Postdoctor in Biodiversity, Remote sensing and AI

The University of Gothenburg tackles society’s challenges with diverse knowledge. 56 000 students and 6 600 employees make the university a large and inspiring place to work and study. Strong research and attractive study programmes attract researchers and students from around the world. With new knowledge and new perspectives, the University contributes to a better future.
At the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences (BioEnv) we have teaching and research activities that stretch from the alpine ecosystem, through forests, cultivated land and streams, all the way into the marine environment. In these environments we study different levels of biological organisation from genes, individuals and populations, to communities and ecosystems. We work within ecology, evolution, physiology, systematics and combinations of these fields in order to understand the impact of natural and anthropogenic changes of the environment.
The department is placed at two different localities: in Natrium at Medicinaregatan 7B in Gothenburg and at the Kristineberg marine research station operated by the Marine Infrastructure at the University of Gothenburg. The current position is placed at Natrium.
We offer
The University of Gothenburg is a state authority, which means special benefits, more holidays and a great pension. You can read more about our employment benefits here.

Subject area
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Biological and computational science

Subject area description
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This postdoctoral position forms part of a larger project developing and validating methods for predicting levels of biodiversity and carbon recovery in tropical forest ecosystems, through remote sensing, ground-truthing and the use of various artificial intelligence (AI) models and techniques.
The postdoctoral reseacher will work with leading scientists in multiple countries and a tech company partner to integrate the latest developments in remote sensing and biodiversity assessments for estimating current levels of biodiversity and carbon and for predicting the recovery potential of candidate restoration sites. The team are generating high-resolution carbon and biodiversity data from selected sites across 300,000 hectares in the mega-diverse but highly fragmented rainforest biomes of southeastern Brazil and southwestern Costa Rica, including various categories and stages of land use and ecosystem restoration.
The main task of the postdoctoral researcher will involve data analysis and model implementation and optimisation. The resulting data from the remote sensing and field components will be analysed within an interpretable artificial intelligence framework to: (i) identify fast, robust and cost-effective ways of measuring carbon and biodiversity at scale; (ii) test the relative importance of stochastic vs deterministic factors in predicting carbon sequestration and biodiversity recovery; and (iii) identify the best combination of restoration sites and recovery methodology to maximise biodiversity and carbon storage under a constrained budget. The methodology developed here will facilitate hypothesis- and discovery-driven research in complex ecosystems while contributing to the delivery of international biodiversity targets and climate agreements.
The postdoctoral researcher will be based at the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences at the University of Gothenburg but will also be integrated into the international research groups of the Principal Investigator, Professor Alexandre Antonelli (http://antonelli-lab.net), based at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK, and co-investigator Dr. Daniele Silvestro, based at ETH Zurich, Switzerland. There will be regular study visits to the latter to develop and optimise the computational models. Dr. Daniel Zuleta will be a collaborator on this project and the contact person at the University of Gothenburg.
The project is related to the strategic research area BECC (Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in a Changing Climate; http://www.becc.lu.se/) and the Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Center (GGBC, https://www.gu.se/en/ggbc-global-biodiversity), which host research opportunities and courses that will be open to the successful applicant (e.g., ClimBEco, https://www.cec.lu.se/sv/utbildning/forskarutbildning/forskarskolan-climbeco).

Duties
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This position gives the postdoctoral researcher the opportunity to consolidate and develop their research skills in a vibrant academic environment and a multidisciplinary team. The project is closely linked to the work of a forest ecology and remote sensing PhD student at the University of Gothenburg, and builds on the Conservation Area Prioritisation Through Artificial INtelligence software recently developed by members of the team (CAPTAIN; https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-022-00851-6; https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.01.31.635975). CAPTAIN is highly flexible software that uses biodiversity and environmental data to optimise spatial conservation strategies through reinforcement learning.
The postdoctoral researcher will be primarily engaged in data processing, model development and optimisation, testing and implementation. They will be required to process biodiversity, carbon and remote sensing data (lidar, multispectrum) and use deep learning to develop a predictive model of carbon and biodiversity based on remote-sensed metrics as well as expert-led inventories (carried out primarily by collaborators and other members of the team). Model transferability between study regions will also be explored.
The postdoctoral researcher will have the opportunity to co-supervise PhD, MSc and BSc students. A teaching agreement with the department can be negotiated depending on teaching needs and fit, for a maximum of 20% of full time equivalent (this does not influence the duration of the employment).

