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Bayi Glacier in Qilian Mountain, China (Credit: Xiaoming Wang, distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu)

Job advertisement Funded PhD position: Cutting-Edge Agricultural Sensing

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European Geosciences Union

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Funded PhD position: Cutting-Edge Agricultural Sensing

Position
Funded PhD position: Cutting-Edge Agricultural Sensing


Location
Beer Sheva, Israel

Sector
Academic

Relevant divisions
Earth and Space Science Informatics (ESSI)
Solar-Terrestrial Sciences (ST)

Type
Full time

Level
Student / Graduate / Internship

Salary
Open

Required education
Master

Application deadline
31 July 2025

Posted
6 June 2025

Job description

PhD Opportunity – Cutting-Edge Agricultural Sensing @ Ben-Gurion University of the Negev 🌾📡🔬

Funded by BARD The U.S.-Israel Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund | In collaboration with the Israeli Center for DIgital Agriculture, and Prof. Jochen Stutz (UCLA)

We’re offering a fully funded PhD position as part of a new BARD-funded Israeli–US research collaboration focused on transforming agricultural monitoring using solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) and robotic spectral sensing technologies.

🔍 Project Overview
This project involves the development and deployment of CAN-SCAN, a semi-autonomous ground-based platform equipped with:

🌿 SIF sensors – a direct optical proxy for photosynthesis

🌈 Hyperspectral reflectance instruments (350–1700 nm) for chlorophyll, nitrogen, and water status

🤖 A custom robotic system for capturing canopy-level and in-canopy optical signals

🧠 Integration with mechanistic models (MLR-SIF, SCOPE) and machine learning (ANNs) for GPP and yield prediction

The system will be tested in controlled environments and field trials in desert agriculture.

👨‍🏫 Supervision

You will be co-supervised by: Dr. Oz Kira (Environmental Sensing, BGU) and, Prof. Shimon Rachmilevitch (Plant Physiology, BGU). In close collaboration with Prof. Jochen Stutz (UCLA)

🎓 Ideal Candidate:

M.Sc. in environmental/agricultural engineering, plant science, or remote sensing
Strong background or interest in optical sensing, SIF, robotics, or environmental data modeling
Programming experience (Python, R, or Matlab)
💡 Hands-on experience with sensors is a strong advantage Self-driven, organized, and ready to engage in multidisciplinary research

📍 Location: Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel 📅 Start Date: Fall 2025

📬 Apply: Email CV, transcripts, and a short motivation letter to ozkira@bgu.ac.il 🔔 Only relevant applications will be answered. Help us push the boundaries of smart agriculture—from photons to food 🌞🌽


How to apply

Apply: Email CV, transcripts, and a short motivation letter to ozkira@bgu.ac.il 🔔 Only relevant applications will be answered. Full consideration till 15/7/2025