As part of the European OBSGESSION project, we are looking for a highly motivated post-doc to work on the development and application of state-of-the-art approaches to detect changes in biodiversity from remote sensing data and standardised or citizen science datasets (e.g. GBIF, iNat, eBirds) and to attribute these changes to potential drivers. We are looking for a candidate with a strong interest in quantitative ecology, dynamic data analysis, remote sensing but also in ecological theory in order to develop usable frameworks and tools (see https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2022.0182).

In particular, we are looking for someone with an interest in developing and applying dynamic systems modelling approaches that enable changes in biodiversity to be attributed causally to the assumed impacts of multiple potential factors. The person recruited will be required to manipulate and analyse different sources of temporal ecological data (such as species abundance data, ecosystem functions and services) and environmental data (such as high-resolution climate data) on large spatial scales (e.g. Europe). Candidates should have solid experience of large spatial and temporal datasets, their manipulation and the implementation of statistical and empirical models on such datasets. The candidate should also have an interest in discovery and causal inference. The candidate will need to interact with other project partners as well as stakeholders to define biodiversity indicators and measures of interest to them.

The main objective and ambition of the European OBSGESSION project is to monitor and predict changes in biodiversity and their direct and indirect drivers in terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems through the integration of multi-sensor Earth Observation (EO) data, innovative in situ data and products (including citizen science), and next-generation ecological models that take uncertainty into account.

The LECA (https://leca.osug.fr) is part of Grenoble Alpes University and CNRS in France. Grenoble is close to some of the most beautiful mountains in the Alps and has excellent links with Lyon and Geneva. LECA is home to a large and dynamic community of excellent scientists with whom it is possible to interact, several highly cited researchers, a wide variety of experimental and observational case studies (mainly in the Alps, such as ORCHAMP), and several modelling tools already developed (biomod2, FATE-HD, VirtualCom, EcoLottery).

The working languages are English and French.

The successful candidate will join the BIOM team ‘Describing, understanding and predicting the spatio-temporal distribution and dynamics of biodiversity and ecosystems (BIOdiversity Monitoring)’, whose research objectives are to study how global changes influence biodiversity, ecosystem functioning and the contributions of nature to societies. The team provides an excellent intellectual environment and the infrastructure required for the research project, with several postdocs and PhD students working on complementary themes.