External Job Announcement Reg.-Nr. 4-7229/26-D Modern, interconnected, conscious of tradition: Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) is the oldest and largest university in the State of Saxony-Anhalt with a history dating back more than 500 years. Today more than 20,000 students are enrolled at the university. MLU’s core research areas are in the nanosciences and biosciences, the Enlightenment, as well as in social and cultural research. The university is also home to a range of small disciplines, some of which can be found nowhere else in Germany. The university has excellent national and international ties, and works closely together with leading research institutes, industry, and more than 250 universities around the world. The Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, in cooperation with the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, offers the following position, starting as soon as possible (preferably 1 October 2026) and for 36 months: **PhD Researcher for TERRAMARE (m/f/d)** as part-time employment (65%). Place of work: Leipzig, Biodiversity Conservation Research Group, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig. Remuneration will be determined based on job duties and responsibilities and will be aligned with the fulfillment of listed personal requirements, up to pay grade 13 under the TV-L (Tarifvertrag für den Öffentlichen Dienst der Länder – 'German Public Service Pay Agreement for the Federal States') or TV-Ärzte ('Public Service Pay Agreement for Physicians at University Hospitals'). The project and research group: This position is affiliated with the Biodiversity Conservation Professorship of Prof. Henrique Pereira. The Biodiversity Conservation group investigates patterns and processes of global biodiversity change, with the goal of informing environmental policy and management of ecosystems. For more information, please visit our lab website: www.idiv.de/research/idiv\_core\_groups/biodiversity\_conservation.html. This position is funded by the Horizon Europe research project “TERRAMARE - Integrated Terrestrial and Marine Decision Support Tool for the Assessment of Resource Use Trade-Offs in Europe”. TERRAMARE aims to develop a scientifically robust but easily usable tool, entitled “LOTUS” that allows stakeholder and policy-makers to evaluate trade-offs in the uses of different sources of biomass on land and sea for addressing food and fiber needs, effects of and on climate change, the state of biodiversity, overall indicators of environmental health, competition with energy uses, and economic objectives. Within a co-creation framework, TERRAMARE will apply the tool to evaluate stakeholder-relevant scenarios, demonstrate the effects of feasibility, viability and social desirability of policy options, and generate new knowledge on viable solutions to land and sea use competition in Europe. The successful candidate will carry out a PhD project aimed at expanding the countryside species-area relationship (cSAR) to address the impacts of climate change. The person will also develop an R package that allows users to make projections for different land-use configurations and climate scenarios. Finally, the researcher will develop a mechanistic model for the dynamics of the cSAR. Tasks: • Develop an analytical approach to incorporate the impacts of climate on the cSAR • Develop a mechanistic model for the cSAR • Carry out cSAR projections for the different policy scenarios developed with Terramare stakeholders • Participate in project meetings and activities with stakeholders • Write scientific papers of the research • Contribute to writing the project deliverables Requirements: • A scientific University degree (Diploma/ M.Sc.) in biology, environmental science, or a related field • Excellent ecological modelling skills, including knowledge of relevant ecological theory • Experience with individual based models and/or the countryside species-area relationship • Excellent programming skills in R or Julia • Strong communication skills in English The Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg gives priority to applications from severely disabled candidates with equivalent qualifications. Women are particularly encouraged to apply. Applicants with a degree that was not obtained at a German higher education institution must submit a Statement of Comparability for Foreign Higher Education Qualifications from the Central Office for Foreign Education (Zentralstelle für ausländisches Bildungswesen) to prove equivalence. This Statement can also be submitted after successful completion of the hiring process. Queries concerning the application process should be directed to annett.masur@idiv.de. For queries about the research project please contact Prof. Henrique M. Pereira (hpereira@idiv.de). Please submit your full application dossier in English with registration number 4-7229/26-D until 04.08.2026. Applications should be submitted via our iDiv application portal at https://apply.idiv.de. Applications should include a motivation letter tailored to the research project, a curriculum vitae, a digital copy of Master’s degree/Diploma, a publication record and names of two senior scientists who could serve as possible references. Application portfolios will not be returned, application costs will not be reimbursed. This announcement is subject to possible budgetary restrictions. iDiv is committed to establishing and maintaining a diverse and inclusive community that collectively supports and implements our mission to do great science. We will welcome, recruit, develop, and advance talented staff from diverse genders and backgrounds.

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