fall prevention exercises. In the research group, we have together with older adults developed the app Safe Step, which is now being evaluated in a national randomized controlled study with more than 1,600 participants over the age of 70 years.

Working tasks

You will be part of a team of senior and junior researchers with an interdisciplinary focus. Together with the research group, you will primarily work with analysis, writing articles and dissemination of results from the ongoing study. Both qualitative and quantitative methods are used in the project. You will also be involved in the further development of digital exercise support for older people's training, which includes contact with future users and other researchers / developers.

Qualifications

Candidates must hold a University degree equivalent to a European University PhD in Physiotherapy or of other relevant subjects. Candidates with a PhD degree less than three years old will be considered first. We are looking for a candidate with the ability to work independently as well as part of a team. It is an advantage to have experiences related to the focus of the project, such as experience of both quantitative and qualitative methods, knowledge of behaviour change theories, experience of working with older people and in design of digital media and development of eHealth tools. 

How to apply

You apply via our e-recruitment system which you can reach via the application button below. When the application is received, you will receive a confirmation email.

The application shall include the following documents:

• Curriculum vitae (CV)
• A short description (max one A4 page) of why you are interested in the position and how you can contribute to the project.
• List of publication and copies of for the position relevant papers (max 5)
• Copies of diplomas of relevant documents (e.g. PhD Exam).
• Contact information for two reference persons.

Further information is provided by Marlene Sandlund, 090-786 95 30, marlene.sandlund@umu.se.

Welcome with your application!

 

Admission

upon agreement

Contact

Marlene Sandlund, assistant professor

 

marlene.sandlund@umu.se

Registration number

AN 2.2.1-844-21

Union representative

SACO

 

090-786 53 65

SEKO

 

090-786 52 96

ST

 

090-786 54 31

Apply

before

2021-08-25

Umeå University wants to offer an equal environment where open dialogue between people with different backgrounds and perspectives lay the foundation for learning, creativity and development. We welcome people with different backgrounds and experiences to apply for the current employment. We kindly decline offers of recruitment and advertising help.

PhD position in computational science with focus on evolutionary ecology

 

The Department of Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics at Umeå University invites applicants for a PhD position in computational science, focused on evolutionary ecology. The position is for four years of doctoral studies which include both participation in research and postgraduate courses. Last day to apply is September 1, 2021.

Project description and tasks
A key issue in ecology is how biodiversity affects the stability and functions of ecosystems. In this project, we will develop an integrative framework that will be used to systematically study this question from an evolutionary perspective and at different spatial and temporal scales. Specifically, we will use eco-evolutionary modelling techniques that we have recently developed (see, for example, Wickman et al. 2019; Ecology Letters 22: 1746-1756) to create virtual communities of coexisting species through evolutionary processes.

We plan to compare ecosystem functions such as biomass production and resource use between communities of resource competitors that were either randomly assembled or have evolved through natural selection. To study the importance of spatial factors, we will explore these processes on spatially heterogeneous landscapes and will sample the communities on different spatial scales. We also plan to investigate how different metrics, e.g. different measures of biodiversity, differ in the ability to predict ecosystem functions. If time allows, we will extend the ecological communities to several trophic levels enabling the evolution of food webs.

Qualifications
The PhD student will be admitted to third-cycle studies in computational science and engineering with specialization in mathematics.

To be admitted for studies at third-cycle level the applicant is required to have completed a second-cycle level degree, or completed course requirements of at least 240 ECTS credits, of which at least 60 ECTS credits are at second-cycle level, or have an equivalent education from abroad, or equivalent qualifications.

For third-cycle studies in computational science and engineering (CSE), the applicant is required to have completed at least 90 credits in CSE courses, of which at least 30 credits shall have been acquired at second-cycle level. CSE courses refer to courses with major quantitative, statistical or computing science elements, such as courses in computing science, mathematics and mathematical statistics or computationally intensive courses from other relevant fields.

Applicants who in some other system either within Sweden or abroad have acquired largely equivalent skills are also eligible.

Good knowledge of English language, both written and spoken, is required.

Programming skills and knowledge of ecology is very advantageous. Experience of working interdisciplinary or of using computational or mathematical methods in a field such as biology or ecology is advantageous.

You are expected to play an active role in the development of this doctoral project and also in the department. You are expected to have a scientific and result-oriented approach for your work. You should therefore have very good communication and collaboration skills. You are structured, flexible and solution-oriented.

The assessments of the applicants are based on their qualifications and their ability to benefit from the doctoral-level education they will receive.

