PhD in Soil Animal Ecology — Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Key details

• Host institution: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU)
• Location: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU), De Boelelaan 1105, Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Application deadline: July 31, 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

• Application portal / instructions: Official application link.
• Context on Euraxess: Original listing.

About the position

The Ecology & Evolution section at the Amsterdam Institute for Life and Environment (A-LIFE) at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam invites applications for a PhD position in soil animal ecology. The project is co-supervised by the Soil Biology Group at Wageningen University and is based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Project Overview

This PhD focuses on the role of soil fauna in regenerative agriculture. Working with pioneer regenerative farmers across the Netherlands, the research will investigate which combinations of practices can support healthy, multi-functional soil fauna communities. The project will quantify the role of soil fauna in supporting a range of soil functions across eight different regenerative agricultural business systems, involving more than 40 regenerative farms.

Key Research Questions

• How do different soil fauna communities contribute to multi-functionality?
• Can we recommend different combinations of management practices to enhance soil fauna diversity and associated multi-functionality?
• What are the best indicators for wider monitoring of soil fauna and their functions in regenerative systems?

Project Context

This PhD is one of 19 positions within the large-scale transdisciplinary ReGeNL project (started in 2024), which aims to accelerate the transition to a regenerative, profitable, and socially supported agricultural sector in the Netherlands. The project monitors and models a range of regenerative agricultural systems to understand which combinations of practices work for agricultural, socio-economic, and environmental outcomes—including soil health, water and air quality, biodiversity, farm income, citizen involvement, and animal welfare. It also studies how performance on these outcomes can be valued in food system governance.

Your Duties

• Conduct field and lab research
• Measure and quantify soil invertebrate diversity
• Analyse links between soil fauna diversity and key ecosystem functions
• Develop a biodiversity indicator tool
• Teach in a BSc or MSc course on a topic related to the PhD