Doctoral Researcher at Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany | Biology Candidates, Apply Online

Investigate who eats whom—and how environmental change reshapes these interactions. This Doctoral Researcher iDiv opportunity focuses on predicting predator-prey relationships from species traits and environmental conditions. Based in Leipzig, the position combines ecological theory, databases and computational modelling to understand food-web structure and ecosystem vulnerability.

  • Research Centre: German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig

  • Workplace: iDiv, Leipzig, Germany

  • Group: Theory in Biodiversity Science – Ecological Networks Lab

  • Group Lead: Prof. Ulrich Brose

  • Project: TRAITWEB

  • Funding: German Research Foundation (DFG)

  • Vacancy ID: 313/2026

  • Contract: Fixed-term, three years

About The University

Friedrich Schiller University Jena is an innovation-driven university in central Germany. Its profile areas are Light – Life – Liberty, and it has approximately 17,000 students and 10,000 employees.

Founded in 2012 with DFG funding, iDiv is a leading biodiversity research centre with more than 300 employees and 170 members. It is run by the universities of Halle, Jena and Leipzig together with the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research.

The Ecological Networks Lab, led by Prof. Ulrich Brose, studies communities as networks of species interactions and metacommunities as habitat patches connected by animal movement. Its research examines how environmental and human pressures affect biodiversity and ecosystem functions.

Doctoral Researcher iDiv: Project Overview

The project, “TRAITWEB: Unraveling how species traits and environmental gradients shape food-web architecture worldwide,” investigates the mechanisms underlying predator-prey interactions.

You will explore how species traits and environmental conditions determine feeding relationships, how these relationships shape food webs, and how global change alters network structure. The work aims to advance ecological network models and predictions of ecosystem vulnerability.

Key Responsibilities

  • Develop a research agenda based on the DFG-funded proposal.

  • Contribute your own ideas on how species traits and environmental conditions influence predator-prey interactions and food-web structure.

  • Work with ecological databases.

  • Use R, C++ or related programming tools to model ecological networks.

  • Write peer-reviewed scientific papers.

  • Present findings at national and international conferences.

Qualifications and Skills

Applicants should have:

  • An MSc, Diploma or equivalent university degree in Biology, Ecology or a similar discipline.

  • Advanced knowledge of ecological theory, such as metabolic scaling, food webs, animal movement, metapopulations or metacommunities.

  • Proficiency in R, C++ or a similar language.

  • Excellent English.

  • A proactive, collaborative approach suited to an international consortium.

  • Strong organisation, flexibility and a practical approach to research.

Research Environment and Benefits

The position offers opportunities for independent research as a Doctoral Researcher iDiv within an international, English-speaking environment and access to iDiv’s research network.

Additional benefits include:

  • The iDiv Graduate School programme, with workshops, coaching, mentoring and career networking.

  • 30 days of vacation, plus 24 and 31 December off.

  • A special annual payment.

  • Employer pension scheme.

  • Flexible working hours and mobile-working options.

  • A family-friendly workplace.

Candidates with severe disabilities receive preference where qualifications are equal.

Additional Information

  • Working Hours: Part-time, 65% – 26 hours per week

  • Pay: TV-L up to E13, depending on qualifications, plus a special annual payment

  • Start Date: 1 April 2027 or shortly afterwards

  • Application Deadline: 3 January 2027

For candidates interested in connecting biodiversity theory with computational research, this Doctoral Researcher iDiv position offers an opportunity to investigate the mechanisms shaping ecological networks and improve understanding of their responses to global change.

APPLY ONLINE HERE