PhD-student position in Palaeoecology at
University of Bern

In the frame of the SNF (Swiss National Science Foundation) project CIVES (Assessing the environmental context of past urbanization dynamics using sedimentary archives) a PhD-student position is available at the Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research and the Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern. The PhD-student will study the long-term interactions between land use, climate, vegetation, and fire in south-western Greece to assess the environmental conditions of urbanization processes during the past 3000 years. Cereal-based farming, innovations and land use success were at the basis of early European urbanization dynamics. Palynology, macrofossils, sedaDNA, XRF and other palaeoecological approaches will be applied on new lake sediment cores to gain holistic palaeo reconstructions. This SNF project comprises other PhD-student and postdoctoral positions and is organized in collaboration with universities and other institutions (e.g. archaeological surveys) in Greece, Italy and Switzerland.

The position requires an accomplished Master of Science in Ecology, Environmental Sciences, Geography, Climate Sciences, Earth Sciences or Quaternary Sciences with specialization in sedimentary palaeo sciences and/or vegetation ecology. The position involves labor-intensive microscopic and laboratory analyses (e.g. of pollen, macrofossils, aDNA) and 2-3 months of field work in Mediterranean environments (core and data collection). Knowledge of Greek and/or Italian language is of advantage. The PhD student will be enrolled in the Graduate School of Climate Sciences; the PhD will be awarded from the Faculty of Natural Sciences of University of Bern.
Start of position from 1 January 2026 on. Salary follows the Swiss standard for doctoral students, the gross yearly salary varies between 47 000 and 55 000 CHF, depending on the duration of the employment. The duration is maximum four years.
Please send your electronic application including a motivation letter (max. 1 page), CV, academic transcripts, MSc diploma and contact address or reference letter of your MSc thesis supervisor as one pdf file to
willy.tinner@unibe.ch
until 28. November 2025.
Prof. Willy Tinner, Head of Palaeoecological Research Section, Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research & Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, 3013 Bern (Switzerland)
For further information see
https://www.ips.unibe.ch/research/paleo/index_eng.html and
https://www.climatestudies.unibe.ch/study_programs/phd/curriculum/index_eng.html

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