MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship on “Modelling the soil-water-plant system in a climate change scenario”

Description

Hosting offer

Prof. Claudio Zaccone, leader of the Soil and biomass chemistry team at the Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona (Italy), invites scholars to present expressions of interest in applying jointly for a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships (MSCA-PF) in soil sciences – soil modelling.

The project aims to investigate key physical, chemical and biological mechanisms allowing a sustainable water utilization in agriculture. The project, carried out in collaboration with the Ce.Sp.I.I. research unit at the LEB Land Reclamation Authority (https://cespii.consorzioleb.it/progetti/), will integrate chemical, physical, and modelling approaches to disentangle soil-water dynamics in a climate change scenario. Field experiments along land-use/crop gradients and climate manipulations will help identify how environmental factors regulate water distribution, soil fertility and crop vulnerability. Models will be implemented to predict crop production, irrigation needs, and soil processes under future climate scenarios and management practices.

The outcomes will inform sustainable soil and water management strategies to enhance sustainability in agriculture and support climate change mitigation policies.

Hosting research group / Supervisor

We are looking for applicants for a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship to be presented with the Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, as main host institution.

The Soil and biomass chemistry team has developed over a decade of expertise in topics related to the biogeochemistry of soil organic carbon (SOC), both native and exogenous. Main research lines focus on the mechanisms of SOC accumulation and stabilization, the influence of climate change on the evolution of organic matter in soils and sediments, and the sustainable use of waste biomass and amendments in agriculture (https://www.dbt.univr.it/?ent=grupporic&id=424&lang=en). The team is actively involved in national and international research projects and provides a highly interdisciplinary and collaborative environment, with access to advanced analytical facilities (https://cpt.univr.it/en/technological-platform-list/).

The supervisor (Claudio Zaccone) is Associate Professor in Agricultural Chemistry at the Department of Biotechnology. He is currently President of the Italian Society of Soil Science (SISS) and Chair of Division 4 “The Role of Soils in Sustaining Society and the Environment” of the Internation Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS), and served as President of the Soil System Sciences division of the European Geosciences Union (EGU). He is the author of several publications in peer-reviewed journals (>110), book chapters (>20) and conference proceedings (>220), and serves as Associated Editor for several scientific journals. Prof. Zaccone is an experienced supervisor and mentor, with a big network at both national and international level. More info can be found at https://www.claudiozaccone.net/.

Selected candidates will be offered both academic and administrative support from the Department of Biotechnology and the University of Verona Grant Office with regards to the proposal preparation.

ELIGIBILITY

Candidates must be eligible according to the criteria established by the 2026 MSCA Postdoctoral fellowship call:

To have a PhD at the call deadline (September 9, 2026)
To have up to 8 years research experience after PhD
To be citizens of an EU State or of an Associated Country or long-term resident in Europe (only for Global Fellowship)
Not to have resided or carried their main activity in Italy for more than 12 in the 36 months before call deadline (September 9, 2026) – for European Fellowship
Not to have resided or carried their main activity in the country of the Host Institution in the third country for more than 12 in the 36 months before call deadline (September 9, 2026) – for a Global Fellowship.

Besides, candidates should be fluent in English, should have excellent teamwork attitude, organizational skills and ability to work in a multidisciplinary environment.

APPLICATION

Candidates should send to the address claudio.zaccone@univr.it the following documents by May 18th, 2026, at the latest.

A one-page cover letter
A short CV including personal data (name, date of birth, present position, the name of a referee who has agreed to send a reference letter for you)
A short (2 pages) research proposal
One reference letter should be sent be a referee at the same address

Further information