Junior research scientistcientist in nutrition and feeding practices of ruminants in agropastoral systems

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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 Mediterranean and Tropical Livestock Systems (SELMET) joint research unit conducts research to support the transition of livestock systems in a large spectrum of farming systems, including agropastoral scenarios. The unit, located at several sites, brings together staffs from INRAE, CIRAD, and Institut Agro. In Montpellier, you will join the “Animals, Resources, Environment” (ARE) group, composed of around twenty permanent scientists. 
Your research project will focus on understanding and decrypting mechanisms behind of the ruminants’ response to feeding regimes, depending on their physiological stage, at different productive cycles and throughout the productive career. Initially, and using sheep as model, you are expected to focus on i) the behavioral and physiological mechanisms involved in feed resources acquisition (exploration, sorting, selection and ingestion) and ii) feed efficiency (digestion and metabolism), including body reserve dynamics, related biological functions and the effect of the genetic background. As methodological support, you will add value of digital tools for phenotyping goals, as well as of the INRA feeding system for ruminants to predict animals’ responses in different animal categories. Then, you are expected to propose new, alternative feeding and nutrition practices to cope with the variability of feed and forage resources naturally induced in agropastoral context and enhanced by climate change. In the overall interpretation, you will apply a systemic approach and consider the intraflock variability in the individual responses over time, depending on feeding and management practices in the agropastoral farming systems of Mediterranean and tropical settings. Then, you will have to consider different time periods (month, season), physiological stages (growth, pregnancy, suckling, lactation) and organization levels (biological function, individual, herd or farm). The focus will be in ruminants, either with dairy or meat productive purposes. You will develop collaborations to include the regional scale, with the objective to reconcile efficiency and resilience objectives in farming systems, when facing global challenges (e.g., climate) and local typologies (e.g., certifications, socio-economic contexts).

Training and skills

PhD level or equivalent. Initial training in animal science and in-depth knowledge in nutrition or feeding practices are essential. If you do not already have experience in animal experimentation, you will need to be trained to enable you to conduct animal experimentations. Fluency in English is highly desirable, as is long-term international experience: successful candidates who have not already had such experience will be required to undertake a period of study abroad at the end of the placement 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 Guide for applicants 2026 pdf - 1.41 MB
2. I write down the profile number CR26-PHASE-1
3. I apply GO