Teaser Text

Are you an enthusiastic early career researcher who is keen to work on integrated environmental assessment, offshore wind energy systems, biodiversity impacts, and life cycle assessment (LCA)? Are you interested in developing novel approaches to assess the ecological impacts of offshore wind farm installation and operation in the North Sea? Then this could be the ideal PhD position for you!

What you will do

The transition to offshore renewable energy is essential for achieving climate neutrality and reducing dependence on fossil fuels. At the same time, the rapid expansion of offshore wind farms (OWFs) raises important questions regarding their environmental impacts on marine ecosystems, biodiversity, fisheries, and ocean use. Understanding and quantifying these impacts is essential to support sustainable offshore energy development and maritime spatial planning.

This PhD position is embedded in the NWO-ORC project NO-REGRETS, coordinated by Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), which investigates the ecological and socio-environmental impacts of offshore wind farms in the North Sea. The project brings together an interdisciplinary consortium of universities, research institutes, public stakeholders, and industry partners to develop integrated knowledge and tools for nature-inclusive offshore wind development.

The Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML) at Leiden University and TNO jointly offer a PhD position focusing on the development of an integrated stressor-receptor-impact assessment framework for offshore wind farms. The project will focus particularly on impacts arising from offshore wind farm installation, operation, and maintenance (O&M), including physical and chemical stressors affecting benthic and pelagic ecosystems.

The PhD project is expected to cover:

• Reviewing and developing state-of-the-art stressor-receptor-impact assessment methods for offshore wind farms, with a focus on biodiversity and ecosystem impacts in life cycle assessment (LCA).
• Assessing physical and chemical impact pathways associated with offshore wind installation and operation & maintenance (O&M), including underwater noise and vibrations, seabed and hydrodynamic changes, fisheries and marine transport interactions, chemical emissions, and microplastic releases affecting benthic and pelagic ecosystems.
• Translating environmental monitoring data, field measurements, and modelling results into long-term biodiversity impact indicators and characterization factors for offshore wind farms over their operational lifetime.
• Developing integrated cumulative impact and scenario assessment approaches to support sustainable offshore wind deployment, including applications in maritime spatial planning, environmental decision-support tools, and nature-inclusive design, with particular attention to how interventions such as optimised scour protection, engineered reef units, may contribute to ecological enhancement alongside broad social, natural capital and carbon outcomes. The work will involve close collaboration with researchers working on marine ecology, offshore engineering, environmental modelling, and life cycle sustainability assessment within the NO-REGRETS consortium. The candidate will also interact with ongoing projects at TNO related to offshore wind sustainability assessment and decision-support tools.

Where you will work

The PhD trajectory will be hosted by the Department of Industrial Ecology at Leiden University’s Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), in collaboration with the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO).

The Faculty of Science at Leiden University is home to numerous world-class research groups and institutes, and maintains strong connections with leading research organizations. CML is part of the Faculty of Science at Leiden University, which offers an inspiring interdisciplinary research environment with strong collaborations across academia, governmental organizations, and industry stakeholders working on sustainability transitions and environmental assessment.

TNO is an independent research organization in the Netherlands that bridges the gap between fundamental research and practical application, working with government, industry, and academia to develop innovative solutions for societal challenges. The Department of Circularity and Sustainability Impacts (Utrecht) focuses on accelerating the shift toward a circular economy by assessing the environmental, social, and economic impacts of materials and production systems. The Department of Wind Energy (Rijswijk) conducts cutting-edge research to advance the development, integration, and optimization of wind energy systems both onshore and offshore.

What you bring

The successful candidate should have:

• A completed (research) MSc degree in environmental sciences, industrial ecology, marine sciences, sustainability science, renewable energy, engineering, ecology, or a related field;
• Strong analytical and quantitative skills;
• Interest in interdisciplinary environmental assessment and offshore renewable energy systems;
• Experience with programming and/or data analysis (e.g. Python, R, MATLAB, GIS);
• Excellent written and spoken English skills;
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in an interdisciplinary research team.

What we offer

We offer an initial one-year contract, with an option to extend for up to 4 years based on performance, following the pay scale P in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities. Salary ranges from € 3.059 in the first year to € 3.881 gross per month in the final year based on a full-time position. 

At our institution, we believe in flexibility and work-life balance! With a full-time position (38 hours per week), you are entitled to 232 vacation hours per year, which is equivalent to 30.5 vacation days (based on a 38-hour work week). If you value flexibility, you have the freedom to adjust your working hours. For example, you could choose to work 40 hours per week, earning extra compensation hours. Alternatively, if you prefer a shorter work week, you can work 36 hours per week by using some of your vacation days to create more time for yourself. You’ll work closely with your supervisor to tailor your schedule in a way that suits both your needs and the team’s. 

In addition, we offer a comprehensive benefits package, including: 

• Holiday allowance (8%) and an end-of-year bonus (8.3%) 

• An attractive pension scheme with ABP, ensuring your financial well-being both now and in the future 

• Extensive options for secondary employment conditions: You can explore options such as sabbaticals, paid parental leave, and the individual choices model, which allows you to exchange leave days and/or salary for benefits like an advantageous sports subscription, bicycle scheme, and childcare options 

• Hybrid working options: If your role allows, you can enjoy the flexibility of working from home within the Netherlands 

• Home-working allowance: You’ll receive a home-working allowance (for both workdays and internet), and the university will provide you with a laptop and support for creating a comfortable home office 

• PhD student support: As a PhD student, you’ll be part of the Graduate School of Science, which offers a variety of training courses at three levels: professional courses, skills training, and personal effectiveness 

We are committed to offering a flexible, supportive, and rewarding work environment, designed to help you grow both professionally and personally. For more information about the working conditions, please visit: https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/working-at/job-application-procedure-and-employment-conditions 

What we value

At the Faculty of Science, we value inclusiveness and strive for a diverse community with equal opportunities for all. We give full support to our staff in achieving their potential to become independent academic researchers and teachers. For more information about our policy on diversity and equality please go to the diversity page on our website: https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/dossiers/diversity 

Want to apply or find out more?