Post Doc: Integrating Biodiversity Data into Spatial Energy Planning

Post Doc: Integrating Biodiversity Data into Spatial Energy Planning

Utrecht University - Faculty of Geosciences

Utrecht, Netherlands

Your job

As a postdoctoral researcher, you will focus on integrating biodiversity data and spatial optimisation methods into renewable energy planning. This involves exploring how advanced data on nature and biodiversity (derived from AI-supported monitoring and analysis of sources such as satellite imagery, acoustic sensors, and camera traps) can inform spatial planning and decision-making for solar and wind energy infrastructures. Working closely with European partners in ecology, data science, and planning, you will assess biodiversity data availability and develop methods to spatially identify areas of synergy and conflict between renewable energy and biodiversity objectives.

Your tasks and responsibilities are:

• identifying and analysing essential biodiversity indicators relevant for spatial energy planning across different European contexts;
• screening planning documents and data sources to assess how biodiversity information is currently quantified and integrated;
• evaluating additional baseline data and explore how AI-supported biodiversity monitoring can strengthen planning evidence and decision support;
• developing and applying spatial optimisation methods to identify areas of synergy and trade-off between renewable energy development and biodiversity objectives;
• collaborating with consortium partners working on ecology, data science, and governance to ensure methodological coherence and integration across work packages;
• engaging with policymakers, developers, and other stakeholders to make biodiversity data and spatial tools accessible and useful for planning practice;
• publishing scientific papers and contribute to transdisciplinary outputs, stakeholder workshops, and dissemination activities within the BIOGAIN consortium.

Your qualities

• You hold a PhD in environmental sciences, ecology, geography, spatial planning, or a related discipline;
• You have demonstrated experience in GIS-based spatial analysis and/or spatial optimisation;
• You are familiar with methods for collecting and analysing biodiversity data (e.g. camera traps, vegetation plots) and for ecosystem mapping (e.g. remote sensing, GIS);
• You have affinity with renewable energy planning, nature-positive transitions, and/or biodiversity governance;
• You possess excellent analytical and writing skills, with a track record of publications in peer-reviewed journals;
• You have experience in interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary collaboration;
• You are proficient in English (C1 level); Dutch language skills are an asset.