PhD-Position: AI-Driven Pathways to Healthy Soils

The Environmental Geosciences group at the University of Basel invites applications for a PhD fellowship within the PhD Program Environmental Sciences, in collaboration with the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC), starting 1 June 2026 or later. Your position Research Area and project description

The project investigates how artificial intelligence can support the achievement of healthy soils by 2050 through EU policy implementation (e.g., CAP, Soil Monitoring Law, CRCF). It will develop AI tools to map and predict soil health across space and time, accelerate literature reviews, extract best management practices from long‑term experiments, and design methods to evaluate soil health. The project will also explore translating Soil Living Labs outcomes into policy recommendations and conducting policy‑relevant scenario analyses.

This international PhD is part of the Collaborative Doctoral Partnerships programme, training researchers at the science‑policy interface.

• Master's degree (completed or near completion) in a relevant field (e.g., Environmental or Soil Sciences, AI, Data Science, Geosciences).
• Basic knowledge of soil science and strong interest in AI and soil health.
• Experience with data analysis/modelling and programming (R or Python).
• Advantageous: geostatistics, digital soil mapping, remote sensing, GIS, big data or cloud tools.
• Proactive working style, strong communication skills, and excellent English.
• Relevant publications are a plus.

For further information and detailed task description please see link below.

Applicants must be EU Member State or associated country nationals (or minimum of 5 years residency in the EU) and be enrolled in, or eligible to enroll in, a PhD programme at the University of Basel (≤12 months enrolled at start). Proof of enrolment must be provided within six months of confirmation.

• Joint training environment between Basel (Switzerland) and the JRC in Ispra, Italy.
• Salary and benefits according to JRC Grantholder Category 20 during JRC periods (approx. €45,000 gross/year) and University of Basel conditions during university employment.
• Participation in an international, policy-relevant doctoral programme on soil health and AI based tools.

Application / Contact

Please submit your complete application documents, including a letter stating your motivation and a short statement of research and teaching interests, experience and skills, a CV and contact details of at least two references via our online recruiting platform. Applications via Email will not be accepted. Final date to receive applications is 26th March 23:59 CET. Preferred starting date is 1st June 2026.

Applicants seeking further information please see (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below). or contact:
Professor Christine Alewell, christine.alewell.

For information about application requirements and mandatory attachments, please see our application guide -