Doctoral Candidate (PhD) in plant community ecology

Doctoral Candidate (PhD) in plant community ecology

The Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences at the University of Helsinki invites applications for a Doctoral Candidate position within the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network ReDiLEEP. ReDiLEEP brings together leading universities, research institutes, and non-academic partners across Europe and beyond to advance response-diversity research and translate new knowledge into ecosystem management, restoration, and biodiversity policy. This position (DC9) is one of the 13 doctoral candidate (DC) positions within ReDiLEEP.

This Doctoral Candidate will contribute toward ReDiLEEP goals by investigating response diversity in boreal forest and tundra ecosystems, focusing on evaluating the capacity of different response diversity metrics to explain and predict temporal stability of plant communities. We are looking for an enthusiastic doctoral researcher with a strong interest in biodiversity responses and ecological dynamics, and a strong background in community ecology. The candidate will be based at the Northern Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning research group led by Dr. Elina Kaarlejärvi at the Viikki Campus in Helsinki, Finland.

Research Project (DC9)

Response diversity describes the variation in how individuals, species, or functional groups respond to environmental change and the concept is increasingly recognised as a key driver of ecosystem resilience. Understanding and promoting response diversity is therefore essential for conserving biodiversity and supporting resilient ecosystems in a changing world.

The Doctoral Candidate will use data from existing field experiments and new greenhouse mesocosm studies to evaluate links between response diversity and community stability under press and pulse disturbances. The project will evaluate how different response diversity metrics (including functional traits) succeed in predicting temporal stability of plant communities under different pressures.

The Doctoral Candidate is expected to complete an article-based PhD thesis on this research project and 30 ECTS of studies required for a PhD degree in Finland. The project is supervised by Dr. Elina Kaarlejärvi, with co-supervision from Assistant Prof. Laura Antão (University of Turku, Finland).

Your Responsibilities

• Conduct doctoral studies and independent research work leading to a PhD thesis within 3 years.
• Become familiar and stay up to date with the relevant literature on functional traits, response diversity and community stability.
• Co-design and run greenhouse mesocosm experiments.
• Combine, analyze and interpret empirical data to produce scientific articles linking response diversity to community stability.
• Work in a targeted way following the agreed research plan.
• Contribute to scientific discussions within the research group.
• Participate actively in ReDiLEEP network training, secondments, dissemination, reporting, and cohort activities.

Secondments and Network Training

The position includes 4 months of planned secondments:

• 2 months at Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC) to compare mechanisms influencing stability.
• 2 months at Cardiff University (CarU) to learn methods to assess the role of biotic interactions in influencing response diversity.

The duration and timing of the secondments will be defined between the supervisors and the candidate depending on project requirements.

The successful candidate will join an interdisciplinary cohort of doctoral researchers and benefit from ReDiLEEP training in response diversity methods, data management, reproducible code, R/Tidyverse, machine learning and AI for ecologists, visualisation, evidence-based policymaking, science-policy communication, and policy brief writing.

Your Profile

The candidate must have:

• A Master’s degree (completed before the start of employment) in ecology or a closely related field
• Motivation in pursuing doctoral research in community ecology
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English.

The following qualifications are considered an advantage:

• Background in plant functional ecology
• Skills and experience in statistical analyses using R
• Identification skills of Nordic flora
• A demonstrated capacity to work in a targeted way both independently and as part of a team
• Experience with writing and/or contributing to scientific publications

What We Offer

• A 36-month, full-time doctoral position at the University of Helsinki.
• Opportunity to develop your skills and conduct novel research on pressing questions on biodiversity change, as well as to contribute intellectually to the project’s aims.
• Supportive and inclusive research group in an internationally recognized faculty with strong expertise in ecology.
• Exceptional scope for international collaboration and networking as part of the ReDiLEEP network.
• The University of Helsinki offers comprehensive services to its employees, including occupational health care, access to modern sports facilities, and vast opportunities for professional development. Finland is a member of the EU, has high-quality free schooling (also in English), generous family benefits and healthcare, and was recently ranked as the best country in the world for expat families. The International Staff Services office assists employees from abroad with their transition to work and life in Finland. See more information about working at the University of Helsinki and living in Finland here.

MSCA Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must meet the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network eligibility requirements at the recruitment date:

• Mobility rule: applicants must not have resided or carried out their main activity, such as work or studies, in Finland for more than 12 months during the 36 months immediately before the recruitment date. Exceptions to the mobility rule apply for compulsory national service, refugee status, and temporary protection.
• Applicants must not already hold a doctoral degree.
• Applicants must be doctoral candidates and be enrolled, or eligible to be enrolled, in a doctoral programme at the University of Helsinki. The requirements for pursuing a doctoral degree at the University of Helsinki can be found at https://www.helsinki.fi/en/research/doctoral-education/eligibility-and-educational-documents.
• Applicants must work full-time and exclusively for the ReDiLEEP project during the appointment, in accordance with the applicable MSCA rules.

Employment Conditions

The position is funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Networks framework and will follow the applicable MSCA Doctoral Network conditions and University of Helsinki employment regulations.

• Duration 36 months full-time
• The estimated gross salary is ca. 4100 – 4600 € (before taxes and depending on the eligibility for family allowance, see General Recruitment Information of Doctoral Network ReDiLeep in accordance with of the Marie Curie Fellowship regulations).
• Place of work: Viikki Campus, Helsinki, Finland
• Start of employment: the first half of 2027
• The selected appointee must apply for and obtain the right to pursue a doctoral degree in Doctoral Programme in Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Sustainability in Society either before the start of the appointment or within the probationary period of six months of their appointment. More information: www.helsinki.fi/en/research/doctoral-education/the-application-process-in-a-nutshell.
• The appointment is subject to final MSCA eligibility verification and doctoral programme enrolment.

How to Apply

Please submit your application in English before the 18th of September 2026 at 23:59 as a single PDF file through the University of Helsinki electronic recruitment system by clicking on the link below.
Current employees of the University of Helsinki must submit their applications through SAP Fiori’s Suffeli recruitment portal.

Applications should include:

• A cover letter (max 1 page) describing your motivation for the position, relevant experience, and fit with the project.
• A curriculum vitae with a list of publications, including manuscripts in preparation.
• Copy of the Master’s degree certificate and transcripts of study records together with an explanation of the grading system and the weighted average of your grades (GPA)
• A short statement confirming your MSCA mobility-rule eligibility for Finland including countries of residence, work, and study during the previous 36 months.
• Contact details of two referees who may be contacted for a reference.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to interviews in English. According to the current recruitment timeline, the interviews are planned for the first half of October.

Selection Principles

Recruitment will follow open, transparent, and merit-based recruitment principles and the MSCA Code of Conduct for the recruitment of researchers. Applications will be assessed on eligibility, scientific excellence, motivation, fit with the project, and potential to contribute to the ReDiLEEP doctoral network. Selection committees will be composed to ensure diverse expertise, appropriate gender balance, international perspective, and absence of conflicts of interest.

Further Information

For scientific questions about the project, please contact elina.kaarlejarvi@helsinki.fi. For administrative questions and support with the recruitment system can be obtained from University of Helsinki HR Specialists at recruitment@helsinki.fi.

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