Eligibility
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The eligibility criteria for employing teaching staff are set out in Chapter 4 of the Higher Education Ordinance and in the Appointment Procedure for Teaching Posts at the University of Gothenburg.
To be eligible for appointment as a postdoctor, the applicant is required to have a doctoral degree, a doctoral degree in art or a foreign degree that is deemed to be equivalent to a doctoral degree. This eligibility requirement must be met before the employment decision is made.
In the first instance, those who have completed their degree no more than three years prior to the end of the application period shall be considered. Those who have completed their degree more than three years prior to the end of the application period may also be considered in the first instance if special grounds exist. Special grounds relate to leave of absence due to illness, parental leave, commissions of trust within union organisations, service within the defence services or other similar circumstances, as well as clinical service or service/assignment relevant to the subject area.

Assessment criteria
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Required qualifications for the employment:
To be eligible for appointment to this postdoctoral position, the applicant is required to have:
– A doctoral degree in bioinformatics, biodiversity science with a strong analytical and modelling element, computational biology or another relevant subject.
– Advanced programming skills in R or Python.
– Experience in the development and application of machine learning models.
– A strong track record of scientific publications.
– Ability to work independently and collaboratively as part of a diverse team.
– Excellent communication skills, written and spoken, in English, since we work in an international environment.
Desirable qualifications for the employment:
– Experience in teaching and mentoring students.
– Experience in performing field work (e.g., biodiversity surveys)
Personal qualifications:
As a postdoctoral researcher, you will have a broad role with varying tasks in different areas. There are many contact points and it is important that you are friendly, constructive, flexible and enjoy collaborating with others. You will need to possess excellent organisational and communication skills and be prepared to ask for help when needed as well as advise others in the group. You will need to be happy working independently in the framework of a diverse team, and be ready to present your work regularly and collaborate widely.
The application is written in English and include:
– A cover letter with the applicant’s justification for the application, i.e., that describes how the applicant meets the selection criteria
– A list of qualifications (full CV)
– A short essay (about half a page + references) about how you think remote sensed and ground-based data might be integrated to help scientists predict biodiversity in tropical forests, referencing recent literature in the field
– Complete list of publications, including submitted and accepted manuscripts
– Links to GitHub profile or repositories with code written by the applicant
– Certificate of PhD exam
The most qualified candidates, in relation to the assessment criteria in the advertisement, will be invited for an initial virtual interview with potential follow-up interviews in person and online.

Employment
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The employment is a time-fixed employment for 3 years, 100 % of full time, placed at the Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Gothenburg. Starting date June 1st, 2025 or upon agreement.

Contact information
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If you have any questions about the position, please contact:
Alexandre Antonelli, ProfessorEmail: [email protected]: https://antonelli-lab.net/
Åsa Arrhenius, Head of DepartmentPhone. +46 31 786 26 25Email: [email protected]
If you have any questions about the employment process, please contact HR at the Department of Biological and Environmental Science, [email protected]

Unions
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Union representatives at the University of Gothenburg can be found here: https://www.gu.se/om-universitetet/jobba-hos-oss/hjalp-for-sokande

Application
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Submit your application via the University of Gothenburg’s recruitment portal by clicking the “Apply” button. It is your responsibility to ensure that the application is complete as per the vacancy notice, and that the University receives it by the final application deadline.
Publications that cannot be attached to the application in digital format should be mailed in single copy to:
Department of Biological and Environmental ScienceAtt: Professor Alexandre AntonelliUniversity of GothenburgBox 463405 30 GothenburgSweden
Label the envelope “Postdoctor in Biodiversity, Remote sensing and AI, PAR 2025/130. The publications must be received no later than the application deadline.
Applications must be received by: March 17th, 2025
Information for International Applicants
Choosing a career in a foreign country is a big step. Thus, to give you a general idea of what we and Gothenburg have to offer in terms of benefits and life in general for you and your family/spouse/partner please visit:
https://www.gu.se/en/about-the-university/welcome-services https://www.movetogothenburg.com/
The University works actively to achieve a working environment with equal conditions, and values the qualities that diversity brings to its operations. Salaries are set individually at the University. In accordance with the National Archives of Sweden’s regulations, the University must archive application documents for two years after the appointment is filled. If you request that your documents are returned, they will be returned to you once the two years have passed. Otherwise, they will be destroyed. In connection to this recruitment, we have already decided which recruitment channels we should use. We therefore decline further contact with vendors, recruitment and staffing companies.