Agroscope

What sets us apart
Good food, healthy environment
Agroscope is the Swiss federal centre of excellence for research in the agriculture and food sector. Its researchers work at a number of sites in Switzerland. Headquartered in Bern-Liebefeld (as of 2026: Posieux), Agroscope is attached to the Swiss Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research EAER.

PhD Student: Sustainable Management of Agriculturally Used Peatlands
8046 Zürich (mid-term 1725 Posieux FR) | 100-100%

In a nutshell
The Swiss National Science Foundation- supported project ’RiceClim’ (’Mitigating GHG Emissions by Wet Rice Cultivation in Organic Matter-Rich Soils in Temperate Climates’) aims to reduce the environmental impacts of the agricultural use of carbon-rich soils whilst maintaining agricultural productivity. The project is conducted in the ’Climate and Agriculture’ Research Group in partnership with Agroscope’s ’Molecular Ecology’ Research Group, as well as with a Postdoc.

Description

Planning and conducting experiments on CO2, CH4, N2O emissions from rice cultivation in mesocosms outdoors and in the laboratory by incubating various soils in order to evaluate greenhouse-gas mitigation measures
Conducting molecular analyses to evaluate the microbial diversity of various soils using high-throughput DNA sequencing and quantitative PCR
Measuring 13CO2 und 13CH4 fluxes in isotope-labelling experiments to quantify the contributions of various carbon sources
Analysing measured data with available and self-written scripts
Linking greenhouse-gas measurements, especially of methane, with soil properties and microbial communities
Presenting your work at national and international conferences and publishing results in (peer-reviewed) scientific journals

Requirements

Master’s or equivalent university degree in Environmental Sciences, Soil Science, Biology, Ecology, Agricultural Sciences or a related field
Initial experience in gas-measurement techniques and/or molecular analyses
Strong interest in agroecological processes and in relevant experimental studies
Experience with statistics and/or bioinformatics and programming skills in R an advantage
Enjoyment of field and laboratory work (independently and in a team)
Knowledge of two official Swiss languages and English

We offer

Working for Switzerland We are committed to the successful Swiss model and work for the public good.
Embracing diversity Thanks to equal opportunities, we draw on our expertise and contribute different perspectives.
Staying healthy at work We support and advise our employees in the area of physical and mental health.

All benefits (https://www.stelle.admin.ch/stelle/en/home/bundesverwaltung/ihre-vorteile-auf-einen-blick.html'))

Contact and Address

Additional information
The ’Climate and Agriculture’ Research Group explores options for reducing agricultural greenhouse-gas emissions from soils and fertilisers and through carbon sinks. The Group investigates the opportunities and risks posed by climate change for plant production and evaluates options for adaptation. It is also responsible for the Swiss Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Inventory.

Questions about the position
Sonja Marit Paul
Head of Project
+41 58 48 49099

Web

www.agroscope.admin.ch


PhD Student: Sustainable Management of Agriculturally Used Peatlands
Agroscope
Published	24 January 2025
Workplace	Posieux, North Romandie, Switzerland
Category	Agronomy / Food Science Environment Life Sciences
Position	Junior Researcher / PhD Position
Occupation rate	100%
What sets us apart Good food, healthy environment Agroscope is the Swiss federal centre of excellence for research in the agriculture and food sector. Its researchers work at a number of sites in Switzerland. Headquartered in Bern-Liebefeld (as of 2026: Posieux), Agroscope is attached to the Swiss Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research EAER. PhD Student: Sustainable Management of Agriculturally Used Peatlands 8046 Zürich (mid-term 1725 Posieux FR) \| 100-100% In a nutshell The Swiss National Science Foundation- supported project ’RiceClim’ (’Mitigating GHG Emissions by Wet Rice Cultivation in Organic Matter-Rich Soils in Temperate Climates’) aims to reduce the environmental impacts of the agricultural use of carbon-rich soils whilst maintaining agricultural productivity. The project is conducted in the ’Climate and Agriculture’ Research Group in partnership with Agroscope’s ’Molecular Ecology’ Research Group, as well as with a Postdoc.
Description Planning and conducting experiments on CO2, CH4, N2O emissions from rice cultivation in mesocosms outdoors and in the laboratory by incubating various soils in order to evaluate greenhouse-gas mitigation measures Conducting molecular analyses to evaluate the microbial diversity of various soils using high-throughput DNA sequencing and quantitative PCR Measuring 13CO2 und 13CH4 fluxes in isotope-labelling experiments to quantify the contributions of various carbon sources Analysing measured data with available and self-written scripts Linking greenhouse-gas measurements, especially of methane, with soil properties and microbial communities Presenting your work at national and international conferences and publishing results in (peer-reviewed) scientific journals
Requirements Master’s or equivalent university degree in Environmental Sciences, Soil Science, Biology, Ecology, Agricultural Sciences or a related field Initial experience in gas-measurement techniques and/or molecular analyses Strong interest in agroecological processes and in relevant experimental studies Experience with statistics and/or bioinformatics and programming skills in R an advantage Enjoyment of field and laboratory work (independently and in a team) Knowledge of two official Swiss languages and English
We offer Working for Switzerland We are committed to the successful Swiss model and work for the public good. Embracing diversity Thanks to equal opportunities, we draw on our expertise and contribute different perspectives. Staying healthy at work We support and advise our employees in the area of physical and mental health. All benefits (https://www.stelle.admin.ch/stelle/en/home/bundesverwaltung/ihre-vorteile-auf-einen-blick.html'))
Contact and Address Additional information The ’Climate and Agriculture’ Research Group explores options for reducing agricultural greenhouse-gas emissions from soils and fertilisers and through carbon sinks. The Group investigates the opportunities and risks posed by climate change for plant production and evaluates options for adaptation. It is also responsible for the Swiss Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Inventory. Questions about the position Sonja Marit Paul Head of Project +41 58 48 49099
Web www.agroscope.admin.ch

Apply online
In your application, please refer to myScience.ch and referenceJobID66383.

Le Temps emploi

27/01/2025

PhD Student: Sustainable Management of Agriculturally Used Peatlands (100%)

Emploi permanent 100% | Poste de direction | Gestion/Cadre

myScience

Services de candidature

PhD Student: Sustainable Management of Agriculturally Used Peatlands

Description

Requirements

We offer

Contact and Address

Web

Services de candidature

Le Temps emploi

27/01/2025

PhD Student: Sustainable Management of Agriculturally Used Peatlands (100%)

Emploi permanent 100% | Poste de direction | Gestion/Cadre

myScience

Services de candidature

myScience

PhD Student: Sustainable Management of Agriculturally Used Peatlands (100%)

PhD Student: Sustainable Management of Agriculturally Used Peatlands

Description

Requirements

We offer

Contact and Address

Web

Lieu de travail: Posieux

Services de candidature