Predoctoral Researcher for eMETA-RARE (Ref. 26-058-IV00256)

Four-year predoctoral contract (37.5 h/week) at CREAF within the eMETA-RARE project (PID2025-174311NB-I00), which uses elementome–metabolome and biogeochemical–metabolomic niches to investigate why some plant species are abundant while others remain rare. Working in the elemental-ecology framework, the project integrates elemental data with metabolome configurations to link shifts in elemental composition to metabolism and species functioning across environmental gradients, testing whether abundant and rare species differ predictably in elementomes, metabolomes and their biogeochemical and metabolic niches at local and regional scales.

The PhD combines vegetation inventories across north-east Spain, two years of seasonal forest surveys and laboratory experiments on the elemental and metabolic flexibility of abundant and rare plants under changing environmental and nutritional constraints. Laboratory work is mainly at CREAF, with metabolomics at ICIFOR-INIA in Madrid; the student will gain expertise in ecological stoichiometry, eco-metabolomics, analytical chemistry, data integration and statistical modelling.

Gross salary EUR 25,456.15 per year under RD 103/2019 (EPIF); planned start January 2027, subject to the project’s final resolution. Informal enquiries: PI Marcos Fernández Martínez.

Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in biology, environmental sciences, forestry, biophysics, physics, chemistry or similar; botanical skills and field experience; strong analytical thinking and willingness to develop quantitative and large-scale data-analysis skills; good spoken and written English (Catalan and Spanish highly recommended). Valued: driving licence, R and/or Python, prior ecological research and publications. Applications (CVA in English, motivation letter, transcripts and two referees) only through the CREAF job board.