Professor in Sustainable Use Deep Subsurface

Organisation/Company Ghent University Research Field Environmental science » Earth science Physics » Other Researcher Profile Established Researcher (R3) Country Belgium Final date to receive applications 28 Jan 2026 - 22:59 (UTC) Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

→ Apply until 28/01/2026(DD/MM/YYYY) 23:59 (Brussels time)
→ Discipline:
Sustainable Use of the Deep Subsurface
→100% Assistant professor tenure track
→ Reference number: 202512/WE/ZAP/007

Ghent University is a world-class, open, pluralistic and socially engaged university.

Our credo is'Dare to Think' : we are a haven for courageous thinkers.

Withone of themost progressive career models for academics in the world, Ghent University evaluates its scholars not only by the length of their publication list but also by the impact they pursue, what they achieve and how they collaborate.

Are you a good ‘fit’ with our university? Discover here our vision on education and research .

The Department of Geology (WE13; ) conducts research on the origin, composition and functioning of the Earth, the emergence and evolution of life on our planet, and the sustainable use of geomaterials and geofluids in societal and economic applications. Within this broad scientific scope, the Department aims to increase emphasis on research into the general structure of the deep subsurface, the origin and occurrence of natural resources and raw materials in the deep subsurface, and how these can be utilized in a sustainable manner.

The overarching objectives are: i) to consolidate and to innovate the fundamental scientific knowledge required for the sustainable management of the deep subsurface, ii) to enhance societal awareness of the importance of the subsurface, and iii) to provide a robust scientific foundation to inform policy decisions and support policymakers.

This research domain is closely aligned with existing areas of expertise within the Department, which include mineral resources, ore geology, geomaterials, geothermal energy, geophysics, geochronology, stratigraphy, marine geology, geohazards, hydrogeology, and underground storage of CO₂and H₂(see ). Nevertheless, next to these existing strengths, there currently is an identified need for critical expertise in structural geology and basin-scale geodynamics. Such expertise is essential to advance the understanding of the origin and occurrence of natural resources in the deep subsurface, to improve the prediction of their formation and evolution, through time and space, and to better support their sustainable use.

With this position, the Department seeks to address this gap in structural geology and geodynamics in a manner that is fully complementary to its current research strengths.

The ideal candidate has a strong academic profile, with demonstrated postdoctoral experience in the above‑described research domain. The Department seeks a candidate with a solid geological background (i.e. MSc and PhD in geology) who actively applies intrinsic geological methods. Consequently, the candidate is expected to be well versed in, amongst others, geological fieldwork.

The expectations regarding teaching, research, and institutional and societal engagement, as well as the positioning of this position within the expertise and strategic developments of the faculty and department, were outlined in a position profile document prior to the publication of this vacancy. This position profile document is publicly available via the following link:

You lecture various course units in the discipline of structural geology, geodynamics, geological mapping, geology of Belgium and general geophysics.

You conduct innovative and internationally recognized research in the field of applications of new concepts from, among others, geodynamics and structural geology to the study and sustainable use of the deep subsurface.

Based on your expertise and experience, you will…