The Animal Sciences Group (ASG) at Wageningen University & Research (WUR) in the Netherlands is recruiting a motivated Ph.D. candidate for a fully funded four-year position focused on the development of AI tools for sustainable livestock and fish breeding programs.
Research Focus and Context
This PhD track is part of WUR’s new Digital Biology investment programme, titled “Digital Biology – Integrating Behaviour, Health and Biodiversity in Animal Science.” The programme consists of seven interconnected PhD positions carried out jointly by Wageningen University, Wageningen Livestock Research (WLR), and Wageningen Marine Research (WMR).
Modern breeding programs for terrestrial livestock and aquaculture species face complex, multi-objective optimization challenges, including genetic diversity preservation, production efficiency, climate resilience, and animal welfare. The PhD candidate will develop AI-based decision-support and optimization tools to address these challenges, with a strong focus on livestock and fish breeding programs.
Key Responsibilities
- Develop and evaluate machine learning and deep learning algorithms for genetic selection and breeding program optimization.
- Simulate breeding strategies under various environmental, economic, and genetic scenarios.
- Integrate genomic datasets, phenotypic data, and environmental parameters into predictive AI models.
- Collaborate with other PhD students in the Digital Biology programme and industry partners.
- Write scientific papers leading to a Ph.D. dissertation and present results at genetics and animal science conferences.
What WUR Offers
- A fully funded PhD position for 4 years (38 hours per week).
- Gross monthly salary starting at €3,059 in the first year, rising to €3,881 in the fourth year (under the CAO-NU).
- Fixed 8.3% year-end bonus and excellent pension scheme.
- Support with visa/immigration procedures, housing search, and partner integration.
Required Qualifications
- M.Sc. degree in Data Science, Bioinformatics, Quantitative Genetics, Computer Science, Computational Biology, or related fields.
- Strong programming skills in Python and/or R.
- Experience working in high-performance computing (HPC) or cloud environments.
- Basic understanding of machine learning concepts (e.g., classification, neural networks, optimization).
- A strong interest in genetics, biology, microbiology, or animal sciences.
- Excellent English communication skills.
How to Apply
Applications must be submitted via the official WUR vacancy portal. Please upload your cover letter and CV (maximum 3 pages total) before the application deadline. Inquiries can be sent to the supervisors: Prof. Annemarie Rebel or Dr. Dirkjan Schokker.