Physiological adaptations of biodiversity to environmental variations M/F

Organisation/Company CNRS Department Direction des ressources humaines Research Field Biological sciences Environmental science Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Application Deadline 2 Sep 2026 - 17:00 (UTC) Country France Type of Contract Other Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 35 Offer Starting Date 30 Jul 2026 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

The recruitment aligns with the strategy of the CNRS and its partner universities to strengthen excellence in plant, animal, and human ecophysiology—a key discipline for understanding how organisms respond to global change challenges. The IPHC (UMR 7178), EEP (UMR 8198), AMAP (UMR 2021), and MECADEV (UMR 7179) are leading laboratories in evolutionary ecology and comparative physiology, equipped with cutting-edge technological platforms (omics approaches, biologging, bioenergetic modeling, metabolic imaging). The CPJ will strengthen synergies between ecologists, physiologists, and modelers, building on national and international programs. It will contribute to positioning France as a leader in integrative ecophysiology, addressing issues related to biodiversity, environmental health, and ecosystem resilience.

The IPHC (DEPE) and MECADEV units conduct integrated research on the mechanisms by which organisms adapt to environmental heterogeneity, combining ecophysiology, evolutionary ecology, and population biology. The EEP and AMAP units study the ecophysiological responses of plants to abiotic stresses (drought, heat, salinity) and biotic stresses (defense against parasites, interactions with pollinators), using metabolomics, functional imaging, and energy flux modeling.

The Junior Professor Chair will leverage local expertise in bioenergetics, omics, imaging, ecological modeling, and biologging to study the physiological responses of plants, wild animals, and human populations to climate change. Projects will benefit from long‑term monitoring collaborations (labeled SEE‑Life or otherwise) and contribute to advancing fundamental knowledge in ecophysiology while strengthening links with conservation and health stakeholders (One Health approach).

Understanding how organisms—both plants and animals—respond to environmental constraints and global changes requires a detailed analysis of their physiological and energetic adaptations. The ADAPT Junior Professor Chair will explore these mechanisms through integrated approaches, including ecophysiology and the One Health concept. Projects will study the adaptation strategies of plants (stomatal regulation, drought resistance, etc.) and animals (thermoregulation, metabolic plasticity, etc.), using tools such as bioenergetic modeling (DEB models, etc.) and analysis of phenotypic and behavioral plasticity. Societal aspects (nutrition, physical activity) and innovative methodologies (omics, biologging) will be integrated to analyze species' responses to environmental crises. This multidisciplinary approach aims to produce fundamental and applied knowledge for conservation and environmental health.

Teaching will be integrated into the master's programs in ecophysiology, ecology, or environmental health at the associated universities or the MNHN. The selected candidate will provide 48 hours of teaching per year, covering:

• The mechanisms of physiological adaptation to environmental stresses.
• Innovative methods in ecophysiology (omics, biologging, modeling).
• Public health and conservation issues.
• Lectures may also be proposed in training programs for health professionals or public decision-makers.

The CNRS is developing a strong policy in favor of open science. Open science consists of making research results "as accessible as possible and closed as necessary". As such, the CNRS aims to make 100% of the texts of publications resulting from the work of its laboratories accessible , in particular through deposit in HAL. The data produced must also be made available and reusable, except for specific restrictions. In addition, the guiding principles of individual evaluation have been revised in accordance with the DORA declaration, to be more qualitative and to take into account all facets of the researcher's profession.

The dissemination of the results will be done through world‑class scientific productions: publications, patents, software... In addition, the results will be communicated to various targets such as scientific communities, media, decision makers, general public, schools, etc., with an adapted calendar. Specific tools may be developed such as websites, newsletters, meetings, international symposia, summer schools and conferences.

The relationship between science and society is now recognized as a full dimension of scientific activity. The project will develop this dimension in synergy with all the partners. The resulting research work will contribute to informing public decision‑making. Participatory science initiatives may be initiated with actors from the project's socio‑economic and cultural eco‑system.

holders of a doctorate or a PhD or equivalent degree or applicants who have gained scientific. There is no restriction on the age or nationality of applicants. All CNRS positions are accessible to people with disabilities, with special arrangements for tests made necessary by the nature of the disability.