Team ; PhD students & postdoc Vici project Fire Sky

Your function

Are you passionate about the Earth and its climate? Do you want to make a difference in science and the world? Do you get excited about satellite images and venturing out to remote places?

This vacancy ispart of a larger Vici project funded by the Dutch Research Council. Fire Sky is an interdisciplinary project combining field, remote sensing and modeling approaches to study feedbacks between climate warming, lightning and fires and permafrost thaw in the northern high latitudes. There is also a focus on climate-informed fire management strategies. The project includes funding for several field campaigns in Alaska (USA) and Canada.

Project partners of Fire Sky include among others University of East Anglia, Woodwell Climate Research Center and the Alaska Fire Science Consortium, and research visits to these institutes are budgeted in the project.

Team hire

A team of 2 PhD students and 1 postdoc will be hired. The team will tackle several challenging topics focused on climate-fire feedbacks in the northern high latitudes, including:

• Remote sensing of boreal fires
• Fire-induced permafrost thaw and associated greenhouse gas emissions
• Lightning fire occurrences

Topic 1 will largely be based on satellite data (including from the new Fire Sat constellation) and geospatial analysis. Topic 2 requires a combination of field and remote sensing approaches. For topic 3, experience with processing large geospatial datasets is required, as well as experience or profound interest in explainable AI techniques.

Tasks for PhD positions

The PhD students will work on one of the topics defined above using a combination of field and/or remote sensing and/or modeling approaches. Satellite and climate data processing will be carried out over large areas, and the applicant should therefore be able to efficiently handle big datasets. Applicants focused on topic 2 should be able to deal with logistical issues and challenging conditions for field campaigns in Alaska and Canada.

Selected candidates will closely collaborate with other team members and colleagues. The research will lead to peer-reviewed publications that will be used to write a PhD thesis. The applicant will present the results at national and international conferences, and contribute to the department’s teaching programs.

Tasks for the postdoc position

The postdoc will investigate feedbacks between climate, lightning, fire, and permafrost in high latitude ecosystems based on field, remote sensing and modeling approaches. For the satellite and climate analyses, the geographic scope will encompass the entire circumpolar Arctic-boreal biomes, and the applicant should therefore be able to efficiently handle big datasets. The applicant will closely collaborate with other team members and colleagues.

Research will be published in peer-reviewed journals. The applicant will present the results at national and international conferences, and contribute to the department’s teaching programs.

Profile for PhD positions

• MSc in Earth, ecological or environmental sciences or related field but with proven interest in Earth sciences and/or (spatial) ecology; (applicants that will finish their MSc degree before September 2026 are encouraged to apply)
• excellent ability to communicate in both written and spoken English;
• strong scientific motivation, and interest in Earth system and climate change sciences;
• hands‑on and curiosity‑driven, and ability to work independently and collaboratively;
• affinity with object‑oriented coding (preferably Python), GIS and statistical modeling;
• for applications focused on topic 2, affinity with field work in remote (Arctic‑boreal) locations;
• for applications focused on topic 2, a driver’s license is required
• good social skills.

Profile for the postdoc position

• PhD in Earth, climate or environmental sciences or related field but with proven interest in Earth and/or climate sciences;
• excellent ability to communicate in both written and spoken English;
• strong scientific motivation, and interest in Earth system and climate change sciences;
• hands‑on and curiosity‑driven, and ability to work independently and collaboratively;
• highly skilled in…