NCCR Clim+: PhD Water and Agriculture

This is how you can contribute

• Develop an advanced agrohydrological modelling framework
• Integrate large environmental datasets, field observations and remote sensing data
• Evaluate responses and identify key vulnerabilities of agricultural production systems to climate extremes and their cascade effects
• Quantify potentials and limitations of adaptation strategies (e.g. irrigation optimization, water retention measures)
• Collaborate with stakeholders to co-design actionable solutions
• Present and disseminate research insights to both the scientific community and a wider public audience

In a nutshell

The NCCR CLIM+ supports Switzerland in the transformation towards a climate-resilient society. Together with stakeholders, the interdisciplinary NCCR CLIM+ research community tackles unexplored solution spaces to the climate crisis and develops a blueprint for actionable climate research worldwide. NCCR CLIM+ broadly communicates and shares knowledge, and trains a new generation of experts with the necessary domain and transdisciplinary knowledge.
This PhD offers the opportunity to develop cutting-edge modelling tools that support sustainable food systems, resilient landscapes, and evidence-based water management. The position will be hosted at Agroscope in Zurich and co-supervised by Annelie Holzkämper (Agroscope, University of Bern) and Manuela Brunner (ETH Zurich, WSL).

Additional information

The 'Water Protection and Substance Flows' Research Group conducts research into nutrient management, nutrient flows and nutrient dynamics in agricultural ecosystems and the environment, and links topical knowledge with advice for practitioners and policy-makers. The associated 'Earthwatch' team develops spatial, non-destructive methods in the context of remote sensing to support these and other future Agroscope tasks.

Good food, healthy environment

Agroscope is the Swiss federal centre of excellence for research in the agriculture and food sector. Its researchers work at a number of sites in Switzerland. Headquartered in Bern-Liebefeld (as of 2026: Posieux), Agroscope is attached to the Swiss Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research EAER.

This makes you unique

• Master's degree in Hydrology, Environmental Engineering, Agricultural Science, Climate Science, Geography, Earth System Science, or related disciplines
• Strong quantitative and analytical skills
• Experience with hydrological and/or crop growth modelling
• Coding skills (Python/R/Matlab)
• Interest in climate adaptation, sustainable agriculture, and systems thinking
• Knowledge of two official Swiss languages and English