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The Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology at Linköping Univertsity invites applications for a Doctoral Candidate position within the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network ReDiLEEP (Using science-driven Response Diversity knowledge to Leverage Efficient Ecosystem Preservationand restoration). ReDiLEEP brings together leading universities, research institutes, and non-academic partners across Europe and beyond to advance response diversity research and translate new knowledge into ecosystem management, restoration, and biodiversity policy. The Doctoral Candidate will contribute to this effort by investigating the relationship between the structural organization of ecological networks and response diversity.

Research Project DC2: Species interaction networks and response diversity in soundscapes

Response diversity describes the variation in how individuals, species, or functional groups respond to environmental change and the concept is increasingly recognised as a key driver of ecosystem resilience. Understanding and promoting response diversity is therefore essential for conserving biodiversity and supporting resilient ecosystems in a changing world.

Acoustic monitoring provides a powerful, non-invasive way to track species and their interactions over time. DC2 will use a unique 10-year acoustic dataset from Okinawa, Japan, to investigate how species interactions and network structure shape response diversity under environmental change. The project will develop and apply AI and machine-learning methods to infer interaction networks from acoustic co-occurrence and activity patterns, and analyse their structural properties to link topology to response diversity. These will be used to study how interactions and response diversity change along an urbanisation gradient and testing how network architecture buffers or amplifies the effects of disturbance. 

Your work assignments

• Apply and develop network-analytic methods to characterise network structure and analyse how it relates to response diversity under environmental change
• Develop and apply AI and machine-learning methods to identify and quantify species interactions from acoustic recordings.
• Construct ecological interaction networks from the inferred acoustic data.
• Contribute actively to scientific discussions and collaborations within the research group and the wider ReDiLEEP network.
• Produce scientific publications and present your research at international conferences and network meetings.
• Participate actively in ReDiLEEP network training, secondments, dissemination, reporting, and cohort activities.

As a PhD student, you devote most of your time to doctoral studies and the research projects of which you are part. Your work may also include teaching or other departmental duties, up to a maximum of 20 per cent of full-time.

Secondments and Network Training

The position includes 9 months of planned secondments:

• 4 months at Earth Species Project: Develop AI pipeline for acoustic data processing
• 3 months at Kyoto University: Hypothesis testing with Okinawan data
• 2 months at Think Nature: Use sound/network data as insight for green transitions

Your qualifications

The candidate must have:

• Graduated at Master’s level in ecology, biology, applied mathematics, computational science, data science or completed courses with a minimum of 240 credits, at least 60 of which must be in advanced courses in ecology, biology, applied mathematics, computational science, data science. Alternatively, you have gained essentially corresponding knowledge in another way.
• Strong interest in theoretical ecology, ecological networks, response diversity, ecosystem stability, and the application of AI and machine learning to ecological questions.
• Experience with scientific programming, quantitative analysis, or computational modelling, preferably using R, Python, C++, or comparable tools.
• Interest in working with large ecological datasets and developing computational approaches to understand ecological responses.
• Ability to work independently while contributing constructively to an international, interdisciplinary doctoral network.
• Excellent written and spoken English and strong scientific writing skills.

Experience with bioacoustics, machine learning, ecological network analysis, signal processing, or analysis of large ecological datasets is an advantage.

A letter of intent should be attached to the application to support the above mentioned experiences and interests.

MSCA Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must meet the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network eligibility requirements at the recruitment date:

• Applicants must not already hold a doctoral degree.
• Applicants must be doctoral candidates and be enrolled, or eligible to be enrolled, in a doctoral programme at Linköping University
• Applicants must work full-time and exclusively for the ReDiLEEP project during the appointment, in accordance with the applicable MSCA rules.
• Mobility rule: applicants must not have resided or carried out their main activity, such as work or studies, in Sweden for more than 12 months during the 36 months immediately before the recruitment date.
• Exceptions to the mobility rule apply for compulsory national service, refugee status, and temporary protection.

Your workplace

What We Offer

• A 48-month full-time doctoral position at Linköping University within an international MSCA Doctoral Networks.
• Supervision by Prof. Anna Eklöf, with access to expertise in theoretical and community ecology, ecological networks, biodiversity, and mathematical and computational modelling.
• A stimulating research environment combining bioacoustics, ecological theory, mathematical modelling, network science, and empirical ecology.
• International secondments with academic and non-academic partners, plus network-wide training, mentoring, and opportunities for international collaboration.
• A position in a diverse team of international researchers, with a friendly and collaborative work environment and access to state-of-the-art research infrastructure.
• Relocation and integration support for international researchers through Linköping University and EURAXESS.

The employment

When taking up the post, you will be admitted to the program for doctoral studies. More information about the doctoral studies at each faculty is available at Doctoral studies at Linköping University

The employment has a duration of normally four years’ full-time equivalent. Extension of employment up to five years is based on the degree of teaching and institutional assignment. Further extensions may be granted in exceptional circumstances. You will initially be employed for one year, after which your employment will be renewed for a maximum of two years at a time, depending on your progress through the study plan. 

Salary and employment benefits

The position is funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Networks framework and will follow the applicable MSCA Doctoral Network conditions and Linköping University employment regulations.

• Gross salary: In accordance with the regulation of the Marie Curie Fellowship
• Duration: 48 months, full-time.
• Place of work: Linköping University, Sweden
• Start of employment: Feb 1^st 2027 The appointment is subject to final MSCA eligibility verification, doctoral programme enrolment, and completion of Linköping University administrative onboarding.

More information about employment benefits at Linköping University is available here.

Union representatives

Information about union representatives, see Help for applicants.

Application procedure

Apply for the position by clicking the “Apply” button below. Your application must reach Linköping University no later than 5 October, 2026.

Applications and documents received after the date above will not be considered.