Wageningen University & Research, Netherlands invites online Application for number of Fully Funded PhD Degree at various Departments. We are providing a list of Fully Funded PhD Programs available at Wageningen University & Research, Netherlands.
Eligible candidate may Apply as soon as possible.
(01) PhD Degree – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: PhD position – Ecological, Molecular and Genetic Aspects of Nematode-phage Hitchhiking
The Laboratory of Nematology at Wageningen University & Research is seeking a motivated and curiosity-driven PhD candidate to join an interdisciplinary and collaborative team aimed at discovering and characterizing nematode-associated phages. We recently discovered that soil phages, viruses that infect bacteria, can hitchhike along with nematodes to overcome spatial barriers in their environment. Our team aims to build a model system to understand these newly discovered nematode-phage interactions.
As a PhD candidate in this project you will perform and analyze experiments that cover a combination of field work, microbiology, virology, molecular biology and genome sequencing. Specifically you will;
- isolate phages associated with the model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans;
- determine molecular associations between nematodes and phages;
- measure if phage virulence and genetics can change upon hitchhiking.
Thereby, you will contribute to fundamental understanding of nematode-phage interactions that could affect soil biodiversity and nutrient cycling.
Deadline :3 November 2025
(02) PhD Degree – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: PhD position: A taste for cabbage: Unravelling the role of tarsal taste receptors in the coevolution of Pierid butterflies and their Brassicales host-plants
Are you a highly motivated and curious PhD candidate with a strong interest in insect–plant interactions to investigate the evolution of glucosinolate detection in cabbage white butterflies (Pieris spp.)? Do you want to explore how these butterflies recognize and adapt to their host plants, and to contribute to cutting-edge research at the intersection of evolutionary biology and sensory ecology? Then we have at Wageningen University & Research an exciting opportunity for you.
In this PhD project, you would unravel the function of butterfly taste receptor neurons by determining to which plant compounds they respond and what role they play during the coevolution of butterflies and their host plants, using a novel molecular approach. Insects and plants are intertwined in an intimate coevolutionary arms race in which plants produce toxic defence compounds and insect herbivores in turn evolved specific detoxification mechanisms. In parallel to these feeding adaptations, insects also evolved specific detection mechanisms for those plants to which they have become adapted, to select suitable plants for feeding or for laying their eggs.
We will use the model system of the cabbage white butterflies, Pieris spp.. These insects lay their eggs almost exclusively on plants containing glucosinolates, toxic compounds to which these insects have specifically adapted. We will create mutant butterflies lacking the most relevant candidate receptor genes using Crispr/Cas9, to unravel the role of different receptors and taste neurons during host-plant recognition. Through these comparisons we will not only gain information about the compounds these receptors detect, but also on their ecological and evolutionary relevance. In addition, we will express the candidate receptor genes in a cell-based assay to test their responses in vitro. Combined, these results will provide a unique insight into the sensory mechanisms underlying the coevolution of insect and plants, which is a major driving factor of biodiversity and has shaped many of today’s terrestrial (agro-) ecosystems.
As a PhD candidate, you will contribute to fundamental research in the context of insect-plant coevolution. You will be embedded in a diverse group of international scientists and collaborate with colleagues from both in- and outside Wageningen University & Research.
Deadline : 3 November 2025
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(03) PhD Degree – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: PhD position: Analysis and Design for prosperous rural-urban interactions
In the Fertile Soils-project, we are hiring a PhD candidate for a 4-year PhD trajectory that aims to develop a theoretical and methodological basis for defining the new concept of ‘landscape services’ in regional spatial design. In ‘Fertile Soils’, we see a potential that multiple spatial challenges in urban and rural areas can be addressed simultaneously through exchange of ‘landscape services’ between rural and urban areas. To fulfil this potential, spatial planning and design has to account for the spatio-temporal dynamics of landscape services: when and where services are predominantly produced and are predominantly consumed. Moreover, a multifunctional spatial organization of the landscape is needed that minimizes trade-offs and maximizes synergies between landscape services.
In this PhD project you will develop this innovative theory and combine spatial analysis with a Research Through Design approach. You first explore promising synergies in landscape services provision and analyse how to optimally align this with the demand for these services across the urban-rural region. In doing so, you will contribute to theory development and methods in support of designing with landscape services. You will subsequently design inspiring, transformative long-term designs (2100) for the metropolitan region Amsterdam and further specify the pathways towards these visions with spatial strategies on the middle-long-term (2035-2055). You will work in the Fertile Soils project with 9 other PhDs, and collaborate with stakeholders in the region as well as designers and experts from practice to ensure that the research is not only theoretically sound, but also relevant and applicable.
Deadline : 27 October 2025
(04) PhD Degree – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: PhD Position – Uncovering the underground rules of plant health and community resilience (ERC Advanced Grant DIGDEEP)
Biodiversity often reduces disease outbreaks, but not always, and we don’t yet know why. As our PhD candidate, you will dive into this puzzle, exploring how plant community structure, host quality, and fungal diversity interact to influence disease risk. You will combine mesocosm experiments in the greenhouse with fieldwork in large-scale biodiversity experiments to untangle the complexity of plant–fungal interactions. Our special focus lies belowground: on fungal root pathogens — digging deep in both a literal and scientific sense.
Deadline :27 October 2025
(05) PhD Degree – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: PhD position: Carbon and nitrogen cycling for regenerative farming in the Netherlands
We are looking for a highly motivated PhD candidate to assess how regenerative practices influence carbon and nitrogen cycling in farmers’ fields. This PhD position will explore how and under which biophysical and socioeconomic conditions farmers benefit from regenerative practices (by improved soil fertility, yields and/or income) and related environmental impacts (for example changes in soil carbon and/or reduced nitrogen losses). Research methods will include statistical analyses, modelling and potentially farm interviews.
Deadline : 15 November 2025
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(06) PhD Degree – Fully Funded
PhD position summary/title: PhD Position: Social Media and Polarisation
In the project, you will study communication in digital interactions on social media and help develop a new framework on how social media influence both experienced and actual polarization. You will focus on different types of communication on social media and how that affects polarization. You will use an innovative multimethod quantitative approach, such as longitudinal survey research, (automated) content analysis, and experiments. You will work closely with the PI and members of the Strategic Communication group.
Deadline : 27 October 2025
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About Wageningen University & Research, Netherlands – Official Website
Wageningen University & Research is a public university in Wageningen, Netherlands, specializing in technical and engineering subjects and an important center for life sciences and agricultural research. It is located in a region of the Netherlands known as the Food Valley.
WUR consists of Wageningen University and the former agricultural research institute of the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture. Wageningen University trains specialists (BSc, MSc and PhD) in life and social sciences and focuses its research on scientific, social and commercial problems in the field of life sciences and natural resources. It is widely known for its agriculture, forestry, and environmental studies programs. The university has about 12,000 students from over 100 countries. It is also a member of the Euroleague for Life Sciences (ELLS) university network.
WUR has been placed among the top 150 universities in the world by four major ranking tables. Wageningen has been voted the number one university in the Netherlands for fifteen consecutive years. The university is listed number 59 in the world by the Times Higher Education Ranking and the world’s best in agriculture and forestry by the QS World University Rankings 2016–2020.Wageningen University is ranked number one in the fields of plant/animal science, environment/ecology, and agricultural sciences by U.S. News & World Report. The university is widely regarded as the world’s top agricultural research institution.
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