Funded PhD position: Cutting-Edge Agricultural Sensing
Ben Gurion university of the Negev
Solar-Terrestrial Sciences (ST)
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 🌞🌽
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