Soil Water Monitoring with Nuclear Sensors | PhD position 4 yr.

Company: CSIC - Spanish National Research Council

Institution: EEAD – Experimental Station Aula Dei

Location: Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain

Workplace type: On-site

Employment type: Full-time

The position is fully funded through the JAE-PRE 2025 programme and provides a four-year full-time predoctoral contract.

We are looking for a motivated PhD candidate to join the Soil and Water Erosion and Evaluation Research Group (EESA) at the Estación Experimental de Aula Dei (EEAD-CSIC) in Zaragoza, Spain.

The position is available immediately, and the successful candidate is expected to join the research group as soon as possible and no later than 15 December 2026.

The PhD project

Soil water content is a key variable for understanding the functioning of agricultural systems and improving water resource management, particularly in Mediterranean regions characterised by high climatic variability and increasing pressure on available water resources.

This PhD project aims to apply and validate new methodologies for estimating soil water content at the agricultural plot scale by integrating proximal nuclear sensors and advanced data-analysis techniques.

The research will combine two innovative, non-invasive technologies:

· Cosmic-Ray Neutron Sensors (CRNS)

· Proximal Gamma-Ray Spectroscopy (PGRS)

The successful candidate will participate in:

· Experimental field campaigns in Mediterranean agroforestry systems

· Operation and calibration of CRNS and PGRS instrumentation

· Soil sampling and characterisation

· GIS, remote sensing and spatial analysis





· Analysis of the spatial and temporal variability of soil water content

· Data analysis using R and/or Python

· Machine-learning approaches for integrating information from different sources and scales

Research environment The PhD will be carried out within the Soil and Water Erosion and Evaluation Research Group (EESA) at EEAD-CSIC, with access to CRNS and PGRS sensors, meteorological stations, experimental plots and the Gamma Spectrometry Service.

The project offers a multidisciplinary research environment at the interface of soil science, water resources, nuclear sensing and digital agriculture.

The candidate will participate in scientific meetings, conferences, training and outreach activities, and will be encouraged to publish the results of the PhD in international scientific journals.

The project also has a strong international dimension through the group's scientific collaborations and participation in projects of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Subject to funding availability, an international research stay will be encouraged, particularly with collaborating groups at the Universities of Bologna and Ferrara (Italy), the University of Plymouth (United Kingdom), and universities in Germany and the United States.





Candidate profile

Applicants should hold a Bachelor's and Master's degree providing access to an official PhD programme, preferably in:

· Geology

· Environmental Sciences

· Agricultural Sciences

· Agronomic or Forestry Engineering

· Environmental Engineering

· Physical Geography

· or related disciplines

We are looking for a candidate with an interest in applied research on soil, water and agroforestry systems, willing to combine experimental fieldwork with data analysis.

A sufficient level of English to read scientific literature, communicate in an international research environment and write scientific publications is required.

Experience or knowledge in GIS and remote sensing, R/Python, statistics, spatial analysis, soil science, hydrology, fieldwork or soil sampling will be positively valued but is not essential.

Employment conditions

· Contract: JAE-PRE full-time predoctoral employment contract

· Duration: 4 years

· Location: EEAD-CSIC, Zaragoza, Spain

· Start date: before 15 December 2026

· Principal Investigator: Dr Leticia Gaspar The PhD will be integrated into either the PhD Programme in Geology or the PhD Programme in Agricultural and Natural Environment Sciences at the University of Zaragoza.

Interested?

Please apply through LinkedIn and/or send your CV to:

[email protected] [email protected]

Applications and informal enquiries are welcome.

#PhDPosition #PhD #JAEPRE #CSIC #SoilScience #SoilMoisture #CRNS #GammaRaySpectroscopy #WaterManagement #EnvironmentalScience #Agriculture

📌 PhD Position / Contrato Predoctoral (4 yr / 4 años) (Zaragoza)
🏢 CSIC
📍 Zaragoza