PhD-Position: AI-Driven Pathways to Healthy Soils

The Environmental Geosciences group at the University of Basel is offering a PhD fellowship as part of the PhD Program Environmental Sciences, in collaboration with the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC). This position, starting from June 2026 or later, focuses on leveraging artificial intelligence to support the achievement of healthy soils by 2050, particularly through the implementation of EU policies such as the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), Soil Monitoring Law, and CRCF. The research will involve developing AI tools to map and predict soil health across spatial and temporal scales, accelerating literature reviews, extracting best management practices from long-term experiments, and designing innovative methods to evaluate soil health. The project also aims to translate outcomes from Soil Living Labs into actionable policy recommendations and conduct scenario analyses relevant to policy development. This PhD is part of the Collaborative Doctoral Partnerships programme, which trains researchers at the interface of science and policy, providing a unique international training environment between Basel (Switzerland) and the JRC in Ispra, Italy. Applicants should hold or be close to completing a Master's degree in Environmental or Soil Sciences, AI, Data Science, or Geosciences. Essential skills include basic knowledge of soil science, strong interest in AI and soil health, experience with data analysis, modelling, and programming (R or Python). Additional skills such as geostatistics, digital soil mapping, remote sensing, GIS, big data or cloud tools are advantageous. Candidates must be EU Member State or associated country nationals (or have at least 5 years residency in the EU) and be eligible to enroll in a PhD programme at the University of Basel (with no more than 12 months enrolled at the start). Proactive working style, strong communication skills, and excellent English are required. Relevant publications are considered a plus. Funding is provided according to JRC Grantholder Category 20 during JRC periods (approximately €45,000 gross/year) and University of Basel conditions during university employment. The position offers participation in an international, policy-relevant doctoral programme focused on soil health and AI-based tools. To apply, submit your complete application documents, including a motivation letter, statement of research and teaching interests, CV, and contact details of at least two references via the online recruiting platform. Applications via email will not be accepted. The application deadline is 26th March 2026, 23:59 CET. For further information, visit the Environmental Geosciences group website or contact Professor Christine Alewell at [email protected]. Additional details about the application process and requirements can be found in the application guide provided by the Joint Research Centre.