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The Institute of Zoology and Anthropology at the University of Göttingen is offering a PhD position (f/m/d) with 65 % of a full position. Regular working hours will currently be 25,85 hours per week with a limited contract of 4 years. This position should be filled by 01 November 2026. Salary: Pay grade E13 TV-L. The position is part of the DFG-funded Research Unit “FOREST FLOOR: Functioning, dynamics, and vulnerability in a changing world” within the subproject “Soil fauna as drivers of the architecture of forest floors”. For information on the Animal Ecology Group of the University of Göttingen see http://www.uni-goettingen.de/animal-ecology Your duties As part of the project team the Research Assistant will investigate the role of detritivore animals in the formation and dynamics of forest floors. This will include studying (i) the incorporation of 13C and 15N labelled litter compounds into belowground animal taxa, such as Collembola, Oribatida, Lumbricidae and Diplopoda, (ii) the structure of and energy flux through decomposer food webs across forest sites differing in nutrient status and temperature, (iii) the response of belowground animal communities to drought, and (iv) the analysis of large-scale data on the relationship between soil animal species and environmental factors. Your profile You hold a completed master/diploma degree in biological sciences or a closely related field. You have a background or strong interest in soil ecology, soil biodiversity and/or forest ecology. You are experienced in doing field and lab work. You are experienced in the analysis and modelling of large datasets. You are curious about linking traits of species to their functioning in belowground systems. You have experience in statistical methods and modelling, and you are familiar in using R. You are looking forward to working as part of an interdisciplinary team of PhD students tackling complex ecological questions. You have good oral and written English language skills. You are interested in teaching, supervising, and working with students. This post is designed to serve in fostering young researchers and scientists and give the successful applicant the opportunity to pursue a doctoral degree. The University of Göttingen is an equal opportunities employer and places particular emphasis on fostering career opportunities for women. Qualified women are therefore strongly encouraged to apply in fields in which they are underrepresented. The university has committed itself to being a family-friendly institution and supports their employees in balancing work and family life. The University is particularly committed to the professional participation of severely disabled employees and therefore welcomes applications from severely disabled people. In the case of equal qualifications, applications from people with severe disabilities will be given preference. A disability or equality is to be included in the application in order to protect the interests of the applicant. Please send your application as a combined pdf file (file name: Surname_Name.pdf) with the subject line “PhD forest floor” by September 11, 2026 to Prof. Dr. Stefan Scheu, e-mail: [email protected] consisting of: A motivation letter detailing relevant experience CV, incl. a publication list Copies of academic certificates If you have any questions, please contact Prof. Dr. Stefan Scheu (phone: +49 (0)551 3925445, e-mail: [email protected]). Please note With submission of your application, you accept the processing of your applicant data in terms of data-protection law. Further information on the legal basis and data usage is provided in the Hinweisblatt zur Datenschutzgrundverordnung (DSGVO) https://www.uni-goettingen.de/hinweisdsgvo