Postdoctoral position OT-27108
Post-doctoral position: development of predictive indicators assessing impacts of agricultural landscape structure and field management on biodiversity
68000 Colmar
INRAE presentation
The French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment (INRAE) is a major player in research and innovation. It is a community of 12,000 people with 272 research, experimental research, and support units located in 18 regional centres throughout France. Internationally, INRAE is among the top research organisations in the agricultural and food sciences, plant and animal sciences, as well as in ecology and environmental science. It is the world’s leading research organisation specialising in agriculture, food and the environment. INRAE’s goal is to be a key player in the transitions necessary to address major global challenges. Faced with a growing world population, climate change, resource scarcity, and declining biodiversity, the Institute has a major role to play in building solutions and supporting the necessary acceleration of agricultural, food and environmental transitions.
Work environment, missions and activities
You will be in charge of developing predictive indicators of the impact of agricultural landscape structure (composition and configuration) and cropping/grassland systems (tillage, pesticide and fertilizer use, grassland management etc.) on biodiversity. These indicators will be based on a model taking in to account the effect of management options at field and landscape levels, as well as their interactions, on richness or abundance of different taxonomic groups (birds, wild bees, earthworms, plants etc.). This model will be built using a combination of data mining and literature review. The latter will allow filling gaps left by the data mining approach (e.g. lack of variability in the percentage of organic fields). The literature research will focus on the most recent knowledge on the effects of landscape variables and practices on biodiversity, as well as interactions between field and landscape management variables. The validity of the model will be tested by comparing its output with in-situ data on biodiversity. A sensitivity analysis will also be conducted to assess how uncertainties in the weight of management options and their interactions may impact model outcomes. Biodiversity indicators will be included in the integrated assessment and modelling platform MAELIA (https://www.maelia-iam.fr/) to carry out dynamic multicriteria assessment of farming system sustainability.
You will be in charge of conducting the following tasks, in interaction with the scientists of the project:
- conducting the literature search, collating and analysing data sets, developing the operational model, conducting sensitivity analysis
- publishing and presenting the method and the tool in international congress.
You will be based at the LAE unit (Laboratory Agronomy and Environment) at the INRAE Grand-Est Colmar center. Within LAE, you will join a group of researchers working on the agroecological transition of agricultural systems by characterizing, modelling, evaluating and studying trade-off between bioeconomic and agroecological goals (Axis 3).
The research work will be carried out as part of the EMOTIONS project (2025-2028), funded by the French Agency for Ecological Transition and the CEDRE (2026-2030) project funded by the Agralife Agency steered by INRAE to coordinate the French research on agriculture. The project will be run by Christian Bockstaller and Olivier Therond (INRAE-LAE), in collaboration with Clélia Sirami (INRAE-Dynafor).
Training and skills
▪ Recommended training: PhD in agronomic and/or ecological sciences
▪ Knowledge required: Agroecology, impact of agriculture on biodiversity, modelling and R coding,
▪ Appreciated experience: data mining and GIS.
▪ Skills sought: Ability to manage a scientific project; scientific writing; good communication and team interaction; thoroughness and respect of deadlines
INRAE's life quality
By joining our teams, you benefit from (depending on the type of contract and its duration):
- up to 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.
How to apply
I send my CV and my motivation letter
All persons employed by or hosted at INRAE, a public research establishment, are subject to the Civil Service Code, particularly with regard to the obligation of neutrality and respect for the principle of secularism. In carrying out their functions, whether or not they are in contact with the public, they must not express their religious, philosophical or political convictions through their behaviour or by what they wear. > Find out more: fonction publique.gouv.fr website (in French)