PhD position in soil–pollinator interactions and pollinator responses to grassland management
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PhD position in soil–pollinator interactions and pollinator responses to grassland management
Applicants are invited for a PhD fellowship/scholarship at Graduate School of Technical Sciences, Aarhus University, Denmark, within the Agroecology programme. The position is available from 01 August 2026 or later. You can submit your application via the link under 'how to apply'.
Title:
PhD position in soil–pollinator interactions and pollinator responses to grassland management
Research area and project description:
Pollinators contribute significantly to agricultural production, ecosystem functioning, and biodiversity. However, many pollinator groups remain poorly studied, particularly species whose life cycles depend on soil habitats. Soil-dependent pollinators — including many bees, hoverflies, moths, and other taxa — are influenced not only by floral resources but also by the physical, chemical, and biological properties of the soils they use for shelter and development. Agricultural intensification, soil disturbance, and land-use change may therefore affect these species through both above-ground and below-ground processes.
This PhD position is linked to the Horizon Europe project ProPollSoil and the Interreg project Land2Value. The PhD student will join an interdisciplinary research environment investigating how soil characteristics and management decisions influence pollinator communities and biodiversity in agricultural landscapes.
The project will address two main research components.
Soil–pollinator interactions: The student will investigate how soil properties and soil-related stressors influence soil-dependent pollinators. This work will include compiling and analyzing datasets on soil dependencies, species traits, and habitat associations, and examining how management practices and stakeholder behavior influence soil conditions relevant to pollinator communities.
Pollinator responses to grassland management regimes: The student will conduct field studies in Danish agricultural landscapes to examine how different grassland management regimes affect pollinator communities at the field scale. The work will include monitoring pollinator abundance and diversity, as well as plant–pollinator interactions, using automated monitoring approaches combined with vegetation surveys, farmer surveys, and landscape-level data.
Overall, the project aims to improve understanding of how soil conditions, agricultural management, and landscape context shape pollinator communities in agroecosystems shaped by management decisions. The results are expected to contribute to the development of management recommendations that support pollinator habitats and biodiversity in agricultural landscapes.
Project description: For technical reasons, you must upload a project description. Please simply copy the project description above and upload it as a PDF in the application.
Qualifications and specific competences:
We invite applications from enthusiastic and motivated candidates with a strong academic background to join our research team and contribute to advancing knowledge on pollinators. Applicants should hold a master’s degree (or equivalent) in agroecology, biology, entomology, or a related discipline. We are particularly interested in candidates with knowledge of pollinators—and experience in ecological, biological and sociological data collection and analysis. Familiarity with data handling in R or similar coding environments is an advantage.
The ideal candidate will demonstrate the ability to address complex interdisciplinary research questions, including designing experiments and interpreting results within the broader context of ecosystem dynamics. Strong written and spoken English skills are essential, as is the ability to produce scientific publications. Experience in communicating scientific concepts to both academic and general audiences will be highly valued.
We are looking for someone who is proactive, collaborative, and eager to contribute to interdisciplinary and international research teams. A willingness to take initiative, seek guidance when needed, and engage constructively with colleagues is important. As a PhD student at Aarhus University, you will be part of a vibrant academic and social community. We expect you to be an active and engaged member of our research environment, contributing positively to both the scientific and collegial atmosphere.
Place of employment and place of work:
The place of employment is Aarhus University, and the place of work is Ole Worms Allé 3, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
Contacts:
Applicants seeking further information regarding the PhD position are invited to contact:
For information about application requirements and mandatory attachments, please see our application guide. If answers cannot be found there, please contact:
How to apply:
Please follow this link to submit your application.
Application deadline is 17 April 2026 at 23:59 CEST.
Preferred starting date is 01 August 2026.
Please note:
Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants. All interested candidates are encouraged to apply, regardless of their personal background. Salary and terms of employment are in accordance with applicable collective agreement.
