Junior research scientist on agronomy applied to grasslands

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INRAE presentation

INRAE, the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment, is a public research organization bringing together 12,000 employees across 272 units in 18 centers across France. As the world’s leading institute specializing in agriculture, food, and the environment, INRAE plays a key role in supporting the necessary transitions to address global challenges.

Faced with population growth, food security challenges, climate change, resource depletion, and biodiversity loss, INRAE is committed to developing scientific solutions and supporting the evolution of agricultural, food, and environmental practices.

INRAE is recruiting researchers by open competition and offering permanent position.

Work environment, missions and activities

The Joint Research Unit "Soils, Agricultural and Hydrological Systems, Spatialisation" (UMR SAS) conducts research on interactions between agriculture and the environment, from the scale of the field to that of the agricultural region, mainly in agricultural contexts with livestock farming. In this research unit, your role will be to generate knowledge on the contribution of lowland (i.e. non-mountain) grasslands to the agroecological transition of farming systems. The aim will be to design grasslands (botanical composition, management methods) adapted to different agroecological production systems, with or without livestock, and for different uses (feeding animals through grazing or mowing, producing energy or biomolecules, etc.). The synergy between approaches in systems agronomy and functional ecology will enable you to select grassland species and define management practices as a function of the ecosystem services desired. You will develop a framework for assessing the services provided by grasslands and their contribution to the sustainability and resilience of production systems. You will be able to study services related to production (biomass and proteins), the regulation of biogeochemical cycles (carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus), as well as soil, water and air quality, drawing on the skills of the SAS joint research unit, or those relating to the socio-economic aspects of sustainability and resilience via collaborations with other research units. Your activities may involve identifying innovations and setting up systems to acquire field data. Your scientific results will revitalize the role of grasslands in the agroecological transition of production systems in a context of declining livestock numbers and climate change.

Driving licence recommended. Temporary exposure to grass pollen in the field.

Training and skills

Competition open to candidates with a doctorate (or equivalent). You have solid agronomic skills and a strong interest in interdisciplinarity, particularly at the agronomy-functional ecology interface.
You are keen to perform observations and experiments in the field.
You have the good interpersonal skills needed to manage multi-stakeholder projects.
Candidates should have a good command of English and French (both written and spoken), and long-term international experience would also be desirable. Successful candidates who have not yet acquired this experience abroad will be required to do so after their probationary period (1st year).

INRAE's life quality

By joining our teams, you benefit from:

- 30 days of annual leave + 15 days "Reduction of Working Time" (for a full time);
- parenting support: CESU childcare, leisure services;
- skills development systems: training, career advise;
- social support: advice and listening, social assistance and loans;
- holiday and leisure services: holiday vouchers, accommodation at preferential rates;
- sports and cultural activities;
- collective catering.

For international scientists: please visit your guide to facilitate your arrival and stay at INRAE. 

How to apply

1. I download the applicant guide Application guidelines CRCN 2025 pdf - 3.93 MB
2. I write down the profile number CR-2025-AGROECOSYSTEM-9
3. I apply GO