Postdoc Global mapping of Natural and Anthropogenic Erosion

Join us!

Erosion constantly reshapes landscapes in response to tectonics, climate, and human land use. Today, excessive erosion driven by human activities has become an urgent global challenge with far-reaching environmental and societal consequences. Each year, fertile cropland with an area ~2.5 times the size of the Netherlands is lost, making erosion the leading driver of global land degradation.

This project aims to quantify erosion across a wide range of temporal scales, from millions of years to human timescales. It will evaluate potential biases among different measurement approaches—including thermochronology, cosmogenic nuclides, and suspended sediment records—and apply advanced statistical analyses and erosion modelling to identify key drivers of erosion through time. A central component involves compiling and synthesizing published datasets and leveraging open databases to enable large‑scale, high-resolution (near‑global) predictions of erosion patterns.

In addition, the generation of new data, for example through remote sensing of suspended sediment, is encouraged and offers exciting research opportunities.

The 41‑month position also offers considerable intellectual freedom for experienced researchers to pursue their own ideas, provided these align with the objectives of the Landscape Dynamics group. Led by Dr. Richard Ott, the group investigates the evolution of erosional landscapes and the use of geomorphic archives to reconstruct and predict past and future landscape dynamics. As a growing research group, it provides opportunities to strengthen your academic profile through (co‑) supervision of PhD, MSc, and BSc students, as well as teaching (if desired).

Especially attractive is the opportunity to collaborate with PhD researchers who are reconstructing the paleo‑topography of the Northern Andes and investigating its influence on regional biodiversity.

• Compiling and analyzing large erosion data sets (thermochronology, cosmogenic nuclides, suspended sediment, etc.)
• Statistical modelling of data to analyze drivers and make local and/or global predictions
• Model relevant processes (e.g., bedload sediment transport, sediment connectivity)
• Mentor MSc and BSc students (potentially also PhD researchers)
• If desired, take on teaching responsibilities in the field of landscape dynamics

• You have a PhD in Earth Sciences, Geography, or a related field
• You have a background or strong affinity with geomorphology (erosion, sediment transport/deposition, landscape change)
• You enjoy working with large datasets and applying statistical analysis and modelling approaches
• You use scripting/programming in your research (e.g. Python, R, Matlab, Google Earth Engine)
• You are comfortable compiling, managing, and analysing diverse datasets from different sources
• You enjoy collaborating in interdisciplinary research environments and support or mentor student researchers

We offer a temporary employment contract for preferably 38 hours per week for a period of 1 year, with the possibility to extend the contract for another 29 months upon a positive evaluation of your performance. The preferred starting date is November 2026 but can be discussed. For this position the University Job Classification profile is Researcher level 4 applies. The gross monthly salary, based on 38 hours per week and dependent on relevant experience, ranges between €3,546 to €5,538 (scale 10).

In addition, you will receive an 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% year‑end allowance. A favourable tax agreement, the ‘30% ruling’, may apply to non‑Dutch applicants. The Collective Labour Agreement of Universities of the Netherlands is applicable.

Besides the salary and a vibrant and challenging environment at Science Park we offer you multiple fringe benefits:

• 232 holiday hours per year (based on fulltime) and extra holidays between Christmas and 1 January
• Multiple courses to follow from our Teaching and Learning Centre
• A complete educational program for postdocs
• Multiple courses on topics such as leadership for academic staff
• Multiple courses on topics such as time management, handling stress and an online learning…