Doctoral fellow

Job description

ABOUT GHENT UNIVERSITY

Ghent University is a world of its own. Employing more than 15.000 people, it is actively involved in education and research, management and administration, as well as technical and social service provision on a daily basis. It is one of the largest, most exciting employers in the area and offers great career opportunities.

With its 11 faculties and more than 85 departments offering state-of-the-art study programmes grounded in research in a wide range of academic fields, Ghent University is a logical choice for its staff and students.

For the Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering we are looking for a m/f/x

Doctoral fellow

YOUR JOB

We welcome candidates for a full-time appointment as PhD student within the framework of the Ghent University interdisciplinary project: Optimizing high-resolution geophysical imaging with novel sensor platforms.

You will devote a minimum of 90% of your assignment to scientific research as part of doctoral dissertation preparation. The remaining time within your appointment you may be engaged to contribute to the general teaching, research and service tasks.

Supervisors: Prof. Dr. Philippe De Smedt (Dept. of Environment, FBW), Prof. Dr. Ir. Hiep Luong (Dept. of Telecommunications and Information Systems, FEA); Prof. Dr. Thomas Hermans (Dept. of Geology, FW)

Project summary

In this research, we develop and optimize geophysical survey techniques with new ground-based and airborne sensor platforms, for shallow subsurface surveys. Emphasis is on deploying field setups that integrate multiple sensors, with specific focus on drone-based platforms. Besides optimizing the hardware deployed in the field, the focus is on developing algorithms and associated software to efficiently generate reliable high-resolution datasets.

The project focuses on sensors that record electromagnetic properties of the near subsurface (depth to ca. 10 m) and that can be deployed in a wide range of environmental, engineering, and cultural applications. Such applications include soil and hydrological studies, pollutant characterization, archaeological research, and unexploded ordnance detection.

Your PhD will be conducted at the crossroads of environmental science and engineering, and is driven by two key objectives. The first objective is to characterize the practical limitations of using new sensor setups in field conditions, and how these impact the robustness of collected datasets. Methodologically, this objective combines field measurements and signal analysis with forward modelling of sensor measurements to assess the impact of field conditions and different sensor hardware configurations on interpreting 3D subsurface variations. The second objective is to develop solutions that mediate the impact of these limitations by advanced data processing techniques. Hereby, you will deploy and develop algorithms to filter the noise from collected datasets, as well as calibration procedures, that can be integrated into efficient geophysical software packages. A final objective is the reconstruction of 3D subsurface variations. To enable this, (joint) inversion strategies will be applied that hinge on the high-resolution data provided by novel sensor configurations. In this final step, the combination of data-analysis and -enhancement with sensor fusion techniques should provide the basis for (semi-)automated data interpretation.

Combined, these objectives tie into the diverse nature of the project that marries an experimental field component with desktop research. Fieldwork will be conducted on reference test sites, as well as practical cases during advanced project stages.

As part of an interdisciplinary project, involving three faculties at Ghent University, you will interact and collaborate with international partners and stakeholders in a flexible and dynamic work environment. You are hereby willing to collaborate in international field campaigns as well as at least one research stay with an international partner. Outcomes of your work should lead to internationally peer reviewed publications and form the basis of a PhD manuscript.

Your tasks as a PhD student

• You conduct research on the use of next-generation geophysical sensors for high-resolution near-surface investigations;
• You perform synthetic and practical experiments to assess the potential and limitations of such instruments in different field configurations;
• You improve and develop software code for pre-processing (noise-reduction, calibration) and analyzing sensor data;
• You work towards combining sensor fusion and inversion algorithms to interpret 3D subsurface variations;
• You participate in (international) field campaigns to test developed survey strategies in various geological settings;
• You report on your research results in scientific journals, and present them at scientific conferences.

Job profile

• Master of Science degree in (Environmental)Engineering; (Geo)physics; or similar.
• Motivated by the research topic and scientific research to complete a PhD program.
• Analytical skills and a strong background in (Python) programming.
• Strong interest or experience with (geospatial) data science.
• Eager to conduct field experiments that are rooted in electromagnetic theory.
• Organizational skills, and problem-solving, result-oriented attitude.
• Fluent communication in English, both orally and written.
• Willing to participate in international field campaigns and (at least one) research stays
• You have a (European) driving license or can obtain this during the first project year.
• Team player who can work independently and has good communication skills.

Profile – Skills and Attitudes

• You work independently and as part of a team.
• You work accurately and are well organized.
• You have strong communication skills and proactively approach tasks and responsibilities.
• You dare to show creativity in solving problems and developing research ideas.
• You have an eye for detail and enjoy presenting your work.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

• We offer a full-time position as a doctoral fellow, consisting of an initial period of 12 months, which – after a positive evaluation, will be extended to a total maximum of 48 months.
• Your contract will start on 01/09/2025 at the earliest.
• The fellowship amount is 100% of the net salary of an AAP member in equal family circumstances. The individual fellowship amount is determined by Team Personnel Administration based on family status and seniority. A grant that meets the conditions and criteria of the regulations for doctoral fellowships is considered free of personal income tax. Click here for more information about our salary scales
• All Ghent University staff members enjoy a number of benefits, such as a wide range of training and education opportunities, 36 days of holiday leave (on an annual basis for a full-time job) supplemented by annual fixed bridge days, bicycle allowance and eco vouchers. Click here for a complete overview of all the staff benefits.

How to apply

To apply for this position, please send your application file (as a single pdf) to orbit@ugent.be, including ‘EMMAG PhD’ in the email subject.

This pdf-file should include:

1) a motivation letter;

2) your CV;

3) copy of your diploma (if already in your possession);

4) an overview of your study results, listing all courses and the grades obtained for these;

5) contact information of two references (e.g., MSc thesis supervisor);

6) If you have a foreign diploma, provide evidence of English language proficiency.

Candidates that pass pre-selection through CV-screening, will receive further instructions on the selection process and will be invited for a job interview (live or online). Incomplete applications will not be considered. Application submission deadline is 11.07.2025. We do not accept late applications.

For more information about this vacancy, please contact Prof. Philippe De Smedt (Philippe.DeSmedt@ugent.be) (+32(0)9/2646056)

Master students graduating in 2025 are encouraged to apply. Where appropriate, the tentative starting date can be adjusted relative to the graduation date.

Ghent University maintains an equal opportunities and diversity policy, everyone is encouraged to apply for this position.