Doctoral Candidate in Biodiversity Policy and Response Diversity

Review and synthesise response diversity research relevant to EU biodiversity policy needs, especially restoration, deforestation, and corporate biodiversity reporting. Apply AI-assisted text analysis and network analysis to scientific literature, policy documents, and decision-making frameworks. Identify conceptual alignments, mismatches, and evidence gaps between RD science and European biodiversity, restoration, and sustainability policy. Analyse governance processes to determine where ecological resilience, system stability, and diversity mechanisms can strengthen conservation and restoration policy. Specify research needs for RD metrics and assessment methods that support biodiversity policy goals. Develop draft indicator sets and monitoring templates linking RD to ecosystem function, resilience, and sustainability goals. Produce peer-reviewed publications, policy-relevant outputs, and recommendations for embedding RD metrics in environmental assessments, reporting standards, and restoration funding guidelines. Participate actively in ReDiLEEP network training, secondments, dissemination, reporting, and cohort activities. The position includes 4 months of planned secondments, with 2 months in non-academic settings, to strengthen the science-policy-practice interface: embedding in a BioAgora demonstration case, taking RD research from field to policy at Swansea University, linking RD monitoring and policy at CarU, and taking RD research from field to policy at Advanced Invasives. 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.

The University of Zurich, Switzerland's largest university, offers a range of attractive positions in various subject areas and professional fields. With around 10,000 employees and currently 12 professional apprenticeship streams the University offers an inspiring working environment on cutting-edge research and top-class education.

• A Master's degree, or equivalent, in ecology, environmental science, geography, sustainability science, environmental policy, biodiversity governance, computational social science, data science, or a closely related field.

• Strong interest in biodiversity policy, ecosystem resilience, restoration, sustainability reporting, and the translation of ecological science into decision-making.

• Experience with literature synthesis, policy analysis, quantitative text analysis, network analysis, statistical modelling, or programming, preferably in R, Python, or comparable tools.

• Interest in AI-assisted analysis methods, science-policy interfaces, indicator development, monitoring frameworks, and EU environmental governance.

• Ability to work independently while contributing constructively to an international, interdisciplinary doctoral network.

• Excellent written and spoken English and strong scientific writing skills.