About the employment
The position is intended to result in a doctoral degree and the main task of the PhD student is to pursue their doctoral studies which include participation in research and doctoral courses, and to take part in the WASP graduate school. The duties can include teaching and other departmental work (up to a maximum of 20%). The employment is limited to the equivalent of four years of full-time (48 months) or up to five years when teaching part-time. Salary is set in accordance with the established salary levels for PhD positions. The employment starts in the fall of 2021 or according to agreement.

The PhD student is expected to have the primary office in the international and cross-departmental research environment IceLab (www.icleab.se). IceLab connects researchers from different disciplines through interdisciplinary collaborations.

Application
You apply via our e-recruitment system Varbi. Log in and apply via the button at the bottom of the page. The deadline for applications is September 1, 2021. A complete application should contain the following documents:

• a personal letter with a brief description of your qualifications and your research interests. Motivate why you are applying for the employment and describe how your qualifications and merits are relevant to the employment,
• a curriculum vitae,
• authenticated copies of degree certificates, diplomas or equivalent, including documentation of completed academic courses, grades obtained, and possibly other certificates,
• copies of relevant work such as Master’s thesis or articles that you have authored or co-authored,
• contact information for at least two reference persons.

Applicants with a degree not from a Swedish university are encouraged to provide results obtained from GMAT (and/or GRE) and TOEFL/IELTS tests if available.

The Department of Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics values ​​the qualities that an even gender distribution brings to the department, and we therefore particularly encourage female applicants.

The procedure for recruitment for the position is in accordance with the Higher Education Ordinance (chapter 12, 2§) and the decision regarding the position cannot be appealed.

Further information
Further information is provided by Professor Åke Brännström, ake.brannstrom@umu.se, +46 90 7867862, or Professor Sebastian Diehl, sebastian.diehl@umu.se, +46 90 7865738. You can also contact the Director of Graduate Studies Jun Yu for additional questions at jun.yu@umu.se, +46 90 7865127.

More information about the department: https://www.umu.se/en/department-of-mathematics-and-mathematical-statistics/

We look forward to receiving your application!

Contact

Åke Brännström, professor

 

+46 90 7867862, ake.brannstrom@umu.se

Sebastian Diehl, professor

 

+46 90 7865738, sebastian.diehl@umu.se

Jun Yu, professor

 

+46 90 7865127, jun.yu@umu.se

Registration number

AN 2.2.1-1088-21

Union representative

SACO

 

+46 90 7865365

ST

 

+46 90 7865431

SEKO

 

+46 90 7865296

Apply

before

2021-09-01

Umeå University wants to offer an equal environment where open dialogue between people with different backgrounds and perspectives lay the foundation for learning, creativity and development. We welcome people with different backgrounds and experiences to apply for the current employment. We kindly decline offers of recruitment and advertising help.

PhD position in 'The economic evaluation of food loss and waste interventions'

 

Are you interested in contributing to reducing food waste not only by changing your own behavior but also by analyzing how various proposed policies work along the food supply chain? Do you want to advise policymakers on what to do to achieve food waste reduction goals at the lowest cost? Are you a critical thinker who likes to ask deeper questions and is not afraid of pointing out inconsistencies in proposed policy actions? If your answer to the questions above is a yes, then apply!

You will first be working on a conceptual framework for managing food waste that will determine the boundaries of a generic food supply chain. The conceptual model will be developed together with project partner Tilburg University and will include a variety of ways of disposing of food waste, such as landfill/incineration, land/sewage, donations, and options to valorize part of food waste. Then, you will convert the conceptual model into a mathematical partial equilibrium economic model. This model will be used to run a number of simulations to answer questions of policymakers and to understand better the inner workings of the economics of reducing food waste along the supply chain. The model will be continuously improved to incorporate inputs from other project partners and to provide better answers to the partners who depend on them. An integral part of your work will be writing scientific articles for reputable field journals as well as writing shorter pieces to inform policymakers and the general public.

You will be doing your PhD in the Agricultural Economics and Rural Policy Group that has long-standing expertise in the analysis of agricultural markets and policies.This group is led by Prof. Justus Wesseler. You will be co-supervised by Dr. Dušan Drabik.

We ask

You have

• a successfully completed MSc degree in agricultural economics or economics;
• taken a course in (advanced) microeconomics and econometrics;
• interest in quantitative economic modeling;
• worked with GAMS and/or R as an independent user;
• excellent English language proficiency (a minimum of CEFR C2 level). For more information about this proficiency level, please visit our special language page;
• the ability to think critically and the ambition to publish the results of your work in top field journals.

