PhD in Behavioural & Economic Modelling of Pest Risk Management – Wageningen University

Key details

• Host institution: Wageningen University & Research
• Location: Wageningen University & Research, Droevendaalsesteeg, Wageningen, Netherlands
• Application deadline: June 16, 2026

Funding

Not funded by a EU programme

Funding level (from listing): partial or not via EU framework — confirm on the official call.

How to apply

• Apply by email to [email protected] (subject line and attachments per the official instructions).
• Full vacancy text and updates: Euraxess listing.

About the position

We invite applications for a fully funded PhD position titled “Behavioural and Economic Modelling of Pest Risk Management in Phytosanitary Systems.”

Project Overview

This PhD research project aims to advance the understanding of behavioural, economic, and policy dimensions that shape pest risk management within European phytosanitary systems. The project sits at the intersection of behavioural science, agricultural economics, and systems modelling, with a strong focus on developing innovative, real-world applicable solutions for plant health challenges.

Research Context

The PhD will be conducted within the framework of the newly launched, multidisciplinary EU Horizon Europe project PhytoPRISM: A Platform for supporting a systems approach in Pest RISk Management, bringing together 15 leading research partners from 7 EU countries. This international consortium offers a unique opportunity for international collaboration, interdisciplinary knowledge exchange, and impactful scientific research at the forefront of European plant health policy and practice.

This PhD research project will contribute to the development of modelling tools that support effective pest risk management. Such management requires not only a strong biological and ecological understanding of pest spread, but also in-depth knowledge of how human behaviour, economic incentives, and policy instruments shape decision-making at multiple stages of pest infestations.

Research Objectives

• Behavioural analysis: Identify and analyse behavioural drivers influencing stakeholder decisions in pest risk management across different stages of pest dynamics.
• Economic evaluation: Assess economic trade-offs between alternative phytosanitary measures, including prevention, eradication, and containment strategies.
• Incentives and policy analysis: Examine how economic incentives, institutional constraints, and policy instruments influence stakeholder behaviour and system efficiency.
• Model integration: Integrate behavioural responses into pest risk and bio-economic models to improve decision-support tools and strategy design (together with PhytoPRISM partners).

Work Environment

The PhD project will take place within the Business Economics (BEC) group of Wageningen University, which is led by Prof. Alfons Oude Lansink. BEC holds a strong position in interdisciplinary research with key areas such as food supply chain economics, bio-economic modelling, and economics of food safety, plant & animal health.