The Environmental Policy Lab at ETH Zurich is inviting applications for two fully funded PhD positions focused on biodiversity policy and strategic spatial planning. These positions will contribute to a broader research program focused on devising pathways toward a just and sustainable biosphere by examining how governance systems, digital technologies, and socioeconomic dynamics shape the equity, effectiveness, and durability of biodiversity policies. The PhD candidates will develop interdisciplinary research at the intersection of environmental policy, data science, and decision theory, with one position focused on the political drivers of durable biodiversity policy, and the other focused on cross-sectoral spatial planning under uncertainty.

Achieving global biodiversity targets will require not only sound ecological knowledge but also an understanding how political, institutional, and socioeconomic structures and dynamics shape conservation and restoration actions and outcomes. These PhD projects will address two complementary research areas critical to designing effective, durable, and just strategies for biodiversity action:

PhD Position 1 will focus on the political drivers of durable biodiversity policy. The project aims to understand how governance structures, policy stability, and geopolitical risk influence the implementation and persistence of biodiversity commitments. This work will involve the analysis of global political and environmental data and will include engagement with ongoing international biodiversity policy processes to connect empirical findings with current governance challenges.

PhD Position 2 will focus on strategic spatial planning for biodiversity under biophysical and sociopolitical uncertainty, with particular attention to how conservation and restoration efforts can be effectively integrated into landscapes with other societal demands - for agriculture, forestry, and climate change mitigation. The research will develop and apply computational approaches to identify policy strategies that are politically feasible and compatible with changing land-use demands, while also considering the distributional impacts of conservation decisions and their implications for environmental justice.

Both positions offer opportunities for the PhD candidates to actively shape the direction of their projects and contribute to the broader development of an interdisciplinary research program.

Job description

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The Environmental Policy Lab provides a supportive and interdisciplinary research community within the Department of Environmental Systems Science (D-USYS) and Institute for Environmental Decisions (IED) at ETH Zurich. PhD students will:

• Receive thoughtful mentorship, including support on publications, conference presentations, and career development
• Have access ETH’s world-class infrastructure, including high-performance computing resources and doctoral training programs
• Be part of a diverse research group that values intellectual curiosity, collaboration, and creativity
• Recieve a competative salary (ETH has fixed rate salaries which can be found here)

Employment will be according to ETH Zurich’s standard regulations for doctoral researchers. The expected start date is January 2026, though earlier or later start dates can be arranged upon mutual agreement. The positions are based in Zurich.

In line with our values, ETH Zurich encourages an inclusive culture. We promote equality of opportunity, value diversity and nurture a working and learning environment in which the rights and dignity of all our staff and students are respected. Visit our Equal Opportunities and Diversity website to find out how we ensure a fair and open environment that allows everyone to grow and flourish.

We look forward to receiving your online application! Please include the following documents in a single PDF:

• A statement explaining your motivation, research interests, and qualifications for the position (<3 pages)
• Curriculum vitae (CV)
• A writing sample (e.g., thesis chapter, publication, seminar paper) AND/OR other work sample (creative outputs are very welcome!)
• Contact details for two professional references (references will only be contacted for finalists)

Please note that we only accept applications submitted through our online application portal. Applications sent by email or post will not be considered. Please submit applications by 21 August 2025 for full consideration.

Further information about the Environmental Policy Lab can be found at: www.epl.ethz.ch. Questions regarding the position should be directed to Prof. Melissa Chapman at [email protected] (please do not send applications via email).

Note that the pre-selection process is carried out by the responsible recruiters and not by artificial intelligence.