Henk Hogeveen

Wageningen University & Research is offering a fully funded PhD on the economic value of real-time video-based disease detection in pigs . The project sits at the intersection of economics , agriculture , animal science , artificial intelligence , and computer vision , with a strong focus on improving animal welfare and supporting more sustainable livestock farming. The PhD is part of the NWO-funded RealTimeAI4Livestock project, where WUR and TU Eindhoven are developing vision-based technologies for breeding and early disease detection in production animals. The successful candidate will work on the economic side of adoption: quantifying the production and economic impacts of livestock disease, estimating the value of AI-based interventions, building system-use scenarios, and running an adaptive choice-based conjoint study to understand farmer preferences for disease detection technologies. You will be based at the Business Economics group at Wageningen University and co-supervised by the Animal Breeding and Genetics group . The role involves collaboration with researchers at WUR and TU/e, plus breeding companies, technology developers, and other industry partners. Applicants should have an MSc degree in economics, animal science, or another relevant field. Strong analytical skills are important, and experience with R is preferred. The post also asks for affinity with animal production, ability to work independently and in a multidisciplinary team, and C1-level English . Experience with participatory research methods, scientific writing, and publishing is a plus. The position is located in the Netherlands . Funding includes a salary of €3,059 to €3,881 per month over four years, with a temporary 12-month contract that can be extended. Applications are accepted via the vacancy page, and the listing is open until 2026-08-31 . To apply, submit a CV (max 2 pages) , up to two reference letters , and a motivation letter (max 1 page) explaining your interest and relevant experience. Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed in the second week of September.