MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship - Aquatic Ecology

Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg

Organisation / Company Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg Department Aquatic Ecology Is the Hosting related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg and the EU-Competence Network invite candidates to apply for a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship and our MC² Marie Curie Coaching Programme.

Host Offer

Prof. Dr. Dominik Martin-Creuzberg
Chair of Aquatic Ecology

Research

We investigate fundamental ecological relationships in standing (lakes and ponds) and flowing freshwater ecosystems (rivers and streams). Our focus includes quantifying material and energy fluxes within aquatic ecosystems as well as across ecosystem boundaries (aquatic-terrestrial coupling). This involves the transfer of biomass, but also the transfer of essential nutrients, such as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in the food web. Another focus is on studying anthropogenic influences (climate change, water quality, hydromorphological changes) on our surface waters, including the use of long-term data.

Our approach addresses fundamental, nutrient-related questions of physiology, ecology and evolution, spans different levels of biological organisation and complexity, encompasses a broad range of molecular and analytical methods, and includes laboratory, mesocosm and field experiments.

We welcome applications from researchers interested in basic and applied research on lakes and rivers, including ecophysiology, long-term monitoring, aquatic-terrestrial coupling, and restoration and renaturation.

About BTU

BTU is a young and dynamic university located in the Lusatia region of Germany. Through top-level innovative research and interdisciplinary and practice-relevant solutions, BTU researchers are helping to shape the future. BTU combines its strengths in teaching and research across four main profile lines:
Energy Transition and Decarbonization - Health and Life Sciences - Global Change and Transformation Processes - and, Artificial Intelligence and Sensor Technology.

BTU is a member of the EU-Competence Network
, a collective of research institutions in the state of Brandenburg, Germany. For a full list of our researchers who are willing to act as supervisors for the upcoming call,
please see here .

The MC² Programme actively supports postdoctoral researchers throughout the application process by offering:

• Two proposal checks before submission with 1:1 feedback to review and refine your proposal
• An online workshop in May 2026 focused on the application documents, evaluation process, and tips & tricks for a successful proposal. We will also look at the research proposal itself, exploring the three main elements:
  Excellence, Impact and Implementation
• If your project is accepted, support in acquiring a visa, work permit, etc.

Who can apply?

• Must have been awarded or successfully defended their PhD by 9 September 2026
• No more than 8 years of full-time research experience since receiving PhD
• Must not have lived or worked in Germany for more than 12 months over the past 3 years
• 1-page motivation, including why you chose your potential host
• 2-page research concept, briefly describing your research idea, approach, and current state of the art

The
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We look forward to receiving your application and if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the program coordinator: