Two PhD Positions on Linking Mountain Building and Biodiversity in the Northern Andes (PhD-2)

About the position

The HUMBOLDT project explores the links between mountain building and biodiversity in the Northern Andes, one of the most biodiverse mountain systems on Earth. Climate and habitat richness alone cannot fully explain why some mountain ranges are exceptionally diverse. HUMBOLDT therefore tests whether and how mountain uplift helped drive speciation and biodiversity. To answer this question, the project aims to reconstruct the topographic evolution of the Northern Andes at high resolution by integrating geological data, topographic analysis, and landscape evolution modelling. These reconstructions will then be compared with biodiversity and speciation data from ecologists.

We are recruiting two closely connected PhD candidates. PhD-1 will focus on generating geological constraints on landscape evolution through fieldwork, laboratory analyses, and data interpretation. PhD-2 will focus on developing and applying numerical and inverse models to reconstruct paleo-topography and link these reconstructions to biodiversity patterns. The two PhD candidates will work as an integrated team and collaborate with partners in Colombia, Germany, and Switzerland. Depending on your background and interests, you may indicate a preference for PhD-1, PhD-2, or both positions. This is the official application page for PhD-2. If you prefer to apply for PhD-1, please use this link  to access the corresponding application page.

The positions are embedded in the Ecosystem and Landscape Dynamics department at IBED, within the group of Dr. Richard Ott , which investigates the evolution of erosional landscapes and the use of geomorphic archives to reconstruct and predict past and future landscape dynamics. This research environment provides opportunities to develop your academic profile through collaboration, publishing, conference participation, student supervision, and teaching.

What are you going to do?

Tasks and responsibilities:                     

As part of the HUMBOLDT project, you will work in an international team, present your research at conferences, publish in peer-reviewed journals, contribute to teaching, and help supervise BSc and MSc students.

For PhD-1, your work will focus on:

• Conducting fieldwork in Colombia and collecting samples in key regions of the Northern Andes;
• Laboratory work for cosmogenic nuclides and thermochronology data;
• Using your data to quantify erosion, exhumation, and orogen tectonics;
• Integrating field and laboratory results with geological and topographic data to constrain landscape evolution.

For PhD-2, your work will focus on:

• Compiling and analysing geological, topographic, and biodiversity datasets;
• Developing and applying landscape evolution and Bayesian inverse models;
• Reconstructing paleo-topography and spatially variable mountain building through time;
• Comparing paleo-topographic reconstructions with biodiversity and speciation data in collaboration with ecological partners.

Your profile

Your experience and profile:

We are looking for ambitious and collaborative candidates with a strong interest in mountain building, landscape evolution, and interdisciplinary research at the interface of geoscience and ecology. You should have strong English communication skills, enjoy working in an international research environment, and be motivated to develop your quantitative and scientific skills further.

For PhD-1, you:

• have a MSc in Earth Sciences, Physical Geography, or a related field;
• have a background or strong affinity with geomorphology and tectonics (erosion, mountain building, structural tectonics, topographic analysis);
• enjoy combining field-based research with laboratory work and quantitative analysis;
• are willing to undertake physically demanding fieldwork in Colombia;
• have experience with, or a strong interest in learning, scripting/programming such as Python, R, or MATLAB.

For PhD-2, you:

• have a MSc in Earth Sciences, Physical Geography, or a related field;
• have a background or strong affinity with geomorphology and/or ecology (erosion, mountain building, structural tectonics, topographic analysis, macroecology, evolutionary dynamics);
• have a strong quantitative background and interest in numerical modelling;
• have experience with scripting/programming such as Python, R, or MATLAB. 

Our offer

We offer you a temporary contract for 38 hours per week for the duration of 4 years (the initial contract will be for a period of 18 months and after satisfactory evaluation it will be extended to the total duration of 4 years). This should lead to a dissertation (PhD thesis). We will draft an educational plan that includes attendance of courses and (international) meetings. We also expect you to assist in teaching undergraduates and master students. The preferred starting date is December 2026 but can be discussed.

For this position the University Job Classification profile “Promovendus” (PhD candidate) applies. Your salary will be €3,059 gross per month in the first year and will increase to €3,881 in the final year, based on full-time employment of 38 hours per week. In addition, you will receive an 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% year-end allowance.

A favourable tax agreement, the ‘30% ruling’, may apply to non-Dutch applicants.

The Collective Labour Agreement of Universities of the Netherlands is applicable.

Besides the salary and a vibrant and challenging environment at Science Park we offer you multiple fringe benefits:

• 232 holiday hours per year (based on fulltime) and extra holidays between Christmas and 1 January;
• multiple courses to follow from our Teaching and Learning Centre;
• a complete educational program for postdocs;
• multiple courses on topics such as leadership for academic staff;
• multiple courses on topics such as time management, handling stress and an online learning platform with 100+ different courses;
• 7 weeks birth leave (partner leave) with 100% salary;
• partly paid parental leave;
• the possibility to set up a workplace at home;
• a pension at ABP for which UvA pays two third part of the contribution;
• the possibility to follow courses to learn Dutch;
• help with registration at UvA- Housing for a studio or small apartment when you’re moving from abroad. 

Are you curious to read more about our extensive package of secondary employment benefits, take a look here .

About us

The Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED) is one of eight research institutes of the Faculty of Science at the University of Amsterdam . The research at IBED aims to unravel how ecosystems function in all their complexity, and how they change due to natural processes and human activities. At its core lies an integrated systems approach to study biodiversity, ecosystems and the environment. IBED adopts this systems approach to ecosystems, addressing abiotic (soil and water quality) and biotic factors (ecology and evolution of plants, animals, and microorganisms), and the interplay between those. The IBED vision includes research encompassing experimental and theoretical approaches at a wide variety of temporal and spatial scales, i.e. from molecules and microorganisms to patterns and processes occurring at the global scale . The University of Amsterdam has excellent  high performance computing  facilities. Furthermore, IBED has a dedicated  computational support team  with specialized knowledge of bioinformatics, (geo)database management and scientific programming. IBED also works with n