Research Associate / PhD Student (m/f/x) in Tropical tree ecophysiology and tree water relations

TUD Dresden University of Technology, as a University of Excellence, is one of the leading and most dynamic research institutions in the country. For TUD diversity is an essential feature and a quality criterion of an excellent university. Accordingly, we welcome all applicants who would like to commit themselves, their achievements and productivity to the success of the whole institution.

Within the DFG-funded interdisciplinary research unit GArua : " Fog-dependent water relations and plant invasion in the Galápagos Archipelago under climate change " (), the Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Department of Forest Sciences, Institute of Forest Botany and Forest Zoology, Chair of Forest Botany offers a position as

Research Associate / PhD Student (m/f/x) in Tropical tree ecophysiology and tree water relations (subject to personal qualification, employees are remunerated according to salary group E 13 TV-L)

starting January 1, 2027 . The position is limited until July 31, 2030, with the possibility of extension up to a total employment duration of four years and entails 65% of the full-time weekly hours. The period of employment is governed by the Fixed Term Research Contracts Act (Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz - WissZeitVG). The position offers the chance to obtain further academic qualification (usually PhD).

Tasks: Within this collaborative research project, the research associate will be responsible for the installation and maintenance of sap flow sensors and automated dendrometers for quantifying tree water use and status of native and exotic shrub and tree species, for hydraulic characterization as well as for several measurement campaigns.

Requirements:

• an excellent university degree in forest or plant ecology, ecophysiology, environmental sciences, or a related discipline with field and/or lab experience
• willingness for several long-term stays at the Charles Darwin Research Station, main island of the Galapagos Archipelago, Ecuador, as well as to familiarize oneself with technical installations and sensor networks
• capability for intensive fieldwork campaigns in harsh environmental conditions is essential while advanced understanding of tree water relations is a plus
• proven scientific writing skills is essential, while advanced knowledge in statistical analyses with R is a plus
• proven experience in working in diverse teams, team-oriented and willing to learn and work independently
• advanced command of English is essential while basic knowledge of Spanish and/or German is desirable

We offer:

• joint doctoral studies together with further PhD student in other subprojects working on Galapagos
• an inspiring, international and interdisciplinary working environment, specialized in forest and plant ecology, ecophysiology and plant hydraulics
• attractive working conditions and opportunities for further professional development at TUD

For project-related questions, please contact Prof. Dr. Bernhard Schuldt ( [email protected] ).

TUD strives to employ more women in academia and research. We therefore expressly encourage women to apply. The university is a family-friendly university. We welcome applications from candidates with disabilities. If multiple candidates prove to be equally qualified, those with disabilities or with equivalent status pursuant to the German Social Code IX (SGB IX) will receive priority for employment.

Application: Please submit your detailed application with the usual documents (among others motivation letter, curriculum vitae, certificates and grades) by October 31, 2026 (time stamp on the email server of TUD applies) exclusively by email, preferably via the TUD SecureMail Portal , by sending it as a single pdf file to [email protected] . Expenses incurred in attending interviews cannot be reimbursed.

Reference to data protection: Your data protection rights, the purpose for which your data will be processed, as well as further information about data protection is available to you on the website: .

Company

TU Dresden

Excellence – A matter close to our hearts

Excellence? Elitism? Opportunity or risk? The Excellence Programme, initially launched in 2005 by the German government has aroused passionate debate right from the start and still has the potential to polarise opinion.

TU Dresden (TUD) looks at it this way: excellence is all about performance and having the right attitude. For everyone here at TU Dresden – one of eleven Universities of Excellence in Germany since 2012 – it is also a matter very close to our hearts. Firstly because of the extra motivation and impetus generated, and secondly, because of the way we handle this role.

Our vision for the future can be summed up as follows: “Let us become one of the leading centres for research and teaching, with our own individual character and a special talent for networking, able to attract the best minds in Germany and from further afield.” After all, it is a well-known fact that excellence in research and teaching presupposes excellent conditions. Or, to put it figuratively, for excellent crop yields, you need the right soil and weather.

TU Dresden is a comprehensive university with 18 faculties and works in close collaboration with its top performers: three Clusters of Excellence, including the “Centre for Tactile Internet” (CeTI) , the Cluster “Complexity and Topology in Quantum Matter” (ct.qmat) and the Cluster “Physics of Life” (PoL) . The guiding principle here is that strong individual elements become even stronger when they work together.

The vision for the future takes this principle beyond the confines of the university: with the research network DRESDEN-concept ( D resden R esearch and E ducation S ynergies for the D evelopment of E xcellence and N ovelty), TU Dresden has been creating an alliance of research and cultural facilities in the city, an “excellent playground for excellent people”. This bond is unique in Germany and has evolved over many years. It is not necessary to create anything new here, as it is simply a matter of building further storeys on top of an already solid structure. The measures envisaged as part of the DRESDEN-concept contribute to the overall development of TU Dresden and form an integral part of the university strategy.

Excellence is understood and practised in Dresden as an opportunity for the entire university, and in this spirit, TU Dresden takes those measures that lead to excellence – by the university, for the university – in cooperation with colleagues here and all over the world. But at the same time neither elitist nor exclusive. TUD’s excellence comes from the heart – from and for our about 32,400 students, 600 professors and about 8,400 members of staff. In this way, excellence becomes the basis, the objective, the approach and the driving force. And that’s why being a top performer can also be so rewarding and enjoyable.

Campus Image © Nils Eisfeld

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Location

Dresden
01069 Dresden
Germany