The National Museum of Natural Sciences (MNCN-CSIC), located in Madrid, is seeking a highly motivated PhD candidate for a four-year position within the newly funded NEOSHORTFALLS project. The project's focus is on "Addressing biodiversity shortfalls in Neotropical forests to understand the effects of defaunation on traits, species assemblages and biotic interactions".
The position is expected to start between late 2026 and early 2027, with a duration of four years under an FPI contract. The annual gross salary will be approximately €25,000. The research will be based at the Department of Biogeography and Global Change at MNCN-CSIC.
The project will investigate the consequences of human-induced defaunation, which is altering ecological communities worldwide. It aims to understand how the erosion and reorganization of ecological interactions often precede biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse, integrating methods such as camera trapping, environmental DNA (eDNA), functional traits, and eco-evolutionary approaches.
The project is coordinated by Dr. Ana Benítez López and Dr. Lisieux Fuzessy, with collaboration from researchers across Europe and Brazil. The selected candidate will participate in field campaigns in the Brazilian Amazon, in liaison with the NGO Instituto Juruá.
Key tasks will include understanding how plant-frugivore interaction networks reorganize following defaunation, focusing on interaction rewiring, network structure, topological roles, and functional interaction niches. Advanced training will be provided in ecological network analysis, quantitative ecology, reproducible research, and scientific communication.
Applicants should hold an MSc degree in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, Conservation Biology, Environmental Sciences, or related disciplines, possess good knowledge of the R environment, experience with ecological statistics, and excellent written and oral communication skills in English. Experience with network analysis and open science practices is desirable.
Interested candidates should submit their Curriculum Vitae, a one-page motivation letter, contact details for two academic referees, and their MSc thesis (pdf) before October 4, 2026, to Dr. Ana Benítez-López and Dr. Lisieux Fuzessy.