We offer

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our  Collective Labour Agreement include:

• sabbatical leave, study leave, and paid parental leave;
• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• the option to accrue additional holiday hours by working more, up to 40 hours per week;
• there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
• a fixed December bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will receive a fully funded PhD position and you will be offered a course program tailored to your needs and the research team.
The gross salary for the first year is € 2.395,- per month rising to € 3.061,- in the fourth year in according to the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale P). This is based on a full-time working week of 38 hours. We offer a temporary contract for 18 months which will be extended for the duration of the project if you perform well.

There are plenty of options for personal initiative in a learning environment, and we provide excellent training opportunities. We are offering a unique position in an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere.

You are going to work at the greenest and most innovative campus in Holland, and at a university that has been chosen as the “Best University” in the Netherlands for the 16th consecutive time.

Coming from abroad
Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees. Applicants from abroad moving to the Netherlands may qualify for a special tax relief, known as the 30% ruling. Our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.

Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. Wageningen University & Research's International Community page contains practical information about what we can do to support international employees and students coming to Wageningen. Furthermore, we can assist you with any additional advice and information about helping your partner to find a job, housing, schooling, and other issues.

More information

For more information about this position, please contact Dr. Dušan Drabik, Associate Professor, by telephone at +31317484365 or by e-mail Dusan.Drabik@wur.nl.

For more information about the procedure, please contact Sandra Willemsen, Corporate recruiter or Bianca Aversteeg, Recruitment support via recruitment.ssg@wur.nl.

Do you want to apply?
You can apply directly using the apply button on the vacancy page on our website which will allow us to process your personal information with your approval.

This vacancy will be listed up to and including the 1^st of August, 2021. We hope to schedule the first job interviews on the 16^th of August, 2021.

The preferred starting date for this position is the 1^st of October, 2021.

Equal opportunities
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) employs a large number of people with very different backgrounds and qualities, who inspire and motivate each other. We want every talent to feel at home in our organisation and be offered the same career opportunities. We therefore especially welcome applications from people who are underrepresented at WUR. For more information please go to our inclusivity page. A good example of how WUR deals with inclusiveness can be read on the page working at WUR with a functional impairment.

We are

The mission of Wageningen University and Research is “To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life”. Under the banner Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen University and the specialised research institutes of the Wageningen Research Foundation have joined forces in contributing to finding solutions to important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment.

With its roughly 30 branches, 6.800 employees and 12.900 students, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. An integrated approach to problems and the cooperation between various disciplines are at the heart of Wageningen’s unique approach. WUR has been named Best Employer in the Education category for 2019-2020.
Read the 5 reasons why your future collaegues enjoy working at WUR and watch this video to get an idea of our green campus!

Apply now

PhD position in 'The economic evaluation of food loss and waste interventions'

 

Are you interested in contributing to reducing food waste not only by changing your own behavior but also by analyzing how various proposed policies work along the food supply chain? Do you want to advise policymakers on what to do to achieve food waste reduction goals at the lowest cost? Are you a critical thinker who likes to ask deeper questions and is not afraid of pointing out inconsistencies in proposed policy actions? If your answer to the questions above is a yes, then apply!

You will first be working on a conceptual framework for managing food waste that will determine the boundaries of a generic food supply chain. The conceptual model will be developed together with project partner Tilburg University and will include a variety of ways of disposing of food waste, such as landfill/incineration, land/sewage, donations, and options to valorize part of food waste. Then, you will convert the conceptual model into a mathematical partial equilibrium economic model. This model will be used to run a number of simulations to answer questions of policymakers and to understand better the inner workings of the economics of reducing food waste along the supply chain. The model will be continuously improved to incorporate inputs from other project partners and to provide better answers to the partners who depend on them. An integral part of your work will be writing scientific articles for reputable field journals as well as writing shorter pieces to inform policymakers and the general public.

You will be doing your PhD in the  Agricultural Economics and Rural Policy Group that has long-standing expertise in the analysis of agricultural markets and policies.This group is led by Prof. Justus Wesseler. You will be co-supervised by Dr. Dušan Drabik.

We ask

You have

• a successfully completed MSc degree in agricultural economics or economics;
• taken a course in (advanced) microeconomics and econometrics;
• interest in quantitative economic modeling;
• worked with GAMS and/or R as an independent user;
• excellent English language proficiency (a minimum of CEFR C2 level). For more information about this proficiency level, please visit our special language page;
• the ability to think critically and the ambition to publish the results of your work in top field journals.

