Two Tenure Track positions: “to strengthen our research on coping with climate change”

The Department of Estuarine and Delta Systems research of the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) is recruiting two tenure track scientists to strengthen our research on coping with climate change in relation to A) nature-based solutions and B) the sustainable production of marine resources. Both positions are attractively accompanied with funding for PhD positions (one per position) and equipment investments. In addition, the positions contribute to the participation of NIOZ in the Delta Climate Center in Zeeland.

THE INSTITUTE
NIOZ is the national oceanographic institute of the Netherlands. Its principal mission is to perform academically excellent, multidisciplinary, fundamental and frontier-applied marine research and education addressing important scientific and societal questions pertaining to the functioning of oceans, seas and deltas. NIOZ advances fundamental understanding of marine systems, the way they change, the role they play in climate and biodiversity, and how they may provide sustainable solutions to society in the future. NIOZ serves as national marine research facilitator for the scientific community in the Netherlands. In addition to its research and education, NIOZ supports marine-policy development within the national and international context.

THE DEPARTMENT
The department of Estuarine and Delta Systems (EDS, NIOZ-Yerseke) studies how the interplay between biota, hydrodynamics, sediment dynamics and biochemistry shapes the estuarine, deltaic and coastal environments within the context of natural and human-induced environmental changes. Our department assigns central importance to a multidisciplinary approach that combines state-of-the-art biophysical, biochemical, ecological and physiological measurements and experiments with remote sensing and numerical modelling to create in-depth understanding of the processes that control estuarine and delta systems. One important focus for the department is how our research can create value for society.

CONNECTION to the DELTA CLIMATE CENTER

Both research positions have been established in light of the participation of NIOZ-EDS in the Delta Climate Center (DCC, www.deltaclimatecenter.nl). Launched in 2024, the DCC is a new and innovative centre of knowledge on climate adaptation, bringing together science, education and stakeholders. The Center will focus on societal challenges in the regional transition to a sustainable, climate-resilient and prosperous delta, with emphasis on water, energy and food. The DCC will adopt a transdisciplinary research approach to enable innovative and impactful solutions to ensure a delta that can withstand the future. The DCC has been established by six knowledge institutes: Utrecht University, Wageningen University and Research, HZ University of Applied Sciences, Scalda, University College Roosevelt and NIOZ.

THE POSITIONS

Climate change is making the future of the Dutch Delta uncertain and hard to predict. As a consequence, many research questions remain to be resolved. Can natural systems help society to cope with accelerating sea-level rise and climate change? How will nature itself change due to climate change? How can we make better use of marine sources for our food? At the department of EDS, we are addressing these types of questions in order to contribute to the improvement of sustainable human welfare, ecological resilience and biodiversity in the southwestern Dutch province of Zeeland, as well as around the globe. We are currently seeking to strengthen and broaden the scope of our science by recruiting two new colleagues who will bring in novel ideas and approaches to complement the ongoing research at EDS and in line with the themes of the DCC.

Tenure Track Position A: Climate change/Nature-based solutions
The use of nature-based solutions to mitigate the challenges imposed by climate change and sea-level rise is an important focus of the EDS department. Nature-based solutions often build on the interplay of biological, physical, geological and other processes acting together to improve biodiversity and the resilience of estuarine ecosystems and the service they provide. The candidate will be expected to develop a unique research line that focuses on the functioning and utility of estuarine ecosystems facing increasing environmental stress.

Tenure Track Position B: Climate change/Sustainable production of marine resources
Providing the increasing human population with a sustainable supply of food and energy is an enormous challenge that entails impact mitigation, biodiversity enhancement, product optimisation (in terms of quantity and quality), carbon capture (i.e. blue carbon) and co-cultivation possibilities. The candidate will be expected to build a research line that contributes to the sustainable production of marine resources to improve human welfare, ecological resilience and biodiversity in estuarine and coastal environments.

Successful candidates will:

• conduct and develop high-quality experimental, field and/or numerical research resulting in academic publications;
• pro-actively collaborate with colleagues in the EDS department, in other NIOZ departments and in the DCC;
• supervise the research of PhD candidates, postdocs and MSc students;
• acquire funding through national and international research grants from funding sources in the governmental or private sector;
• engage in and foster collaboration with other scientists in the Netherlands and abroad to build a productive national and international network;
• contribute to scientific outreach.

Funding is available for one PhD position for each tenure track candidate, as well as for investments.

We are looking for candidates who will develop their own distinctive lines of research and build their own research groups, thereby complementing the research performed within the EDS department and NIOZ as a whole and in line with the themes of the DCC.

You have a PhD in a relevant research field (e.g. marine biology or ecology, earth sciences or related topics). You have several years of postdoctoral experience (or of a similar level), a demonstrated track record of publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals and the potential to acquire research funding. You have experience in supervising MSc and/or PhD students, in addition to being a team player with interest in collaborative (interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary) research. You are fluent in English and are willing to learn Dutch to a level appropriate for communication within the institute and educational programme, as well as with regional stakeholders.

NIOZ is a transparent institute with a healthy working climate and an inclusive culture, where people of diverse background and gender contribute their talents and develop them further. We aim for inclusive decision-making processes, and we expect our leadership to reflect visible commitment, awareness of bias and cultural intelligence. In light of our ambition to have a team that is as diverse and inclusive as possible, and given the current composition of our team, we explicitly encourage female candidates to apply.

CONDITIONS

• Employment of this full-time position at Royal NIOZ is by NWO-I, after a successful tenure track period and positive evaluations by the tenure track committee (TTC) the position will become a tenured PI appointment within the Royal NIOZ. The duration of the tenure track will be 5 years at the maximum. Depending on your starting level and evaluations by the TTC, the decision to become tenured in an earlier stage is a possibility in case you can fit the tenure track criteria.  
• Salary compliant with CAO-WVOI  (Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Research Institutes). scale 11 or 12 depending on relevant experience. 
• The freedom to fulfill your role and space and opportunities for your personal (talent) development with the help of the NIOZ Academy.
• 338 annualized holiday hours for a full-time 40-hour work week.
• Pension scheme via ABP, 8% holiday allowance and a year-end bonus of 8.33%. 
• 2nd class public transportation travel is reimbursed 100%.
• Employment benefits plan to exchange a portion of your salary for days off or vice versa, or can be used to purchase a bicycle with tax benefits.
• We offer relocation expenses for employees coming from abroad and support with finding accommodation. Yerseke is located on commuting distance from major cities such as Antwerpen, Breda, Bergen op Zoom and Middelburg

YOUR APPLICATION
The application should include a CV or résumé, as well as contact information for three references. In addition, you are explicitly requested to accompany your application with a cover letter, in which you:

• explain your own envisioned research line to be developed over the next 1–5 years, including an outline of the research focus (1–2 pages);
• elaborate on how this research line will complement ongoing work at EDS;
• describe the opportunities you foresee for collaborating within the EDS department, the NIOZ and the DCC.

The selection procedure will include a panel interview and a lecture (45–30 minutes, for a general NIOZ audience). At the start of the panel interview, you will be asked to give a 10-minute presentation outlining your key scientific interests and how they will fit into NIOZ, the EDS department and the DCC.

For additional information about this vacancy, please contact the Head of the Department of Estuarine and Delta Systems, Prof. K.R. Timmermans. For additional information about the procedure, please send an e-mail to working@nioz.nl

Closing date for this vacancy is 31 May 2024. Interviews are planned for 5,6,7 June 2024, and they will be held at NIOZ Yerseke