Sensitivity of microbially-mediated nutrient cycling to river pollutant stressors in a changing climate: Horizon Europe MSCA Doctoral Network “BEYOND”
Aberdeen, United Kingdom of Great Britain – England, Scotland, Wales
Sector
Hydrological Sciences (HS)
Type
Other
Level
Entry level
The monthly salary includes a country-dependent living allowance (Stg£ 2,917–3,093 in the UK), mobility (Stg£ 522), and family (Stg£ 430) allowances.
Required Education
Master
Application Deadline
15 March 2025
Posted On
5 February 2025
This fully funded PhD position is available under the recently launched Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action (MSCA) Doctoral Networks (DN) project “BEYOND”; Beyond the current: Improving European flowing waters in an era of global change. BEYOND will train the next generation of water professionals who will deliver scientific and technological innovation across disciplines, institutions, and countries needed to solve European water quality problems in an era of global change.
The aim of this PhD position is to understand the effects of pollutants on in-stream microbial processes. The experimental objectives are:
1. Investigate how microbial community compositions change across environmental pressure gradients (land-use, climate, riparian conditions, water chemistry) related to sensitivity to chemical and physical stressors.
2. Test how pollutants affect microbial community structure, C, N, and P cycling and broader ecosystem services.
3. Test if specific microbial community groups influencing key processes may differ in stressor sensitivities from whole community diversity and whether this can inform better monitoring and management of rivers.
The project will be supervised by Dr Eulyn Pagaling, Prof Marc Stutter, Prof Phil Jordan, and Dr Anna Lupon.
The position duration is three years. You will be based in the Environmental and Biochemical Sciences Department at the James Hutton Institute located in Aberdeen, Scotland, in collaboration with the School of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Ulster University, N. Ireland.
The Doctoral Candidate will also have an opportunity to take part in short visits and secondments to BEYOND partners University College Dublin, Centre d’Estudis Avançats de Blanes, Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Environment Protection Agency, and CHIVAS for additional training and knowledge exchange.
The applicants must fill the BEYOND application form following the URL below:
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