KU Leuven is offering a fully funded PhD position in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Division of Geography and Tourism, focused on monitoring soil erosion indicators using remote sensing. This opportunity is part of the EUROSION project (HORIZON-MISS-2024-SOIL-01-03), a collaborative initiative involving 24 research institutes across 12 countries, aimed at developing a dynamic monitoring system for soil erosion across Europe.

The successful candidate will work on developing high-resolution indicators of soil erosion using multi-temporal satellite data (optical and radar, including Copernicus products). The research will involve characterizing field parcel boundaries and connectivity, calibrating and validating indicators with field-based data from multiple European monitoring sites, and integrating these indicators into dynamic, process-based soil erosion models. The project covers erosion by water, wind, and tillage, and includes collaboration with EUROSION partners for trend analysis and predictive modeling.

Applicants should hold or be near completion of a Master’s degree in Geography, Earth Sciences, Soil Science, Bioscience Engineering, Agricultural Sciences, Remote Sensing, or a related field. Essential skills include a strong interest in soil erosion research, experience with large-scale spatial datasets and spatial modeling, proficiency in GIS and Python scripting, and excellent communication skills. Fluency in English and a proactive, independent work style are required.

The position offers a full-time doctoral scholarship for 4 years, providing a stimulating international research environment in Leuven, Belgium. The role includes teaching involvement (about 10% of time), such as supervising practical sessions, field trips, and bachelor/master theses. The candidate will benefit from integration into high-impact research projects and access to modern research infrastructure.

To apply, candidates must submit a detailed CV, academic grades, a motivation letter, a bibliography of three relevant international papers (with DOI and short description), and contact details of two academic referees. Applications should be submitted via the KU Leuven job portal by 16 March 2026. For further information, contact Prof. dr. Gert Verstraeten at [email protected].

Keywords: Soil Erosion, Remote Sensing, GIS, Python, Environmental Science, Geography, Earth Sciences, Spatial Modeling, EUROSION, Satellite Data.