We offer

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our  Collective Labour Agreement include:

• sabbatical leave, study leave, and paid parental leave;
• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• the option to accrue additional holiday hours by working more, up to 40 hours per week;
• there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
• a fixed December bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will receive a fully funded PhD position and you will be offered a course program tailored to your needs and the research team.
The gross salary for the first year is € 2.395,- per month rising to € 3.061,- in the fourth year in according to the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale P). This is based on a full-time working week of 38 hours. We offer a temporary contract for 18 months which will be extended for the duration of the project if you perform well.

There are plenty of options for personal initiative in a learning environment, and we provide excellent training opportunities. We are offering a unique position in an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere.

You are going to work at the greenest and most innovative campus in Holland, and at a university that has been chosen as the “ Best University” in the Netherlands for the 16th consecutive time.

Coming from abroad
Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees. Applicants from abroad moving to the Netherlands may qualify for a special tax relief, known as the 30% ruling. Our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.

Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. Wageningen University & Research's International Community page contains practical information about what we can do to support international employees and students coming to Wageningen. Furthermore, we can assist you with any additional advice and information about helping your partner to find a job, housing, schooling, and other issues.

More information

For more information about this position, please contact Dr. Dušan Drabik, Associate Professor, by telephone at +31317484365 or by e-mail Dusan.Drabik@wur.nl.

For more information about the procedure, please contact Sandra Willemsen, Corporate recruiter or Bianca Aversteeg, Recruitment support via recruitment.ssg@wur.nl.

Do you want to apply?
You can apply directly using the apply button on the vacancy page on our website which will allow us to process your personal information with your approval.

This vacancy will be listed up to and including the 1^st of August, 2021. We hope to schedule the first job interviews on the 16^th of August, 2021.

The preferred starting date for this position is the 1^st of October, 2021.

Equal opportunities
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) employs a large number of people with very different backgrounds and qualities, who inspire and motivate each other. We want every talent to feel at home in our organisation and be offered the same career opportunities. We therefore especially welcome applications from people who are underrepresented at WUR. For more information please go to our inclusivity page. A good example of how WUR deals with inclusiveness can be read on the page working at WUR with a functional impairment.

We are

The mission of Wageningen University and Research is “To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life”. Under the banner Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen University and the specialised research institutes of the Wageningen Research Foundation have joined forces in contributing to finding solutions to important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment.

With its roughly 30 branches, 6.800 employees and 12.900 students, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. An integrated approach to problems and the cooperation between various disciplines are at the heart of Wageningen’s unique approach. WUR has been named Best Employer in the Education category for 2019-2020.
Read the 5 reasons why your future collaegues enjoy working at WUR and watch this video to get an idea of our green campus!

Apply now

PhD Molecular Soil Ecology

 

You might share our view that drastic changes are required in current agricultural practices to make food production systems compatible again with a biodiverse environment, and this is in essence what this PhD position is about. On this transition path there are quite a few challenges including the question how we can manage plant pests and pathogens in a sustainable way. Phasing out the use of pesticides requires the development of alternative measures. Developing sophisticated alternatives for pathogen control are central in this position.  

You might be familiar with the phenomenon ‘disease suppressiveness’, the endogenous ability of the soil microbiome to suppress the multiplication and proliferation of pathogens. This phenomenon is well-documented, but relatively rare and poorly understood from a biological point of view. The latter is understandable as soils are mind-boggling biodiverse and complex. Aided by high throughput sequencing technologies and bioinformatics we begin to understand its functioning.

If you are in for using state-of-the-art technology to understand and use the disease suppressive potential of soils, and if you have at least an interest in bioinformatics, you might be (very) interested to join our team.                  

Background:  Characterization and steering of biological suppression of plant-parasitic nematodes
Plant-parasitic nematodes are notorious pathogens for at least two reasons: they can lead to enormous crop losses and their control with nematicides – massively used in the recent past to manage these pathogens – has an enormous negative environmental impact. It should be noted that crop losses are caused by a very small minority of the plant-parasitic nematodes (most of them ‘just nibble on root hairs’). Currently, the use of nematicides is either completely banned or severely restricted. Crop rotation and resistant plant varieties are durable management tools, but they are suitable for some nematode-crop combinations only. Hence, there is an urgent need to generate new, environmentally-sound control measures, and making use of native disease suppressiveness is a very promising one.         

