Job description

PhD project

The Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement (LSCE) and the Spanish Research Council (CSIC) are looking for a candidate for a PhD thesis on fire disturbance and recovery dynamics in tropical forests. The successful candidate will use land surface models in combination with artificial intelligence, satellite and field observations to assess climate risks on the stability and recovery potential of tropical forests in the Amazon.

Background: In recent years, droughts in South America sparked severe, primarily intentional fires that burned millions of hectares of primary forests in the Amazon and released vast amounts of CO2 to the atmosphere. The impact of such extreme disturbances on the functioning of tropical forests remains largely unknown, as well as future alterations of postfire recovery and fire recurrence dynamics. To fill this gap, this project will analyze the intersect among climate change, deforestation and forest fires.

The project is articulated in three primary objectives:

Improve the ability to simulate fire impacts in Amazon forests through the assessment of the
observed effects of land use changes.
Develop plant functional types to constrain successional recovery dynamics after natural
disturbances and changes in land use.
Assess the potential benefits of alternative land use management strategies for implementing FNCSs in the Amazon

Candidate Profile

Master’s degree in Earth System or Computer Sciences or related disciplines
Programming skills: scripting (e.g. Bash, Python), low level programming (Fortran, C++)
Strong interest in land use and vegetation modeling and nature-based climate solutions

Academic supervision: Daniel Goll (LSCE, France) & Isabel Martinez-Cano (CSIC, Spain), with additionalsupport from young & senior staff at both locations. The student will be enrolled at the doctoral school Sciences de l’environnement d’Ile-de-France (SEIF) of the university Paris-Saclay. The virtual institute CLAND will provides additional opportunities for training, networking & scientific exchanges.

Work location: The PhD will be jointly hosted by LSCE and CSIC. A minimum of one year has to be spent at each location.Localisation du poste

Duration: three years.

Starting date: Autumn 2025 (flexible to some extent).

Salary: in accordance with national regulations including full social and health benefits.

How to apply:

Applicants should submit a complete application package by email to and with the subject line: [Job Title / Application – Applicant’s Full Name].

The application package should include:

Curriculum Vitae (CV) – including academic background, research experience, and a list of publications (if applicable).
Statement of Motivation – outlining your research interests, career goals, and reasons for applying.
Statement of Fit – a brief explanation of how your background and expertise meet the position requirements outlined above.
References – the names, institutional affiliations, phone numbers, and email addresses of at least two referees who can provide letters of recommendation.