An der Georg-August-Universität Göttingen Stiftung Öffentlichen Rechts - CBL Sektion IV - Section for Tropical and Subtropical Agriculture and Forestry ist ab dem 01.03.2026 eine Stelle alsDoctoral researcher in the TRANSMIT Project (all genders welcome)- Entgeltgruppe 13 TV-L - in Teilzeit mit 50% der regelmäßigen wöchentlichen Arbeitszeit zu besetzen. Die Stelle ist befristet bis 12/31/2028.The successful candicate will carry out research within the project “Transboundary approaches to sustainable forest management for enhancing climate resilience and reducing disaster risk in the Himalayas (Acronym TRANSMIT)”, funded by the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Home Affairs. The project is coordinated at the Campus Centre of Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use and collaborates with partners in Germany (United Nations University Bonn, Global Fire Monitoring Center Freiburg), Nepal (International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, ForestAction Nepal, Forest Fire Management Chapter), and India (Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education).

Background:
Mountain forests of the Western Himalayas, including those in the Mahakali/Sharda River basin along the Nepal-India border, are increasingly affected by climate and land-use change, resulting in forest degradation and declining ecosystem services. TRANSMIT supports sustainable forest management in this region by generating detailed evidence from field-based forest inventories and by analysing past, present, and potential future forest dynamics under changing climatic and anthropogenic pressures. The project assesses forest-related ecosystem services and investigates the social and environmental drivers of deforestation, forest degradation, forest fire occurrence, and related disaster risks. A strong emphasis is placed on improving silvicultural understanding, forest condition assessments, and management planning that reflect both ecological processes and community needs. The project applies a transdisciplinary framework to link forest inventory and management with disaster risk reduction, climate adaptation, and active engagement of local stakeholders.

Tasks

The PhD candidate will:

Conduct and supervise in-situ forest inventory at five predetermined study locations within the Mahakali/Sharda river basin.
Perform dendrochronological analyses, including extraction and laboratory processing of stem core samples to evaluate annual growth-ring variations.
Carry out cryoscopic analyses on tissue samples to determine freezing points as indicators of frost tolerance.
Conduct stable isotope analyses to assess drought resistance of dominant tree species.
Collaborate closely with project partners in Germany, Nepal, and India, contributing to joint analyses, reporting, and dissemination of results.
Prepare scientific outputs, including peer-reviewed publications, presentations, and contributions to project reports.

Requirements

A completed academic university degree (Master’s or Diploma) in forestry, with strong foundational knowledge in silviculture and sustainable forest management.
Demonstrated experience with forest inventory methods, including the ability to independently lead, coordinate, and supervise an inventory team during field campaigns.
Willingness and physical ability to conduct extended fieldwork in remote mountainous regions of Nepal and India for data collection.
Competence and motivation to conduct laboratory analyses, including work with dendrochronological samples, cryoscopy, and stable isotope analysis (training can be provided).
Strong scientific writing and communication skills and the ability to prepare peer-reviewed publications.
Fluency in English (e.g., IELTS ≥ 6.0 or equivalent certification).
Strong motivation to work in an interdisciplinary and international team, with openness to cross-cultural collaboration and stakeholder engagement.

Your application must include (in the following order, compiled in one pdf): letter of motivation, CV (with optional reference contacts), abstract or summary of your master’s thesis (max. 1 page), certificates and transcripts, additional supporting documents (optional).
Die Universität Göttingen strebt in den Bereichen, in denen Frauen unterrepräsentiert sind, eine Erhöhung des Frauenanteils an und fordert daher qualifizierte Frauen nachdrücklich zur Bewerbung auf. Sie versteht sich zudem als familienfreundliche Hochschule und fördert die Vereinbarkeit von Wissenschaft/Beruf und Familie. Der beruflichen Teilhabe von schwerbehinderten Beschäftigten sieht sich die Universität in besondere Weise verpflichtet und begrüßt deshalb Bewerbungen schwerbehinderter Menschen. Bei gleicher Qualifikation erhalten Bewerbungen von Menschen mit Schwerbehinderung den Vorzug. Eine Behinderung bzw. Gleichstellung ist zur Wahrung der Interessen bereits in die Bewerbung aufzunehmen.Bitte reichen Sie Ihre aussagekräftige Bewerbung mit allen wichtigen Unterlagen bis zum 09.01.2026 ausschließlich über das Bewerbungsportal ein. Auskunft erteilt Frau Simone Pfeiffer, E-Mail: simone.pfeiffer@zentr.uni-goettingen.de, Tel. +49 551 39 23909Hinweis: Wir weisen darauf hin, dass die Einreichung der Bewerbung eine datenschutzrechtliche Einwilligung in die Verarbeitung Ihrer Bewerbungsdaten durch uns darstellt. Näheres zur Rechtsgrundlage und Datenverwendung finden Sie im Hinweisblatt zur Datenschutzgrundverordnung (DSGVO)

Researcher