Title:
PhD position in soil–pollinator interactions and pollinator responses to grassland management
Research area and project description:
Pollinators contribute significantly to agricultural production, ecosystem functioning, and biodiversity. However, many pollinator groups remain poorly studied, particularly species whose life cycles depend on soil habitats. Soil-dependent pollinators — including many bees, hoverflies, moths, and other taxa — are influenced not only by floral resources but also by the physical, chemical, and biological properties of the soils they use for shelter and development. Agricultural intensification, soil disturbance, and land-use change may therefore affect these species through both above-ground and below-ground processes.
This PhD position is linked to the Horizon Europe project ProPollSoil and the Interreg project Land2Value. The PhD student will join an interdisciplinary research environment investigating how soil characteristics and management decisions influence pollinator communities and biodiversity in agricultural landscapes.
The project will address two main research components.
Soil–pollinator interactions: The student will investigate how soil properties and soil-related stressors influence soil-dependent pollinators. This work will include compiling and analyzing datasets on soil dependencies, species traits, and habitat associations, and examining how management practices and stakeholder behavior influence soil conditions relevant to pollinator communities.
Pollinator responses to grassland management regimes: The student will conduct field studies in Danish agricultural landscapes to examine how different grassland management regimes affect pollinator communities at the field scale. The work will include monitoring pollinator abundance and diversity, as well as plant–pollinator interactions, using automated monitoring approaches combined with vegetation surveys, farmer surveys, and landscape-level data.
Overall, the project aims to improve understanding of how soil conditions, agricultural management, and landscape context shape pollinator communities in agroecosystems shaped by management decisions. The results are expected to contribute to the development of management recommendations that support pollinator habitats and biodiversity in agricultural landscapes.
Project description: For technical reasons, you must upload a project description. Please simply copy the project description above and upload it as a PDF in the application.
Qualifications and specific competences:
We invite applications from enthusiastic and motivated candidates with a strong academic background to join our research team and contribute to advancing knowledge on pollinators. Applicants should hold a master’s degree (or equivalent) in agroecology, biology, entomology, or a related discipline. We are particularly interested in candidates with knowledge of pollinators—and experience in ecological, biological and sociological data collection and analysis. Familiarity with data handling in R or similar coding environments is an advantage.
The ideal candidate will demonstrate the ability to address complex interdisciplinary research questions, including designing experiments and interpreting results within the broader context of ecosystem dynamics. Strong written and spoken English skills are essential, as is the ability to produce scientific publications. Experience in communicating scientific concepts to both academic and general audiences will be highly valued.
We are looking for someone who is proactive, collaborative, and eager to contribute to interdisciplinary and international research teams. A willingness to take initiative, seek guidance when needed, and engage constructively with colleagues is important. As a PhD student at Aarhus University, you will be part of a vibrant academic and social community. We expect you to be an active and engaged member of our research environment, contributing positively to both the scientific and collegial atmosphere.
Place of employment and place of work:
The place of employment is Aarhus University, and the place of work is Ole Worms Allé 3, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
Contacts:
Applicants seeking further information regarding the PhD position are invited to contact:
- Claus Rasmussen, claus.rasmussen@agro.au.dk (main supervisor)
- Martin H. Thorsøe, martinh.thorsoe@agro.au.dk (co-supervisor)
For information about application requirements and mandatory attachments, please see our application guide. If answers cannot be found there, please contact:
How to apply:
Please follow this link to submit your application.
Application deadline is 17 April 2026 at 23:59 CEST.
Preferred starting date is 01 August 2026.
Please note:
- Only documents received prior to the application deadline will be evaluated. Thus, documents sent after deadline will not be taken into account.
- The programme committee may request further information or invite the applicant to attend an interview.
- Shortlisting will be used, which means that the evaluation committee only will evaluate the most relevant applications.
Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants. All interested candidates are encouraged to apply, regardless of their personal background. Salary and terms of employment are in accordance with applicable collective agreement.