PhD Positions in Irrigation Engineering, Water Management, and Sensor-Based Data-Driven Irrigation Oklahoma State University in United States

PhD openings in Irrigation Engineering, Water Management, and Sensor-Based Data-Driven Irrigation at Oklahoma State University. Dr. Sumon Datta, Assistant Professor & Irrigation Engineer and Director of the Irrigation Research Laboratory in the Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, is recruiting three PhD students for Spring 2027.

The research group focuses on sensor-based, data-driven irrigation management and is described as a product-oriented, dynamic lab with graduate students already working on related topics. The advertised research tracks include regional evapotranspiration forecasting, sorghum irrigation modeling, and cotton irrigation management. The work involves integrating field experimentation, crop-water modeling, evapotranspiration forecasting, remote sensing, soil water balance modeling, sensor data analytics, and decision-support tools for irrigation scheduling and water conservation.

Research interests and methods mentioned in the post include irrigation water management, crop-water relations, evapotranspiration, soil moisture dynamics, agricultural water conservation, machine learning, geospatial analysis, remote sensing, crop modeling, and scientific computing in Python. The lab also values experience with fieldwork, sensors, data collection, model calibration/validation, technical writing, and peer-reviewed publication.

Eligibility highlights: applicants must already hold both a BS and an MS degree. Preferred backgrounds include agricultural engineering, biosystems engineering, irrigation engineering, or closely related fields. If the applicant does not have an engineering degree, the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam is required. Preference will be given to students already in the USA.

Funding: selected students will receive a competitive graduate assistantship package with stipend, tuition waiver, and health insurance support, subject to OSU and project funding policies.

How to apply: submit one combined PDF with a current CV, one-page statement of research interests and fit, unofficial BS and MS transcripts, contact information for three references, and up to five publications, thesis chapter, code repository, or technical writing sample. Shortlisted applicants will then be invited to apply through Oklahoma State University Graduate College and BAE.

Institution: Oklahoma State University, United States.