This (and potentially your) project aims at ‘learning from nature’ thereby providing the basis for a - for nematodes - underexploited management tool, biological control. You will work together in a stimulating environment composed of scientists (soil and plant rhizosphere ecologists, nematologists from Wageningen University) and private entities (HLB (NL), BO Akkerbouw (NL), Chr. Hansen (DK)). In fact, our project should be seen as a coin with a fundamental side, as well as a side that has eye for potential applications. In terms of methodology and approaches you will characterize suppressive and non-suppressive field sites with a variety of high-throughput DNA and RNA sequencing approaches. Bioinformatic sequence analyses and subsequent statistics are an essential element of this project to uncover potential biocontrol agents. As overall outputs we envisage to generate handles to boost the native suppressive potential of soils and to identify (mixture of) antagonists that could be used for direct biocontrol.
Beyond the scientific and potentially application merits, you will build a wide network for your future career both within and outside Wageningen University.

We ask

• a successfully completed MSc degree in Biology, Biotechnology, Molecular Ecology or equivalent;  
• A broad range of molecular ecological skills, and (at least) a vivid interest in bioinformatics;
• Well-developed organizational skills as the experimental work included in this project is logistically complex;
• Well-developed communication skills as you will interact with colleague researchers, representatives of private companies that are partners in the project, and farmers that are very interested in the biological condition of their fields;
• You have a very good level of oral and written English. You are required to show us a certification of English skills. For more information about the required level please take a look at: https://www.wur.nl/en/Education-Programmes/PhD-Programme/English-language-requirements.htm;

We offer

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

• sabbatical leave, study leave, and paid parental leave;
• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• the option to accrue additional holiday hours by working more, up to 40 hours per week;
• there is a strong focus on vitality, and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
• a fixed December bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will of course receive a good salary. Depending on your experience, we offer a competitive salary of between € 2.395,- per month rising to € 3.061,- in the fourth year for a full-time working week of 38 hours, in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU).

Wageningen University & Research encourages internal advancement opportunities and mobility with an internal recruitment policy. There are plenty of options for personal initiative in a learning environment, and we provide excellent training opportunities. We are offering a unique position in an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere.
You are going to work at the greenest and most innovative campus in Holland, and at a university that has been chosen as the “Best University” in the Netherlands for the 16th consecutive time.

Coming from abroad
Wageningen University & Research is the university and research center for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees. Applicants from abroad moving to the Netherlands may qualify for a special tax relief, known as the 30% ruling. Our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.

Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. Wageningen University & Research's International Community page contains practical information about what we can do to support international employees and students coming to Wageningen.

More information

For more information about this function, please contact Hans Helder or Stefan Geisen (staff members of the WU Laboratory of Nematology), telephone (00 31) (0)317-483136 or by e-mail; hans.helder@wur.nl and stefan.geisen@wur.nl.

For more information about the procedure, please contact vacaturemeldingen.psg@wur.nl.

General information about Laboratory of Nematology can be found on https://www.wur.nl/en/Research-Results/Chair-groups/Plant-Sciences/Laboratory-of-Nematology.htm

Do you want to apply?
You can apply directly using the apply button on the vacancy page on our website which will allow us to process your personal information with your approval.

This vacancy will be listed up to and including July 12, 2021.
We hope to schedule the first job interviews on August 11 and 12.   

In this first round please only send your resume and motivation letter. Any other documents will not be taken into consideration at this stage.

We are

The mission of Wageningen University and Research is “To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life”. Under the banner Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen University and the specialised research institutes of the Wageningen Research Foundation have joined forces in contributing to finding solutions to important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment.

With its roughly 30 branches, 6.500 employees and 12.500 students, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. An integrated approach to problems and the cooperation between various disciplines are at the heart of Wageningen’s unique approach. WUR has been named Best Employer in the Education category for 2019-2020.

These are the points our employees list as good reasons to come work at WUR: read the 6 reasons to come work at WUR
We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves, so no employment agencies please. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.

Equal opportunities
WUR is an equal opportunity employer. We are keen to receive applications from all sufficiently qualified people, regardless of their ethnicity, gender, functional impairment, religion/life philosophy, sexual orientation, or age.

Apply now

PhD 'Improving food bank supply chains to minimize food loss and waste'

 

Are you interested in working with food banks to improve their supply chains? Do you have experience with quantitative analysis and optimization of operations and supply chains and with the actual implementation of the results of such analyses? And do you want to be part of a large new European initiative to reduce food loss and waste and work towards a more sustainable food system? Then this PhD position focused on improving the operations in food bank supply chains might be something for you.

