Research Fellow in Root-Fungi Interactions for Climate-Resilient Crops

Fixed Term Contract for 24 months or until 31/09/2028, whichever is sooner

Full time starting salary is £38,655 per annum

Location: Cranfield, Bedfordshire

We welcome applications from passionate, skilled, committed, prospective plant and soil modellers to contribute to a multi-partner international project ‘Climate-resilient crops with improved phosphorus efficiency through beneficial fungal interactions’.

About the Role

In many parts of the world, excessive use of phosphorus (P) fertilizers in agricultural soil has led to large-scale contamination of the environment. On the other hand, in other areas, P deficient soils and poor access to fertilizers present a major constraint to crop production. Warmer, drier conditions resulting from climate change will exacerbate these problems as low soil moisture reduces plant-availability of P. In natural systems, most plants rely on root symbioses with mutualistic mycorrhizal fungi for efficient P uptake. These interactions remain active in major crop species. However, the delicate balance between plant and fungal partner is far from optimised for both intensive and less-intensive agricultural systems.

In the 3-year project, to which this role will contribute, we will characterise plant genetic mechanisms that coordinate the interaction of mycorrhizal fungi with plant P and water status, the development of the root system and the broader community of soil microbes. With partners at Cambridge University and in Germany and the US, we will work from the scale of the single gene to field evaluation to define a framework for rational optimization of plant-mycorrhizal symbioses for more efficient P use in agriculture. The modelling component will involve combining existing models of root system growth, rhizosphere processes and P uptake developed by the project partners and developing new models of the effects and costs of mycorrhizal symbioses.

About You

You will be educated to doctoral level in a relevant subject and have experience of research in plant and soil science using both qualitative and quantitative methods. You will have some experience in mathematical modelling and basic-level programming. Our main requirement is for someone who will understand the plant and soil science behind the project and be able to translate that into models using the results of the experimental work.

About Us

As a specialist postgraduate university, Cranfield’s world-class expertise, large-scale facilities and unrivalled industry partnerships are creating leaders in technology and management globally. Learn more about Cranfield and our unique impact here.

Our Values and Commitments

Our shared, stated values help to define who we are and underpin everything we do: Ambition; Impact; Respect; and Community. Find out more here.

We aim to create and maintain a culture in which everyone can work and study together and realise their full potential. We are a Disability Confident Employer. We have been ranked in the Top 30 family friendly employers in the UK by the charity Working Families. Find out more here.

Working Arrangements

Our Working Arrangements Framework provides many staff with the opportunity to flexibly combine on-site and remote working, where job roles allow, balancing the needs of our community of staff, students, clients and partners.

How to apply                                    

For an informal discussion, please contact Guy Kirk, Professor of Soil Systems, on (E): g.kirk@cranfield.ac.uk.

Apply via the 'Apply' button above. For further details, email peoplerecruitment@cranfield.ac.uk quoting reference 5362.

Closing date: 23 August 2026

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