SD-25093 – PHD IN TRACE ELEMENT BIOGEOCHEMISTRY IN FOREST

The Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) is a Research and Technology Organization (RTO) active in the fields of materials, environment and IT. By transforming scientific knowledge into technologies, smart data and tools, LIST empowers citizens in their choices, public authorities in their decisions and businesses in their strategies.

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The Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) is offering a fully paid PhD candidate position in the framework of a newly funded Doctoral Training Unit (DTU) in Forest ecosystems: FORFUS. The doctoral programme FORFUS is funded in the framework of the PRIDE scheme of the Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR). The main objective of FORFUS is to train a new generation of highly skilled experts with a view to contribute to solving some of the most pressing challenges related to forest health and resilience management. This position is envisaged to start between November 1st 2025 and March 1st 2026 and will extend over a maximum duration of 4 years.

Your LIST benefits

• An organization with a passion for impact and strong RDI partnerships in Luxembourg and Europe that works on responsible and independent research projects.
• Sustainable by design, empowering our belief that we play an essential role in paving the way to a green society.
• Innovative infrastructures and exceptional labs occupying more than 5,000 square metres, including innovations in all that we do.
• An environment encouraging curiosity, innovation and entrepreneurship in all areas.
• Personalized learning programme to foster our staff’s soft and technical skills.
• Multicultural and international work environment with more than 50 nationalities represented in our workforce.
• Diverse and inclusive work environment empowering our people to fulfil their personal and professional ambitions.
• Female-friendly environment with multiple actions to attract, develop and retain women in science.
• 32 days’ paid annual leave, 11 public holidays, 13-month salary, statutory health insurance.
• Flexible working hours, home working policy and access to lunch vouchers.

Temporary contract | up to 48 months (first initial 14 months contract) | Belvaux Are you passionate about research? So are we! Come and join us

How will you contribute?

Forest ecosystems are subject of unprecedent economic, environmental and societal challenges and are affected by nutritional, silvicultural and/or climatic pressures. In this context, their sustainability needs to be reevaluated and the evolution of stand nutritional capacity in relation to those pressures is a concern for future forest management. This requires more appropriate approaches to assess and predict the production potential of forest ecosystems and their responses to the experienced pressures. In this context, the trace elements are useful environmental tracers for the study of the interactions between compartments of the critical zone but also for the identification and contribution of sources of elements within natural ecosystems. They have recently demonstrated their added value in understanding the nutritional interactions between the biotic and abiotic compartments in Luxembourg forests. Moreover, numerical models are important and useful tools to help understand forest ecosystem functioning and predict how they may respond to disturbances or change. The main objective of this FORFUS sub-project is to better understand the biogeochemical functioning of forest ecosystems with low mineral fertility and better predict their evolution under multiple constraints.

An innovative approach combining quantitative and qualitative developments will study the exchange of relevant trace elements (Rare Earth Elements or REE, Pb, Sr) and related radiogenic isotopes (143Nd/144Nd, 206Pb/207Pb, 87Sr/86Sr) in the regolith-tree-atmosphere continuum during two vegetative periods by combining field experiment and modelling. The PhD candidate will elaborate a research project on the quantification of those trace elements in an experimental forest in Luxembourg. In this regard, this PhD project will apply a nutrient budget balance model to estimate the temporal dynamics of the selected trace elements at plot scale for different tree species and contribute to give new understanding of nutrient cycles in forest under multiple pressures. The student will rely on all facilities available in the Weierbach Experimental Catchment including long-term hydrological and geochemical databases (2000-2024) and high frequency monitoring of ecohydrological parameters (https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.14140). Moreover, she/he could beneficiate from a large set of laboratory equipment, including state-of-the-art analytical equipment for major and trace element concentrations (ICPMS), as well as for water isotopes (Laser Spec, IRMS).

The PhD candidate will be part of the CATchment and ecohydrology group of the ENVIronmental SensIng and mOdelliNg research unit and will work in close collaboration with the INRAE group in Biogeochemistry of Forest Ecosystem (BEF/INRAE) located in Nancy, France.

Is Your profile described below? Are you our future colleague? Apply now!

Education

• MSc degree in environmental sciences or a related discipline.

Experience and skills

• Good knowledge on soil science and/or geochemistry in forest ecosystems
• Preliminary experience and high motivation for field work is mandatory
• Good knowledge in hydrological functioning and/or element cycling within the critical zone is an asset.
• Experience with 1D-hydrological modelling is an asset but not required.
• Experience with Python/R script writing is an asset but not required.
• High motivation and communication skills within an international multi- to interdisciplinary research environment
• Class B driving license

Language skills

• Good level both written and spoken English.
• French speaking is an asset but not mandatory.