PhD Position - Advancing Root Phenotyping and Soil Function Exploration Through Non-Invasive Ag[...]

Forschungszentrum Jülich; Deutschland; Vor Ort; EUR 60.000 - 80.000; Vollzeit

Zusammenfassung

A leading research center in Germany is seeking a First Stage Researcher for a PhD project focused on agrogeophysical methods for sustainable crop production. The role involves developing advanced imaging techniques and algorithms while collaborating in an interdisciplinary environment. Candidates must possess a relevant Master's degree and programming skills. The position offers a fixed term of 4 years, 30 days of annual leave, and opportunities for professional development.

Leistungen

30 days of annual leave

Professional development support

Interdisciplinary work environment

International conference opportunities

Qualifikationen

• Master’s degree with a grade of at least good.
• Experience in programming.
• Geophysical fieldwork experience preferred.
• Driver’s licence required or obtainable within 3 months.

Aufgaben

• Develop high-resolution GPR and EMI imaging methods.
• Design inversion algorithms for GPR and EMI data.
• Identify links between agrogeophysical parameters and soil–plant system.
• Improve understanding of soil–plant interactions.
• Connect processing techniques to experimental data.

Kenntnisse

Programming (e.g., MATLAB, Python, C/C++)

Advanced knowledge of numerical methods

Geophysical fieldwork experience with GPR and EMI

Good communication and organisational skills

Physical work capability

Ausbildung

Master’s degree in geophysics, physics, geoscience, or related natural sciences

Jobbeschreibung

Job Information

Organisation/Company: Forschungszentrum Jülich
Research Field: All Researcher
Profile: First Stage Researcher (R1)
Location: Germany
Application Deadline: 19 Jan 2038, 03:14 UTC
Contract: To be defined
Job Status: Other
EU Funding: Not funded by an EU programme
Research Infrastructure: No

Offer Description

Area of research: PHD Thesis

Your Job:

The PhD project offered will be part of the Cluster of Excellence: PhenoRob - Robotics and Phenotyping for Sustainable Crop Production. PhenoRob performs world‑leading research in robotics and phenotyping for sustainable crop production with a vision to transform crop production by optimizing breeding and farming management through developing and deploying new technologies.

Within PhenoRob, we develop novel agrogeophysical methods to obtain noninvasive subsoil information that can be used to advance root phenotyping and soil functions. Soil‑root interactions will be analyzed across management scenarios using geophysics and numerical modeling. High‑resolution subsoil characterisation using electromagnetic induction (EMI) and ground‑penetrating radar (GPR) will be combined with soil sensor systems and UAVs at different scales. In particular, we will combine borehole and surface GPR as well as small‑scale EMI measurements with root and shoot observations in controlled experiments (rhizotron facility) and field trials. In addition to field applications, novel inversion algorithms for GPR and EMI will be developed. These algorithms will enable high‑resolution, quantitative time‑lapse soil property measurements using high‑performance, parallel computing. Together with our existing rich dataset, we will inform a soil‑plant digital twin, enabling ML‑based analysis of geophysical and rover approaches for field‑scale root and soil characterisation.

Responsibilities

• Develop and apply high‑resolution time‑lapse GPR and EMI imaging methods at multiple scales to enhance our understanding of the soil–root system.
• Design and implement novel inversion algorithms for GPR and EMI data.
• Identify links between non‑invasive agrogeophysical parameters and the soil–plant continuum.
• Improve small‑scale process understanding of soil–plant interactions and transfer this knowledge to larger scales for applications in agricultural management.
• Connect novel processing and inversion techniques to experimental data from different regions and link findings to relevant processes of the soil‑plant system.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in geophysics, physics, geoscience, computational geoscience, or related natural sciences with an overall grade of at least good.
• Experience in programming (e.g., MATLAB, Python, C/C++).
• Advanced knowledge of numerical methods.
• Geophysical fieldwork experience, preferably with GPR and EMI.
• Good communication and organisational skills for interdisciplinary cooperation.
• Driver’s licence required (or obtainable within the first 3 months).
• Physical work required.

Our Offer

• Interdisciplinary environment with excellent facilities for hydrogeophysical research, numerical simulation, and inversion.
• Opportunities to be part of the national and international scientific community.
• PhD students encouraged to attend international conferences and may have a three‑month research stay abroad with a cooperating partner.
• Location: Working in the heart of Europe.
• Diverse working group and environment.
• Professional development support through training and networking opportunities specifically for doctoral candidates (JuDocS).
• 30 days of annual leave.
• Extensive range of training courses and structured continuing education through JuDocS, the Jülich Center for Doctoral Researchers and Supervisors.
• Targeted services for international employees, e.g., through the International Advisory Service.

The position is for a fixed term of 4 years. Pay is in line with 75% of pay group 13 of the Collective Agreement for the Public Service (TVöD‑Bund) and additionally 60% of a monthly salary as a special payment (Christmas bonus). The monthly salaries in euros can be found on the BMI website: https://go.fzj.de/bmi.tvoed.entgelt. Further information on doctoral degrees at Forschungszentrum Jülich is available at https://www.fz-juelich.de/en/careers/phd.

We welcome applications from people with diverse backgrounds, e.g. in terms of age, gender, disability, sexual orientation/identity, and social, ethnic and religious origin. A diverse and inclusive working environment with equal opportunities in which everyone can realise their potential is important to us. Further information on diversity and equal opportunities: https://go.fzj.de/equality. Specific support options: https://go.fzj.de/womens-job-journey.

This research centre is part of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers, which has over 42,000 employees and an annual budget of over €5 billion – Germany’s largest scientific organisation.