C4LaNd Research Training Group – Fully Funded PhD and PostDoc Opportunities

Applications are now open for the C4LaNd Research Training Group. This international program focuses on sustainable land use to benefit both people and nature. It brings together researchers from different fields to solve real-world problems related to land, climate, biodiversity, food, energy, and urban/rural spaces. The program offers 1 PostDoc position in Germany and 24 fully funded PhD (doctoral) positions (12 in Australia and 12 in Germany). All positions include a mandatory 12-month research stay at the partner university in the other country. The application deadline is May 17, 2026. You can check out BS, MS, PhD and postdoc positions here.

Key Details:

• Degree Level: PhD and PostDoc
• Host Countries: Germany and Australia
• Application Deadline: May 17, 2026
• Start Date: Late 2026 (around October/November)
• Funding Type: Fully funded positions
• Open to: all Nationalities
• Application Fee: No
• Duration: PhD positions – up to 3.5 years (with possible extension); PostDoc – initial 2 years with possibility of extension up to 5 years

What This Program Offers:

• A competitive salary and social benefits (based on German TV-L public service agreement for German-based positions)
• Full funding for their research project, including resources for fieldwork, modelling, and data analysis
• A dual degree (for PhD students) from both a German university and the University of Melbourne
• A mandatory 12-month research stay abroad to build international experience and networks
• Access to structured training courses, workshops, and collaboration with experts in natural sciences, social sciences, economics, and engineering
• Strong career development opportunities in academia, policy, or industry focused on sustainability and land use

Also Check: Fully Funded PhD and Postdoc Positions at ETH Zurich, Switzerland

Eligibility Criteria:

• For PhD positions: You need a Master’s degree (or equivalent) in a relevant field.
• For the PostDoc position: You need a PhD degree in a relevant area
• Strong motivation for interdisciplinary research on sustainable land use.
• Willingness to live in Germany or Australia and spend 12 months at the partner institution.
• Good English language skills (specific requirements may vary by project).

Check the individual project descriptions on the official website for any additional requirements.

Also Check: 15 MSCA Fully Funded PhD Positions Across Europe

PostDoc Position in Germany

• Post-doctoral researcher position: State of the Nexus: systematic review and synthesis at KIT/Campus Alpin

Open PhD Topics in Cluster 1 (Rethinking Food)

• PhD position at the University of Melbourne (UoM): Understanding, mapping and reducing the impact of food production supply chains Australia and Germany
• PhD position at the University of Hohenheim: Feasibility of Scaling Up Novel Land-Use Systems

Open PhD Topics in Cluster 2 (Rethinking Urban Spaces)

• PhD position at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT): Ethics of care and just mobility transitions
• PhD position at the University of Melbourne (UoM): Deconstructing infrastructure for regeneration
• PhD position at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT): Urban retrofitting – how to tackle surface conflicts between different uses
• PhD position at the University of Melbourne (UoM): Redistributing mobility space in suburbia
• PhD position at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT): Optimizing Blue-Green Infrastructure for Climate and Biodiversity

Also Check: PhD and Postdoc Positions at Wageningen University & Research, Netherlands

Open PhD Topics in Cluster 3 (Rethinking Rural Spaces)

• PhD position at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT): From Conflict to Complementarity: Governing Land-Use Transitions through Values and Technological Innovation in Physical and Digital Infrastructure and Security
• PhD position at the University of Melbourne (UoM): Biodiversity, community, and Indigenous values in renewable energy transitions
• PhD position at the Institute for Industrial Production (IIP) at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT): Trade-offs of Bio-based Products in Different Land-use Environments
• PhD position at the University of Melbourne (UoM): Community and Participatory Governance of Nature-Based Solutions in Multi-Use Rural Landscapes
• PhD position at the Science Faculty at the University of Melbourne (UoM): An analysis of expanding road infrastructure on indigenous land rights, food security and forest cover in southern Palawan, the Philippines
• PhD position at KIT-Campus Alpin: Ecosystem and biodiversity impacts of novel land-use futures
• PhD position at the University of Melbourne (UoM): Robust optimisation of water supply portfolios maximising water security, land-use and environmental benefit under hydroclimatic extremes
• PhD position at the University of Melbourne (UoM): Strategic Land Buyback for Urban Flood Risk Reduction

Also Check: PhD and Postdoc Positions at Linköping University, Sweden – 2026

Open PhD Topics in Cluster 4 (Unlocking Restoration)

• PhD position at the University of Melbourne (UoM): Transfer learning across forest types for biomass and structure estimation using next-generation SAR missions
• PhD position at KIT-Campus Alpin: Forest Vulnerability to Hotter Droughts
• PhD position at the University of Melbourne (UoM): Spatial optimisation of restoration actions for ecosystem services
• PhD position at KIT-Campus Alpin: The role of animals for forest ecosystem carbon and nutrient cycling
• PhD position at the University of Melbourne (UoM): Mapping land use competition in a renewable energy transition that is good for nature and people
• PhD position in Computer Science / Environmental Data Science at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT): Advancing deep learning for probabilistic predictions of wildfire risks
• PhD position at KIT-Campus Alpin: Modelling sustainable European forests in a future climate
• PhD position at the University of Melbourne (UoM): Drought adaptation of forest systems across climate gradients
• PhD position at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT): Cross-sensor transfer learning for long-term forest biomass and structure estimation using established and next-generation SAR missions

Also Check: PhD, Postdoc and Academic Positions 2026 Maastricht University, Netherlands

How to Apply

1. Visit the official C4LaNd website
2. Choose the specific PhD topic or the PostDoc position you are interested in.
3. Submit your application before May 17, 2026.

Also Check: PhD, Postdoc and Academic Positions 2026 Maastricht University, Netherlands