Junior research scientist in poultry nutrition

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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 Avian Biology and Poultry Research unit (BOA), located near Tours, conducts research on bird biology from the molecular level to the animal in its environment. You will join the Genetics, Nutrition and Systems team (GENUTS), which is composed of seven scientists and three technicians. The team’s objective is to develop nutritional and genetic solutions that ensure the multi-performance and resilience of poultry farming systems.
Your research project will aim to develop new feeding strategies ensuring the match between nutrient intake and nutrient requirements of birds under various farming conditions. Initially, you will focus on describing and understanding feeding behaviour and the fate of ingested nutrients. You will adopt a modelling approach on nutrients partitioning, and will associate your models with those already available in the team, which address nutrient digestion and absorption. To achieve this, you will analyse data from high-throughput experimental devices that measure feed intake and body composition. Next, you will design new feeding strategies to cope with changes in the birds' requirements over time and variations in their husbandry conditions, particularly temperature. You will test these strategies in silico using the models you previously designed, and will evaluate experimentally their effects on birds’ responses. In the longer term, you will integrate the physical activity of birds into your models to design feeding strategies. You may also develop research on water intake. You will benefit from the expertise of your team and national and international networks in nutrition and modelling.

Training and skills

PhD degree or equivalent. In-depth knowledge of animal feeding or nutrition is required. Skills in data analysis and data integration will also be needed. If you have not already done so, you will need to undergo training to enable you to conduct animal experiments. 
Fluency in English is essential, and a long-term international experience highly desirable: 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.

Your future role explained in video

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-5
3. I apply GO