doctoral researcher (all genders welcome)

At the Georg-August-Universität Göttingen Stiftung Öffentlichen Rechts – Abt. Forstentomologie of the Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology, a position as a doctoral researcher (all genders welcome) - Entgeltgruppe 13 TV-L - in part-time with 50% of the regular weekly working hours is to be filled starting from 01.12.2026. The position is limited until 30.11.2030.

We are seeking a highly motivated person to conduct scientific research in the project „Environmental and physiological drivers of spring activity of moth communities in Central European forests“. In this project, we aim to study the effects of habitat features (e.g. forest structure) and abiotic factors (e.g. temperature) on overwintering processes and spring phenology of moths inhabiting Central European forest ecosystems. We want to understand the spatiotemporal occurrence of ecologically relevant species and to assess the effects of changing environmental conditions on communities.

We will use field data (obtained from trapping) and link them with environmental parameters to infer the effects of habitat conditions on moth activity. Eco-physiological experiments will be performed under controlled conditions with selected species to study the effects of temperature on terminating dormancy and energy budgets, as well as timing of spring flight. The results will allow to predict seasonal activity patterns of moth communities and improve our understanding of the underlying regulatory mechanisms.

Within this 4-year project, the candidate should complete his/her PhD at the Department of Forest Entomology and the Department of Forest Nature Conservation of the University of Göttingen.

The PhD candidate will be supervised by Prof. Dr. Martin Schebeck, Prof. Dr. Andreas Schuldt, Dr. Kevin Roberts, and Dr. Carlo Seifert. Here you can learn more about the Department of Forest Entomology (https://www.uni-goettingen.de/en/701459.html) and the Department of Forest Nature Conservation (https://www.uni-goettingen.de/en/588022.html).

Your tasks

• Realization and coordination of field work in Central Germany
• Assessing the spring activity of moths in the context of environmental conditions
• Performing eco-physiological experiments in the laboratory to understand temperature-dependent processes underlying spring phenology of moths
• Publication of results in scientific journals and attendance at scientific conferences

Your profile

• A Master’s degree in biology, ecology, forestry, agriculture or a related field
• Experience and interest in ecological/entomological experiments in the field and the lab
• Experience and interest in the identification of arthropods
• Experience in statistics and data analysis using R
• Fluent in English (German is a plus)
• Driver’s license class B

Please submit your application (as a single pdf file) including 1) a letter of motivation (1 page), 2) your CV including, if applicable, a list of publications and congress contributions, 3) a short summary of your Master’s thesis (1 page), and 4) relevant certificates as well as contact information of two references.

For more information about the project please contact Prof. Dr. Martin Schebeck via martin.schebeck@uni-goettingen.de

The University of Göttingen strives to increase the proportion of women in areas where they are underrepresented and therefore strongly encourages qualified women to apply. It also considers itself a family-friendly university and promotes the compatibility of science/career and family. The University feels a special commitment to the professional participation of employees with severe disabilities and therefore welcomes applications from people with severe disabilities. In the case of equal qualification, applications from people with severe disabilities will be given preference. A disability or equivalent status should be included in the application to protect interests.

Note: We point out that the submission of the application constitutes consent under data protection law to the processing of your application data by us. Further details on the legal basis and data use can be found in the information sheet on the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

The University of Göttingen strives to increase the proportion of women in areas where they are underrepresented and therefore strongly encourages qualified women to apply. It also considers itself a family-friendly university and promotes the compatibility of science/career and family. The University feels a special commitment to the professional participation of employees with severe disabilities and therefore welcomes applications from people with severe disabilities. In the case of equal qualification, applications from people with severe disabilities will be given preference. A disability or equivalent status should be included in the application to protect interests. Please submit your meaningful application with all important documents by 28.09.2026 exclusively via the application portal http://obp.uni-goettingen.de/de-de/OBF/Index/76648. Information is provided by Ms. Carolin Kroll, E-Mail: carolin.kroll@uni-goettingen.de, Tel. +551 39 23602. Note: We point out that the submission of the application constitutes consent under data protection law to the processing of your application data by us. Further details on the legal basis and data use can be found in the information sheet on the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).