PhD Position in Earth Sciences

Utrecht University

Netherlands

Faculty

Faculty of Geosciences

Department

Department of Earth Sciences

Hours per week

36 to 40

Application deadline

15 June 2026

Curious about the relationship between the geological history of islands and the resilience of their ecosystems in the face of human-induced environmental change? Then apply for this PhD!

Your Job

The department of Earth Sciences is seeking an enthusiastic candidate for a PhD project focussing on ecosystem health and resilience on islands, in context of geological and paleoenvironmental changes over millions of years.

Ecosystems are threatened by anthropogenic climate change and habitat loss. Within this context, ecosystem health is largely determined by ecosystem resilience: the capacity of a system to manage disturbance by resisting change, recovering from change, or adapting and benefiting as a result of change. Observational data cover only the first two aspects of resilience: resistance and recovery, as they act on ecological timescales. Adaptation, however, happens on evolutionary timescales, and its importance therefore remains unknown.

The aim of this PhD project is to study ecosystem resilience resulting from adaptation to disturbances on geological and evolutionary timescales. We focus on islands: ideal natural laboratories serving as isolated model systems of the natural world. We hypothesize that the intensity and frequency of paleoenvironmental changes is a predictor of ecosystem resilience to human-induced environmental change. We will determine whether islands with intermediate dynamic geological histories have produced ecosystems accustomed to environmental change, thus making them more resilient to disturbances today. Islands with geological histories characterized by long-term stability, or instead, with disturbances that are too severe, are expected to harbour more vulnerable ecosystems.

We will select a set of volcanic islands that are well-studied in terms of their geological and socio-ecological histories. Testing the hypothesis that an island’s ecosystem resilience can be predicted from its paleoenvironmental history requires the following:

Reconstructing the paleoenvironmental history of islands
- 1a. Sea level fluctuations
- 1b. Volcanism
- 1c. Human settlement

Besides this data compilation, the project will focus on one archipelago as case study: Cape Verde. We will date volcanic activity through field and laboratory work, using an efficient new approach using zircon minerals found in beach sands.

Quantifying island-ecosystem resilience
Ecosystem resilience, including resistance, recovery and adaptation, can be approximated by ecological parameters such as taxonomic, functional and (phylo)genetic diversity, and traits such as niche breadth. The PhD candidate will produce a proxy of ecosystem resilience based on multiple parameters.
Analysing the predictive power of paleoenvironmental history on ecosystem resilience
After separate analysis of both the predictor (the paleoenvironmental history of an island), and the response variable (ecosystem resilience), the PhD candidate will perform statistical analyses to test the predictive power of paleoenvironmental history on ecosystem resilience in response to human-induced environmental changes.

The PhD candidate will be part of the research group of daily supervisor Lydian Boschman and promotor Douwe van Hinsbergen at the department of Earth Sciences, and will be co-supervised by Sietze Norder and Valérie Reijers at Utrecht University.

Your Development

A personalised training programme will be set up, reflecting your training needs and career objectives. About 20% of your time will be dedicated to this training component, including courses/workshops and teaching assistance. You will also interact with researchers, government bodies, and industry partners, supporting diverse career development opportunities.

Your Qualities

You are expected to have an interdisciplinary mindset and willingness to learn across fields. In addition, you have:

A Master’s degree in Earth sciences with affinity for biodiversity/biogeography/ecology, OR a Master’s in biology/ecology with affinity for geology/volcanology/geochronology
Enthusiasm for geological fieldwork and its organisation
Excellent English skills (C1 level)

Our Offer

1-year position, extended to 4 years after successful assessment
Monthly gross salary €3,059 – €3,881 (full-time, scale P, CAO NU)
8% holiday pay and 8.3% year-end bonus
Pension scheme and flexible employment conditions

Utrecht University also offers professional development support, leave arrangements, and sports/cultural options.

About Us

Utrecht University focuses on global challenges through interdisciplinary collaboration. The Faculty of Geosciences studies the Earth from core to surface, integrating sustainability and innovation. The Department of Earth Sciences conducts research in geology, geochemistry, geophysics, biogeology, and hydrogeology, supported by world-class laboratories and computing facilities.

About Utrecht

Utrecht is a central Dutch city with a vibrant academic and cultural environment, located near Utrecht Science Park and easily accessible from the city centre.