University of Lausanne
1 week ago
PhD position in Experimental Soil Hydrogeochemistry at University of Lausanne University of Lausanne in Switzerland
Degree Level
PhD
Field of study
Geology
Funding
Fully funded PhD position with an annual salary of CHF 55,000 for up to 4 years until graduation. Personal research equipment and research-related travel are funded, and the position includes access to labs, platforms, and conference/collaboration travel support.
Deadline
Sep 30, 2026
Country
Switzerland
University
University of Lausanne

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About this position
UNIL (University of Lausanne) is advertising a fully funded PhD position in Experimental Soil Hydrogeochemistry within the Hydrology group at the Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics (IDYST). The project is supervised by Prof. Paolo Benettin and is based at the Lausanne Mouline (Géopolis building) campus in Switzerland.
The research focuses on how vegetation regulates soil water fluxes and geochemical reactions, especially during dry periods and drought. The PhD candidate will work at the UNIL Ecotron facility, using a programmable climate chamber, soil columns, sensors, tracer experiments, laboratory analyses, and hydrogeochemical modelling. This is a strong fit for students interested in hydrology, soil geochemistry, environmental science, biogeochemistry, experimental ecology, and ecosystem science.
The position is 100% activity rate, with 80% dedicated to the doctoral thesis and 20% to teaching assistant/support duties. The contract starts around 01.01.2027 (to be agreed), initially for 1 year and extendable up to 4 years. Funding includes an annual salary of CHF 55,000, plus personal research equipment and research-related travel support.
Applicants should have a background in Environmental Science, Soil Science/Physics, Biogeochemistry, Experimental Ecology, Hydrology, Civil/Environmental Engineering, or a closely related field. Experience with experimental work is expected, such as sensor deployment, soil/water/vegetation sampling, or lab analyses. Strong quantitative skills in R or Python are required, and good written/spoken English is essential; French is helpful but not required.
The deadline is 2026-09-30. Applications must be submitted only through the UNIL website and should include a motivation letter, CV, degree certificates and transcripts, one first-author research report, and at least two references with affiliations and emails.
Funding details
Fully funded PhD position with an annual salary of CHF 55,000 for up to 4 years until graduation. Personal research equipment and research-related travel are funded, and the position includes access to labs, platforms, and conference/collaboration travel support.
What's required
Applicants should have a background in Environmental Science, Soil Science/Physics, Biogeochemistry, Experimental Ecology, Hydrology, Civil/Environmental Engineering, or a closely related field. Previous experience with experimental work is expected, such as deploying sensors, collecting soil/water/vegetation samples, or conducting laboratory analyses. Strong quantitative and data handling skills in R or Python are required. Good written and spoken English is required; French is an asset but not mandatory.
How to apply
Apply only through the website/application portal. Submit a PDF motivation letter, CV, degree certificates and transcripts, one first-author research report, and names/affiliations/emails of at least two references. Include a short disclosure of how AI was used in preparing the application.
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