This PhD project is part of a large European research project focused on the reduction of food loss and waste. Together with industry partners from across Europe and in close collaboration with project partner Tilburg University, the goal is to identify, study, demonstrate and implement a variety of food system innovations that support ambitious goals in food loss and waste reduction. In this PhD project, the goal is to improve the way we deal with surplus food in food bank supply chains and support implementation in practice of the improvements. This should help decrease food waste (at, amongst others, retailers, distributors, processing companies or farmers), while at the same time addressing societal food poverty concerns. Building on operations and supply chain analytics methods, the research should develop decision support methods and tools that food banks and retailers can use to efficiently and effectively reallocate surplus food.

The research is embedded within the Operations Research and Logistics group at Wageningen University. The group consists of 20 academics focusing on operations and supply chain issues in food and bio-based supply chains. Within this scope, the core research areas are:

• operations and supply chain performance analysis;
• the strategic configuration of network structures;
• the tactical and operational planning of material flows.

In addition to traditional efficiency goals, the research also aims to improve sustainability, product quality and safety, as well as health and nutrition. Current examples of research are the design and operation of circular supply chains, the management of disruptions in food supply chains, the connection between changing diets and sustainable supply chain design, the operations in omni-channel retail, the management of not-for-profit supply chains, and supply chain planning to minimize waste.

We ask

You have:

• a successfully completed MSc degree in Operations Research, Operations Management, Supply Chain Management, Industrial Engineering, or related fields;
• a proven interest in implementing operations and supply chain innovations in practice;
• experience in developing and applying data-driven quantitative modelling approaches to address important societal concerns;
• excellent English language proficiency (a minimum of CEFR C2 level). For more information about this proficiency level, please visit our special language page;
• excellent written and oral communication skills, supporting the collaboration with food banks and other actors in the food bank supply chains.

We offer

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

• sabbatical leave, study leave, and paid parental leave;
• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• the option to accrue additional holiday hours by working more, up to 40 hours per week;
• there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
• a fixed December bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will receive a fully funded PhD position and you will be offered a course program tailored to your needs and the research team. The gross salary for the first year is € 2.395,- per month rising to € 3.061,- in the fourth year in according to the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale P). This is based on a full-time working week of 38 hours. We offer a temporary contract for 18 months which will be extended for the duration of the project if you perform well.

There are plenty of options for personal initiative in a learning environment, and we provide excellent training opportunities. We are offering a unique position in an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere.

You are going to work at the greenest and most innovative campus in Holland, and at a university that has been chosen as the “Best University” in the Netherlands for the 16th consecutive time.

Coming from abroad
Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees. Applicants from abroad moving to the Netherlands may qualify for a special tax relief, known as the 30% ruling. Our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.
Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. Wageningen University & Research's International Community page contains practical information about what we can do to support international employees and students coming to Wageningen. Furthermore, we can assist you with any additional advice and information about helping your partner to find a job, housing, schooling, and other issues.

More information

For more information about this research project and the PhD position, please contact Dr. Renzo Akkerman at renzo.akkerman@wur.nl.

For more information about the procedure, please contact Sandra Willemsen, Corporate recruiter or Bianca Aversteeg, recruitment support via recruitment.ssg@wur.nl.

Do you want to apply?
You can apply directly using the apply button on the vacancy page on our website which will allow us to process your personal information with your approval.

This vacancy will be listed up to and including the 1^st of August, 2021. We hope to schedule the first job interviews in the second half of August, 2021.

The preferred starting date for this position is the 1^st of October, 2021.

Equal opportunities
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) employs a large number of people with very different backgrounds and qualities, who inspire and motivate each other. We want every talent to feel at home in our organisation and be offered the same career opportunities. We therefore especially welcome applications from people who are underrepresented at WUR. For more information please go to our inclusivity page. A good example of how WUR deals with inclusiveness can be read on the page working at WUR with a functional impairment.

We are

The mission of Wageningen University and Research is “To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life”. Under the banner Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen University and the specialised research institutes of the Wageningen Research Foundation have joined forces in contributing to finding solutions to important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment.

With its roughly 30 branches, 6.800 employees and 12.900 students, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. An integrated approach to problems and the cooperation between various disciplines are at the heart of Wageningen’s unique approach. WUR has been named Best Employer in the Education category for 2019-2020.

Read the 5 reasons why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR and watch this video to get an idea of our green campus!

Apply now