44 FB 6 Research Assistant / PhD Candidate (m/f/d) DFG-funded Research Training Group ECORISK A4

The DFG-funded Research Training Group “Ecological Regime Shifts and Systemic Risk in Coupled Social-Ecological Systems” (ECORISK) deals with the causes of ecological regime shifts and their potential consequences in social-ecological systems in an interdisciplinary approach. It is located at Osnabrück University and brings together perspectives from behavioral economics, ecological modeling, environmental systems science, geography, geoinformatics, political science, and sociology.

In the subproject “Evaluating the impact of agricultural land-use on wildlife populations, using deep learning” at the Institute of Computer Science, Remote Sensing a position as

Research Assistant / PhD Candidate (m/f/d)
(Pay grade 13 TV-L, 75%)


is to be filled, starting on October 1, 2026 for a period of three years.


Your Duties:

  • Research in the subproject; using remote sensing data, deep learning and ecological modelling to assess the effect of land use and land management on key animal species
  • Peer-review publication of your research results, as basis for your own academic qualification in the form of a doctoral degree
  • Participation in and contribution to the events of the Research Training Group


Requirements:

  • Very good University degree (MSc or equivalent) in the field of Geomatics or a related discipline
  • Profound experience in remote sensing image analysis with machine learning and deep learning (provided by e.g., study projects, Master thesis)
  • Programming skills in Python
  • Basic knowledge in environmental or ecological modelling
  • Research interest in environmental science and ecological regime shifts
  • Solid knowledge of English


Additional Qualifications:

  • Knowledge in deep learning, Tensorflow, PyTorch
  • Knowledge in environmental systems science
  • Knowledge in ecological modelling


We offer:

  • Opportunities to acquire relevant research experience
  • Participation in an exciting and highly topical research project
  • A structured doctoral program at Osnabrück University
  • Collegial collaboration in an interdisciplinary, international, and diversity-oriented team that values equity
  • Tailored training opportunities
  • Flexible working hours and opportunities for partial remote work

Osnabrück University is a family-friendly university and is committed to helping working/studying parents balance their family and working lives.

Osnabrück University seeks to guarantee equality of opportunity for women and men and strives to correct any gender imbalance in its schools and departments.

If two candidates are equally qualified, preference will be given to the candidate with disability status.

Please send your application in electronic form as a single PDF file via email by April 30, 2026, to:  ecorisk@uos.de (subject: “Ecorisk PhD position A4”), including a maximum two-page motivation letter for the advertised position, a curriculum vitae (CV), transcripts of previous academic degrees (Bachelor/Master, including Transcripts of Records), and the name and email address of a potential reference.

For questions regarding this job advertisement, please also contact the subproject PI Prof. Dr. Björn Waske  bjoern.waske@uos.de.

Further information about this subproject (A4) and the Research Training Group can be found at:  https://www.uni-osnabrueck.de/ecorisk