PhD positions: Fire resilience of Amazon forests Wageningen • Wageningen University & Research

Your job involves contributing to pioneering research in tropical forest ecology with two PhD positions focused on investigating the fire resilience of Amazonian forests in Bolivia. Candidates will assess fire impacts on forest resistance and recovery in both dry and wet forests. Expect extensive fieldwork and collaboration opportunities. Enjoy excellent secondary benefits, including flexible work hours, access to campus sports facilities, and a robust pension scheme. Plus, engage in a dynamic international community at a top university. Discover why our team could be the perfect fit for you.

Your job

Are you passionate about understanding the effects of fires on tropical forests? Do you aspire to contribute to cutting-edge research in forest ecology and management? We have two exciting PhD positions available at the Forest Ecology and Forest Management Chair Group (FEM) at Wageningen University that offer a unique opportunity to investigate fire resilience of Amazonian forests in Bolivia, based on permanent plot networks and a fire experiment.

Both PhD projects will assess the impact of fire intensity and fire frequency on the resistance and recovery of tropical trees and forests, and will work in seasonally dry Chiquitanía forest and evergreen wet Amazon forests in Bolivia.

PhD project 1 will assess the mechanisms underlying forest resilience (resistance and recovery) to fires. The PhD candidate will lead the expansion of a permanent monitoring network of plots in burned and unburned (control) forests across gradients in both fire frequency and fire intensity in dry (Chiquitanía) and wet (Amazon) forests in Bolivia. Furthermore, the PhD will quantify functional traits of trees relevant to fire resilience. The PhD will be supervised by dr. Masha van der Sande, Prof. Marielos Peña-Claros, and dr. Peter van der Sleen.

PhD project 2 will assess the physiological and morphological impacts of fires on trees in order to understand how and why trees die or recover. The PhD candidate will implement a tree-level fire experiment in dry and wet forest in Bolivia. For a set of 10 tree species per forest type, the PhD will implement different fire intensity and frequency treatments while tracking tree physiological and morphological responses before, during and after (up to 1-2 years) fire. The PhD will be supervised by dr. Masha van der Sande, Prof. Hans Cornelissen, dr. Silvia C. Gallegos, and Prof. Lourens Poorter.

These projects fall within the ERC Starting Grant to Masha van der Sande on ‘Fire resilience of Amazonian forests: past, present and future’. The PhD projects aim to understand the ‘present’.

Both PhD candidates are expected to perform periods of fieldwork (approx. 3 months per year during year 1, 2 and 3) in Bolivia. There are ample opportunities for collaborations within the project. The trait data collected in the PhD projects will also be used by a postdoc to assess how the impact of fire on tree populations is modulated by fire-related traits at paleo-ecological timescales (using fossil pollen and charcoal records dating back 10,000y), and PhD results and data will be used to adapt and parametrize an individual-based, spatially-explicit dynamic forest model to predict future fire resilience of Amazon forests.

Your duties and responsibilities include:

• Leading field campaigns, and being willing to spend long consecutive periods of up to 3-4 months per year in Bolivia
• During time in the Netherlands, work at least 4 days per week from the office in Wageningen.
• Writing a minimum of 3 scientific PhD chapters (publications)
• Participate in scientific and social activities of the Forest Ecology and Forest Management chairgroup

Your qualities

We are looking for two highly motivated and enthusiastic candidates with the following qualifications:

• An MSc degree in a relevant field, including: biology, forest & nature conservation, plant sciences
• High level of English speaking and writing. See the language requirements of Wageningen University.
• Knowledge of Spanish is a plus
• Knowledge on tree morphology and physiology
• Experience in conducting forest ecological or tree eco-physiological field work in remote sites; leading such fieldwork is a plus
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills
• Experience with quantitative techniques and statistical analyses of large datasets
• Experience with, and knowledge on, forest fires is a plus
• A broad interest in understanding fire and other climate change impacts on forests

We offer you

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

• Partially paid parental leave;
• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• 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 year-end 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 € 3.059,- per month rising to € 3.881,-  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.

Wageningen University & Research offers plenty of opportunities for growth and development, with a strong internal recruitment policy and excellent training programmes.

You will work on the greenest and most innovative campus in the Netherlands, in an international and open working environment. For 20 consecutive years, we have been voted the "best university" in the Netherlands! A place to be proud of.

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.

Because we expect you to work and live in the Netherlands 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. We can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example helping your partner to find a job, housing, or schooling. Finally, certain categories of international staff may be eligible for a tax exemption on a part of their salary during the first five years in the Netherlands.
Do you want more information?

For more information about the position, please contact Dr. Masha van der Sande, via de button "Solliciteer nu" op deze pagina.

Questions about the procedure? Get in touch with Jessa Rozema, Corporate Recruiter, via de button "Solliciteer nu" op deze pagina.

Ready to apply?
Click on the application button next to the vacancy on our website. Only applications submitted through our website will be considered.

To apply, please upload:

• Your CV of maximum 2 pages.
• Motivation letter of maximum 400 words, in which you clearly indicate your preference for which PhD position. If interested in both positions, please explain in the letter and do not submit two applications. Any use of AI should be acknowledged.
• Names and contact details of 2-3 reference persons.
• Fill the mandatory form (see below)

You can apply until 26-11-2025. The first interviews are scheduled for January 2026.

Additional information form
For this position, you must fill in a mandatory form which will allow us to have a comprehensive view of your qualifications and better assess your fit for it. You can access the form using the link below:

 PhD positions: Fire resilience of Amazon forests – Fill out form

Your prompt response will ensure that your application continues to move forward in the evaluation process. We assure you that the information provided will be kept confidential and used solely for this application process.

Welcome, safe, and valued
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) highly values diversity and inclusion because we believe that different insights lead to innovative solutions. We create a work environment where everyone feels welcome, safe, and appreciated, regardless of background, identity, or experience. Together, we are building a culture where everyone's unique contribution adds to the success of our organization.
We are

The mission of Wageningen University & Research is ‘To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life’.

We pursue this mission through a synergistic approach between Wageningen University and Wageningen Research Foundation (applied research). Our research focuses on questions within the domains of food, living environment, and society. With approximately 30 locations, 7,700 staff members, 2,500 PhD candidates, and over 13,000 students, Wageningen University & Research is among the world’s leading knowledge institutions in its domain. The integral approach to challenges and the collaboration across various disciplines form the core of the unique Wageningen approach.

Read the 5 reasons why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR.

We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves, so no employment agencies please. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.