Eawag, the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, is an internationally networked aquatic research institute within the ETH Domain (Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology). Eawag conducts research, education and expert consulting to achieve the dual goals of meeting direct human needs for water and maintaining the function and integrity of aquatic ecosystems.

The Department of Systems Analysis, Integrated Assessment and Modelling (SIAM) has an opening for a

Human activities are driving environmental change at an unprecedented rate. These changes are reshaping ecological communities and imposing strong selection pressures, often leading to rapid adaptive responses. The ERC Starting Grant project "Tipping dynamics and resilience in adapting ecological systems” aims to understand how such adaptive responses influence ecological resilience.

In this project, the research assistant will support an experimental evolution study to examine how adaptation contributes to demographic, population- and community-level resilience.Using plankton communities as a model system, the project will examine how plastic and evolutionary changes in life-history traits affect population and community resilience across a gradient of environmental stress.

We are looking for a motivated candidate with a Bachelor or Master in evolutionary biology, ecology, or a closely related field. Experience with lab and field work with plankton and good data analysis skills are desired. The position is fully funded for two years and is expected to start in Q2 of 2026.

The project is led by Dr. Catalina Chaparro (Eawag SIAM), in collaboration with Dr. Blake Matthews (Eawag Fishec). The research assistant will be based at Eawag Kastanienbaum (Switzerland), located on the shores of Lake Lucerne. The site hosts a vibrant community of research groups in biodiversity research. We offer a stimulating and international research environment, excellent research facilities, and a supportive working environment.