Postdoc position: Contribution to a large European network to identify the gaps and needs in Plant Breeding Research

Position details

Position: M/W postdoc position (less than 3 years after the PhD)

Duration: 18 months

Salary: around 3000€-3500 gross salary depending on employment history

Application deadline: 31/05/2026

Start date: June to September 2026

Main location: GAFL, Avignon, France

Funding: INRAE (6 months) then EU project Colibri

How to apply

Please send a single PDF file including:

• A detailed CV (including publication list)

• A cover letter describing your motivation and relevant experience

• Contact information for two references

• (Optional) Examples of previous work

Send applications or questions to: mathilde.causse@inrae.fr

Work environment, missions and activities

The postdoc fellow will be integrated in GAFL (Genetics and Breeding of Fruit and Vegetables research Unit) in Avignon. He/she will participate to the European COLiBRI project ‘Collaborative Crop Breeding Research and Innovation for a Green Europe’. The main objective of the project is to develop a roadmap and implementation strategy for a future European plant breeding research and innovation funding network, grounded in collaboration between the public and private sectors. The network will build on and complement existing transnational partnerships to enhance the use of public resources in the pursuit of EU strategic goals. It will address critical gaps in plant breeding research and improve efficiency and timeliness when responding to challenges affecting European agriculture.

The first work package (WP1 : Plant breeding needs and gaps) to which the fellow will contribute will comprehensively map the plant breeding needs of breeders, farmers, industry stakeholders, researchers and consumers, and related research activities concerning variety development and innovation, within the EU, and identify gaps to fill these needs. It will cover different farming systems, including organic farming and participatory breeding as well as conventional and modern techniques, including new genomic techniques. The project will focus on varieties that best fit the objectives of the Green Deal and contribute to the circular EU bioeconomy. It will consider diverse traits and crops, including legumes, perennial and under-utilised crops, to diversify the toolbox used to address stakeholder challenges. WP1 will include successively a literature survey, online questionnaires/surveys, and interviews. The postdoc will contribute mainly to two tasks :

Task 1.1 :  Mapping the needs of breeders and farmers : We will map the plant breeding needs of breeders and farmers to address EU agricultural challenges, including (i) resilience by adaptation to (multiple) stresses, (ii) cropping systems based on intra/inter-specific diversification, and (iii) new varieties. The needs of different stakeholders will be studied. We will focus on conventional systems while also incorporating organic farming and participatory breeding practices. Farmers’ needs in term of varieties will be analysed depending on production conditions and market access.

Task 1.3: Analysis of breeding and innovation solutions and research programs : EU or national research projects to help breeding innovation will be analysed to identify complementary research programs that are needed, focusing on (i) management of favourable and unfavourable interactions under stress, (ii) methods, and (iii) translation of academic results to breeders’ needs. Preliminary results will be presented and discussed at a workshop and final results will be summarised in a report

Specialist in plant breeding, and interested in research organistaion at the EU level, the postdoc will participate to literature survey, online questionnaires/surveys (creation and analysis), stakeholder interviews and writing synthesis.

The work will be supervised by Mathilde Causse (DR INRAE), WP1 leader in the COLIBRI project.

The work can be performed partly remotely (2 days/week maximum).

Required skills and knowledges

- The candidate is required to hold a PhD in Genetics and Plant Breeding since less than 3 years. A background in agronomy is a plus.

- Academic knowledges: Skills and Interest in Plant breeding and organisation of research at the European level

- Communications skills:

Fluent English: C1  level or higher (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) is required.

Writing scientific articles, giving oral presentations are required skills to interact with the other partners and project stakeholders