Assistant Professor Geospatial analysis of sensor and citizen science data for nature-inclusive societies

New technologies allow for widespread measurements to monitor the role of nature in society. Examples are on-the-ground sensors to measure the cooling effect of vegetation, apps to collect environmental or crop growth data, wearables to track physical activities, and social media analyses of geo- tagged posts to understand societal preferences and behaviour. These sensor technologies and the citizen science in which they are often used, deliver a wealth of information to help describe human-nature relations. The selection of measurement sites, observation times, data analysis and integration for system understanding, however, is still a bottleneck. The development of geostatistical methods is needed to deal with the different quality levels of multiple data sources and to analyse and explore point observations in space and time. This position aims to improve the way we analyse sensor data and integrate data in other spatially and temporally explicit information sources, to establish the processes that affect nature and society.

You will develop a clear research direction, and educational profile, and bring nature-inclusive societal changes through science-for-impact work. You will address urgent social-ecological challenges based on your knowledge of modern geostatistical methods and good knowledge of spatial-temporal data, data quality, and data collection, applicable to diverse sensor and citizen science data.

You will also enhance the understanding of spatial-temporal dynamics of ecosystem services, nature's contributions to people, and their driving factors, will lead and contribute to research proposals for different funding agencies, and will contribute to our MSc programmes, co-supervise PhD candidates, and work with our e-learning specialists to develop online educational materials.

You will be actively involved in ongoing geo-citizen science initiatives and actively contribute to the network and ambitions of the Netherlands sector of Earth and Environmental Sciences.

Your profile

A PhD degree in spatial ecology, geography, geostatistics, data science or a related (interdisciplinarity) field

A drive for impact research and experience with translating your research into societal use

A good network or overview of key actors on this topic, and a willingness to actively get in touch with potential collaborators.

A passion for education and the ability to develop high-quality education materials and a dedicated supervisor for graduate students and early- career researchers

Embrace Open Science and FAIR data principles

A teamwork and inclusiveness mentality: you enjoy collaborating to develop high-quality research outputs in a multicultural academic environment and you like working in interdisciplinary contexts

An excellent command of English. Knowledge of, and/or willingness to learn Dutch is an advantage

Our offer

An inspiring multidisciplinary, international and academic environment. The university offers a dynamic ecosystem with enthusiastic colleagues in which internationalization is an important part of the strategic agenda

Position for initially one year (full-time), after which your position can become permanent, subject to a successful evaluation

An introduction programme, with personalized support and ample opportunities to learn and grow into your new role as part of your professional development.

Gross monthly salary between € 4,332.- and € 4,786.- (depending on experience and qualifications, job profile Assistant Professor, level 2). This is the maximum start salary with growth opportunities

A holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual salary and a year-end bonus of 8.3%

Excellent support for professional and personal development

A solid pension scheme

A total of 41 holiday days in case of full-time employment

Costs for moving to Enschede may be reimbursed

Information and application

For more information, you can contact Prof Wieteke Willemen (e-mail: [email protected]) or Prof Alfred Stein (e-mail: [email protected]). You are also invited to visit our homepage.

Please submit your application before 7 October 2023. Your application has to include (i) a letter outlining your motivation and fit for the position, and (ii) a CV with two references.

1st round (online) interviews will be held in week 43 (23 until 27 October 2023); possible 2nd round (onsite) interviews will be held in the first half of November 2023.

About the department

Your position will be an appointment at the department of Natural Resources Science (NRS) in close collaboration with the Department of Earth Observation Science (EOS). There will be connections with all other departments in the faculty.

The department of Natural Resources (NRS) is one of ITC's six scientific departments. Natural resources are essential to maintain the well-being of societies. Sustainable management of natural resources balances the needs of people and the environment. It avoids the depletion, degradation, and destruction of ecosystems, prevents biodiversity loss and soil erosion, and mitigates the impacts of climate change. We aim to have a positive impact on natural resources management. We do this by empowering society to effectively use insights from geo-information and Earth observation technologies for sustainable management of the environment. The outcome is an increased understanding of the processes that affect the availability, stability, quality, and sustainability of natural resources, which in turn enables their preservation, sustainable use, development, or restoration. Our academic outputs and activities focus on developing both the means and the measurements that are essential to monitor trends, track changes, and enable action to sustain biologically diverse environments and productive agricultural systems. The department is composed of 28 academic and support staff, 32 PhD candidates and 13 guest researchers.

The mission of the department of Earth Observation Science (EOS) is to gain and disseminate scientific knowledge in earth observation. This knowledge is applied in the development of tools to help good governance and wise and sustainable use of natural resources in developing countries and emerging economies. The department deals with earth observation technology for problem- solving. Problem-solving means primarily the identification of solutions for large-volume producers of geo-information and the identification of solutions for application domains.

About the organisation

The Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC) provides international postgraduate education, research and project services in the field of geo-information science and earth observation. Our mission is capacity development, where we apply, share and facilitate the effective use of geo-information and earth observation knowledge and tools for tackling global wicked problems. Our purpose is to enable our many partners around the world to track and trace the impact – and the shifting causes and frontiers – of today's global challenges. Our vision is of a world in which researchers, educators, and students collaborate across disciplinary and geographic divides with governmental and non-governmental organisations, institutes, businesses, and local populations to surmount today's complex global challenges and to contribute to sustainable, fair, and digital societies.

Want to know more? Willemen, L.L.J.M. (Wieteke)

Full Professor

Willemen, L.L.J.M. (Wieteke)

Full Professor

Do you have questions about this vacancy? Then you can contact Wieteke for all substantive questions about this position and the application procedure. For general questions about working for the UT, please refer to the chatbot.

Contact

Phone:+31534874231

Email:[email protected]

How to apply Step 1

Apply. When you see a vacancy that appeals to you, you can apply online. We ask you to upload a CV and motivation letter and/or list of publications. You will receive a confirmation of receipt by e-mail.

Step 2

Selection. The selection committee will review your application and you will receive a response within 2 weeks after the vacancy has been closed.

Step 3

1st interview. The 1st (online or in person) meeting serves as an introduction where we introduce ourselves to you and you to us. You may be asked to give a short presentation. This will be further explained in the invitation.

Step 4

2nd interview. In the second interview, we will further discuss the job content, your skills and your talents.

Step 5

The offer. If the conversations are positive, you will be made a suitable offer.

Your Colleagues

Hondebrink, E.T. (Esther)

Personal page

Stein, A. (Alfred)

Personal page

Vrieling, A. (Anton)

Personal page

Our mission Human Touch

At the UT it's all about people, in line with our university's High Tech Human Touch philosophy. In everything we do, the well-being and future of our students and staff are paramount. From research and teaching to personnel management, campus management and the use of new technologies.

Our mission We are a university of technology

Our university is a public institution that serves society. We are accountable to society for the ways in which we use our academic freedom. We are responsible for ensuring that the power of science and technology is harnessed to achieve the best possible impact in a changing world. We cherish our rich tradition of combining technical and social sciences in our five profiling themes: Improving healthcare by personalized technologies; Creating intelligent manufacturing systems; Shaping our world with smart materials; Engineering our digital society; and Engineering for a resilient world.

Our mission We help to strengthen society

We help society meet the challenges of today and tomorrow. But we are also transparent about what science and technology can and cannot do in finding sustainable solutions. And help translate these solutions into everyday life.

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We want our communities to flourish and show resilience, so we seize opportunities for innovation. We are knowledgeable and have an eye for what society needs. Our students and staff receive all the guidance they need in their quest for ecological, social and economic sustainability. “The University of Twente is all about people. Our sustainable technologies help to strengthen society.”

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