An der Georg-August-Universität Göttingen Stiftung Öffentlichen Rechts – DNPW - Abt. Pflanzenbau ist ab dem 01.04.2026 eine Stelle alsPhD student (all genders welcome)- Entgeltgruppe 13 TV-L - in Teilzeit mit 65% der regelmäßigen wöchentlichen Arbeitszeit zu besetzen. Die Stelle ist The position is.The Division of Agronomy at the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Göttingen, Germany, is pleased to announce a four-year PhD student position (65% TV-L E13). Starting date is 01 April 2026. This position is open to all qualified individuals (m/f/d) who are eager to engage in cutting-edge, interdisciplinary research at the interface of crop modelling, plant–pathogen interactions, and model integration and evaluation, contributing to the DFG-funded Research Unit “Concurrent multiple abiotic and biotic stress interactions in maize: ​impacts and mechanisms” (MultiStress RU 6101).

Project context: The DFG-funded MultiStress RU investigates how maize responds to multiple, interacting abiotic (drought, nitrogen deficit) and biotic (Setosphaeria turcica, stemborers) stress factors. Through an integrated experimental–modelling approach, the project aims to improve our understanding and prediction of crop performance under complex stress environments. This PhD student position will focus on developing and applying process based models to represent and analyse the effects of stemborer infestation on maize growth, yield, and quality, and its interactions with water and nutrient stress across temperate and tropical environments. It will also contribute to integrate the new model routines into the general Multistress modeling system that also considers also other stress factors.

Main Tasks

Develop and implement new routines describing stemborer development and damage on maize with- and without interaction with abiotic stressors.
Integrate and test these routines within the MultiStress crop model.
Calibrate and validate the model using experimental data from field trials performed in Germany and Kenya.
Analyse model outputs to explore how biotic and abiotic stresses jointly affect yield and quality, water use, etc. under varying environmental conditions and future climate scenarios.
Collaborate closely with other subprojects within the Research Unit, linking experimental, modelling, and synthesis activities.
Publishing the research results in international peer-reviewed journals.


Required Qualifications:


Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Crop Science, Agronomy, Agricultural or Environmental Sciences, Plant Pathology, Systems Biology, or a related field
Strong interest in quantitative crop modelling and the interaction between plant physiology, environment, and disease.
Solid skills in programming and data analysis (e.g. R, Python or other programming languages).
Experience with process-based models, experimental datasets, or parameter estimation is an advantage.
Ability to work independently and collaboratively in an interdisciplinary and international team.
Very good command of English, both written and spoken.

We offer:


A dynamic, interdisciplinary, and internationally leading and pioneering research environment within the DFG Research Unit MultiStress, which consists of a research consortium of ten universities / research organisations from Germany, Kenya, Italy (+ CIMMYT), representing all important disciplines of crop science.
Excellent supervision and training opportunities in model development, data interpretation, and scientific communication.
Access to unique multi-stress experimental datasets (and travel to associated experimental sites in Germany and Kenya).
Access to high-performance computing infrastructure.
Opportunities for unique international collaboration around maize and participation in versatile project thematic workshops and international conferences.
A four-year PhD position (65% TV-L E13).


Die Universität Göttingen strebt in den Bereichen, in denen Frauen unterrepräsentiert sind, eine Erhöhung des Frauenanteils an und fordert daher qualifizierte Frauen nachdrücklich zur Bewerbung auf. Sie versteht sich zudem als familienfreundliche Hochschule und fördert die Vereinbarkeit von Wissenschaft/Beruf und Familie. Der beruflichen Teilhabe von schwerbehinderten Beschäftigten sieht sich die Universität in besondere Weise verpflichtet und begrüßt deshalb Bewerbungen schwerbehinderter Menschen. Bei gleicher Qualifikation erhalten Bewerbungen von Menschen mit Schwerbehinderung den Vorzug. Eine Behinderung bzw. Gleichstellung ist zur Wahrung der Interessen bereits in die Bewerbung aufzunehmen.Bitte reichen Sie Ihre aussagekräftige Bewerbung mit allen wichtigen Unterlagen bis zum 31.01.2026 ausschließlich über das Bewerbungsportal http://obp.uni-goettingen.de/de-de/OBF/Index/76187 ein. Auskunft erteilt Herr Stefan Siebert, E-Mail: stefan.siebert@uni-goettingen.de, Tel. +49 551 39 24359Hinweis: Wir weisen darauf hin, dass die Einreichung der Bewerbung eine datenschutzrechtliche Einwilligung in die Verarbeitung Ihrer Bewerbungsdaten durch uns darstellt. Näheres zur Rechtsgrundlage und Datenverwendung finden Sie im Hinweisblatt zur Datenschutzgrundverordnung (DSGVO)