PhD: Sensing & Smart Measurement System for Monitoring Biological Soil Quality in Regenerative Agriculture

This is PhD position is based on the ReGeNL program, which aims to develop a future-proof agricultural sector together with Dutch farmers. The program seeks to align agricultural practices with soil improvement, nature restoration, and sustainable revenue model for farmers. Healthy, living soil is essential for delivering and regenerating ecosystem services, thereby strengthening the ecological, social and economic dimensions of food production. The central objective of Action Line #3 is to measure, monitor and predict the impacts of regenerative agriculture spanning – biophysical, social, economic. At the farm level, these insights are crucial for developing and implementing effective business models. At the regional level, they inform policy measures, and within value chain(s), they enable the valuation of regenerative outcomes.

Your Duties and Responsibilities
As a PhD candidate in Sensing & Smart Measurement Systems for Monitoring Biological Soil Quality in Regenerative Agriculture, you will contribute to building the scientific foundation for a practical, efficient, and cost-effective system to monitor ecosystem services in regenerative farming. Your research will focus specifically on sensing biological soil characteristics, a critical component of soil health and resilience.

Your main responsibilities will include:

• Defining the appropriate scale, resolution, and precision for effective ecosystem service monitoring, which will serve as the baseline for system design.
• Designing and developing an innovative measurement system, integrating state-of-the-art sensors and smart IoT technologies tailored for agricultural environments.
• Calibrating and validating the system through rigorous laboratory experiments and real-world field trials on farms.
• Applying your expertise in engineering disciplines such as system design, instrumentation, signal processing, sensor calibration, data modelling, and programming.
• Conducting fieldwork in collaboration with farmers, ensuring the system is robust and suitable for practical on-farm use.
• Actively participating in the ReGeNL community, working closely with farmer cooperatives, value chain partners, financial institutions, research organizations, and technology providers.

This position offers a unique opportunity to apply your technical skills in a multidisciplinary setting, contributing directly to the transition toward more regenerative, sustainable agriculture.
For more information, visit: https://regenl.nl

You will work here
Agricultural Biosystems Engineering group is one of the world’s leading university groups on the application of control and artificial intelligence in agriculture. The Agricultural Biosystem Engineering group aims at enhancing, exploiting and disseminating technology in primary agricultural production processes in order to fulfil the needs of mankind and nature in a sustainable way. Though we address questions and challenges arising in agricultural practice, our scientific based engineering enquiries stay at the more fundamental Technology Readiness Levels. We aim to develop and apply advanced sensing, perception and control methodologies to improve the operation of agricultural production processes and our understanding thereof.

Your qualities

The ideal PhD candidate

• holds an MSc degree in Engineering i.e., Biosystems/Electrical/Mechatronics/Instrumentation or a related discipline;
• should have an interest in agricultural measurements and sensors;
• enjoys working with soils and crops in academic research settings;
• is advanced in data science & proficient in python or Matlab;
• Probably / Preferably has experiences in open field experiments, e.g., sampling, sensor installation, etc.;
• wiling to contribute to the project related tasks, e.g., reporting and documentations.
• has good command on academic writing & aims publishing his/her work in high-quality journals.
• is confident to work in an international environment comprising of 50+ team members as well as project partners;
• has excellent communication skills with proficient English (both oral and written).
• Candidate should show us a certification of English skills. For more information about the required level please take a look here.

Your Team
You will become a member of a group of 20 research and education staff, over 40 PhD students and around 60 thesis students. The group is also a leading contributor to the BSc. and MSc programmes of Biosystems Engineering at Wageningen University.

In a rich multi-disciplinary setting, you will be mainly supervised by Assistant Professor Dr. Md. Abdul Munnaf with close interaction /support from the soil biology group of Wageningen University. Professor Peter Groot Koerkamp and Professor Eldert van Henten will guide you through your scientific training as of your promotors.

We offer you

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

• Partially paid parental leave;
• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
• a fixed year-end bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will receive a fully funded PhD position and you will be offered a course program tailored to your needs and the research team.

The gross salary for the first year is € 2.901,- per month rising to € 3.707,-  in the fourth year in according to the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale P). This is based on a full-time working week of 38 hours. We offer a temporary contract for 18 months which will be extended for the duration of the project if you perform well.

Wageningen University & Research offers plenty of opportunities for growth and development, with a strong internal recruitment policy and excellent training programmes.

You will work on the greenest and most innovative campus in the Netherlands, in an international and open working environment. For 20 consecutive years, we have been voted the “best university” in the Netherlands! A place to be proud of.

Coming from abroad
Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees.

Because we expect you to work and live in the Netherlands our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.
Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. We can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example helping your partner to find a job, housing, or schooling. Finally, certain categories of international staff may be eligible for a tax exemption on a part of their salary during the first five years in the Netherlands.

Do you want more information?

For more information about this function, please contact Dr. Md. Abdul Munnaf, Assistant Professor, by e-mail: abdul.munnaf@wur.nl.

Questions about the procedure, please contact vacaturemeldingen.psg@wur.nl.

General information about Agricultural Biosystems Engineering group can be found on https://www.wur.nl/en/Research-Results/Chair-groups/Plant-Sciences/Farm-Technology-Group.htm

Ready to apply?
Click on the application button next to the vacancy on our website. Only applications submitted through our website will be considered.

You can apply until 9th of June 2025. The first interviews are scheduled for 24th of June 2025.

For this position, you must fill in a mandatory form which will allow us to have a comprehensive view of your qualifications and better assess your fit for it. You can access the form using the link below:

https://forms.office.com/e/saUSq3E84R 

Your prompt response will ensure that your application continues to move forward in the evaluation process. We assure you that the information provided will be kept confidential and used solely for this application process.

Welcome, safe, and valued
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) highly values diversity and inclusion because we believe that different insights lead to innovative solutions. We create a work environment where everyone feels welcome, safe, and appreciated, regardless of background, identity, or experience. Together, we are building a culture where everyone’s unique contribution adds to the success of our organization.

We are

The mission of Wageningen University & Research is “To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life”. Under the banner Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen University and the specialised research institutes of the Wageningen Research Foundation have joined forces in contributing to finding solutions to important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment. With its roughly 30 branches, 7,600 employees (6,700 fte) and 13,100 students and over 150,000 participants to WUR’s Life Long Learning, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. The unique Wageningen approach lies in its integrated approach to issues and the collaboration between different disciplines.

Read the 5 reasons why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR and watch the video below to get an idea of our green campus!