2 PhD positions in Quaternary Palaeoecology / chironomid-base climate reconstruction
100% / Possible date of entry: July 2026
The Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel invites applicati-
ons for two PhD positions in the research group Geoecology. Where have
warm-adapted ecosystems and organisms survived unfavorable conditions in the
past? What were the environments that characterized such refugial areas during
the Quaternary Ice Ages? How and with which dynamics did warm-adapted or-
ganisms expand from these areas under warming climate after the ice ages?
These are central questions for both Biogeography and Quaternary Palaeoeco-
logy, and the answers provide the basis for predictions of ecosystem and species
response to future climatic change.
Your position
We are looking for PhD candidates that will work towards resolving these re-
search questions in the interdisciplinary SNF research project ECO-ICE. The
project will collect, analyse and interpret new lake sediment records from key re-
fugial localities covering the Last Glacial Maximum. This will allow a revised as-
sessment of the survival of temperate tree populations in Europe and their
response to major climatic variations during and after the last ice age. The suc-
cessful candidates will develop high-resolution palaeoecological records of aqua-
tic invertebrate assemblage change, particularly focusing on the remains of
chironomid (non-biting midge) larvae. Based on these sensitive temperature indi-
cators, they will develop quantitative reconstructions of glacial temperatures
using multivariate statistical methods, results that will be compared with other, in-
dependent temperature reconstructions, high-resolution palaeobotanical records,
and vegetation modelling scenarios developed by project partners. This research
will be essential for developing new palaeoclimate scenarios for ice age Europe,
for understanding ice age ecosystems, and for reassessing the ice age refugia
and postglacial expansion of temperate trees in Europe.
The two PhD students will work in close collaboration with six other PhD candi-
dates at the Universities of Basel and Bern and contribute to fieldwork in Wes-
tern, Central and Southern Europe, sedimentological analyses and dating of ice
age lake sediment records. They will produce records of fossil chironomid as-
semblage change, identifying chironomid and other aquatic invertebrate remains
under the microscope, and develop ecological and numerical interpretations of
the results. They will take the main responsibility for developing palaeoecological
temperature records at key project sites and, together with other PhD students
and project partners, contribute to the overall interpretation of the project results.
The positions are funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF) for
four years and salaries will follow SNF guidelines (https://www.snf.ch/en).
Your profile
Applicants should hold an MSc in Earth or Environmental Sciences, Physical
Geography, Ecology, Quaternary Science, Paleoecology, or a related field.
Experience in paleolimnology, palaeoecology, limnology, microfossil analysis
and/or sediment work would be an advantage. Candidates should be motivated
to conduct fieldwork abroad and have good English language skills. Good
communication and organizational skills, willingness to take on responsibility for
individual subprojects and motivation to work in an interdisciplinary team
environment are essential.
Application / Contact
Please submit your complete application documents, including a letter of motiva-
tion, CV, copies of academic qualifications and contact details for three referees
via our online recruiting platform. We accept online applications only.
A first evaluation of applications will start on April 24, 2026, and continue until the positi-
ons have been filled. For enquiries please contact Prof. Dr. Oliver Heiri
(oliver.heiri@unibas.ch), for more information on the Geoecology group please
visit https://duw.unibas.ch/en/research-groups/geoecology/. We aim to start the
project by 1 July 2026.
www.unibas.ch