Team hire (2 PhD students & 1 postdoc) within Vici project Fire from the Sky ⚡

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 is part of a larger Vici project funded by the Dutch Research Council. FireSky 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 FireSky 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.

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 FireSat 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.

Your function

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 FireSat 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.

Your profile

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 object-oriented coding, preferably Python, and data analysis
• Affinity with machine learning and explainable AI techniques, preferably in a geoscience context
• Good social skills

What do we offer?

Selected candidates will become part of a world-class research team. You will have plenty of opportunities to develop creative ideas and your career. Our team values both independence and collaboration. There will be mentorship and guidance from the project’s principal investigator Sander Veraverbeke and other project members. You will also be exposed to a large collaborative international network, including research visits to project partner institutes. We strongly value a healthy work-life balance.

For PhD positions

• The appointment will initially be for 1 year. After satisfactory evaluation of the initial appointment, it will be extended for a total duration of 4 years. Planned start date is September 1st, 2026 or soon after.

For the postdoc position

• The appointment will initially be for 1 year. After satisfactory evaluation of the initial appointment, it will be extended to a total duration of 3 years. Planned start date is September 1st, 2026 or soon after.

• Contribution to commuting expenses
• A wide range of sports facilities which staff may use at a modest charge
• The possibility to work partly from home

About us

Project and research group

The FireSky ⚡ Fire from the Sky: impact and management of lightning fires on permafrost carbon project is a 5-year project funded by the Dutch Research Council.

Lightning fires are becoming more frequent and intense in permafrost regions. These soils store vast amounts of carbon, which can be released when fires trigger thawing. FireSky will use satellite data to map lightning fires and predict where and when they may occur in the future. Fieldwork in boreal North America will provide new insights into how these fires affect permafrost carbon. By combining satellite, field, and predictive data, FireSky will explore how targeted fire management can help protect permafrost carbon and support global climate goals.

The FireSky project will be embedded in the Climate & Ecosystems Change research group, led by Dr. Sander Veraverbeke.

Department of Earth Sciences

The department of Earth Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, offers a stimulating international research environment with world-class academic reputation, and excellent state-of-the-art facilities. Research in the department covers a wide range of fundamental and applied research topics, including climate and environmental dynamics, surface processes and landscape dynamics, Earth and planetary dynamics, and sustainability, resources, and society. Given the interdisciplinary nature of the project, project participants will also interact with colleagues from the Institute for Environmental Studies, Amsterdam Institute for Life and Environment and Amsterdam Sustainability Institute.

Faculty of Science

The department of Earth Sciences is part of VU’s Faculty of Science. Researchers and students at VU Amsterdam’s Faculty of Science tackle fundamental and complex scientific problems to help pave the way for a sustainable and healthy future. Our teaching and research have a strong experimentally technical, computational and interdisciplinary nature.