Research professor in soil-plant-water interactions in agro- and ecosystems (BOFZAP)

Job title:

Research professor in soil-plant-water interactions in agro- and ecosystems (BOFZAP)

Company:

Job description

Offer DescriptionResearchThe appointed candidate will be expected to develop a competitive research programme within the domain of soil-plant-water interactions, to pursue excellent scientific results at the international level and to support and promote national and international research partnerships. The candidate must have or demonstrate the potential for a strong research profile. In addition, the candidate is expected to have a multidisciplinary attitude and a willingness to cooperate intensively with other researchers and research units at KU Leuven [e.g., the Division of Crop Biotechnics, Division of Forest, Nature & Landscape, Division of Geography and Tourism, the KU Leuven Plant Institute, …], and beyond.The candidate:

• Is an excellent, internationally oriented researcher and develops a research programme at the forefront of the field of soil-plant-water interactions, with interests in both agro- and ecosystems.
• Strengthens existing research lines and contributes complementary or new expertise to develop new research lines through collaboration within and beyond the research unit.
• Is willing to contribute to the experimental and/or modelling facilities of the Division depending on their expertise.
• Publishes at the highest scientific level in disciplinary and interdisciplinary international journals
• Develops his/her own research group, and aims to acquire competitive research funding from national and/or international agencies; regularly submitting effective research project proposals.
• Supervises, motivates and coaches master students, PhD students and postdocs.
• Establishes national and international partnerships in the context of the research programme.
• Strives for excellence in research and contributes to the international research reputation of the division of Soil and Water Management, the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and the Science, Engineering and Technology Group of KU Leuven.
• Has a pronounced interest in fundamental research but also pays attention to research valorization and applications, e.g. through its impact on agro ecosystem management or through Research for Development in collaboration with partners in the Global South.

TeachingAlthough the position will be a research professorship at the start of the appointment, the position also includes a teaching assignment in either soil-water modelling or agricultural water management, which will be developed gradually, in particul… For more information seeWhere to apply WebsiteRequirementsResearch Field Biological sciences Education Level PhD or equivalentLanguages ENGLISH Level GoodLanguages DUTCH Level GoodAdditional InformationBenefits

• We offer full-time employment in an intellectually challenging environment. KU Leuven is an research-intensive, internationally oriented university that carries out both fundamental and applied scientific research. Our university is highly inter- and multidisciplinary focused and strives for international excellence. In this regard, we actively collaborate with research partners in Belgium and abroad. We provide our students with an academic education that is based on high-quality scientific research.
• Depending on your qualifications and academic experience, you will be appointed to or tenured in one of the grades of the senior academic staff: assistant professor, associate professor, professor or full professor. In principle, junior researchers are appointed as assistant professors at the tenure track level for a period of 5 years; after this period and a positive evaluation, they are permanently appointed as an associate professor.
• You will work in Leuven, a historic, dynamic and vibrant city located in the heart of Belgium, within twenty minutes from Brussels, the capital of the European Union, and less than two hours from Paris, London, Cologne, and Amsterdam.
• KU Leuven is well set to welcome foreign professors and their family and provides practical support with regard to immigration and administration, housing, childcare, learning Dutch, partner career coaching, …
• KU Leuven offers attractive start-up funding (110 k€) during the first 2 years of appointment to professors, subject to eligibility criteria set by KU Leuven, with an additional contribution from the Department, i.e., a scholarship equivalent for one PhD student to work with the applicant. The hosting group houses a range of analytical facilities relevant for the profile (stable isotope instrumentation, (LA-)ICP-MS and ICP-OES, growth chambers, radioactive tracer work, LC-MS/MS, state-of-the-art microbiological and molecular methods, …), and has access to excellent HPC computing facilities and support.

Eligibility criteria

• You obtained a PhD in Bioscience Engineering, Environmental Engineering, or in a related field and have a strong research track record in original agrosystem and/or ecosystem studies at the soil, water, plant and atmosphere nexus.
• If you have recently obtained your PhD, it is important that you support your research and growth potential with academic references, e.g., demonstrate potential through top publications, academic references, promising research projects and articles in preparation.
• Your expertise complements the existing expertise in the Department on erosion and sediment transport, groundwater and contaminant hydrology, aquatic biogeochemistry, stable isotope techniques, soil water management, climate modelling, water economics, land surface remote sensing, crop modelling, land modelling and data assimilation, terrestrial ecology, forestry and biodiversity.
• The quality of your research is proven by a solid publication record (taking into account academic seniority), with a consistent track record of publishing in established international journals (disciplinary and interdisciplinary) and a good record of impact (e.g. through citations).
• International research experience is considered as an important advantage.
• You have demonstrated qualities related to academic education. Teaching experience is an advantage.
• You possess organizational skills and have a cooperative attitude. You also have leadership skills within a university context. This is complemented by strong interpersonal skills and the ability to function in international teams.
• Your spoken and written English is excellent. The official administrative language used at KU Leuven is Dutch. If you do not speak Dutch (or do not speak it well) at the start of employment, KU Leuven will provide language training to enable you to take part in administrative meetings. Before teaching courses in Dutch or English, you will be given the opportunity to learn Dutch resp. English to the required standard.

Selection processMore information on the content of the job can be obtained from the academic contact person Steven Bouillon ( ).More information on the guidelines, regulations and application file is available from Ms. Kristin Vermeylen ( , tel. +32 16 32 09 07) or Ms. Martine van Nierop ( , tel. +32 16 32 76 98).For a full description of the procedure and information on annexes and templates, follow the link ‘Full application and selection procedure Research Professorships (BOFZAP)’ under ‘More information’. Please read this before you start your applicationPlease submit your application in English. For problems with online applying, please c… For more information seeWork Location(s)Number of offers available 1 Company/Institute KU Leuven Country Belgium State/Province Vlaams Brabant City Leuven Postal Code 3000 Street Leuven GeofieldContact State/ProvinceLeuven CityVlaams Brabant StreetLeuven Postal Code3000 E-Mailmartine.vannierop@kuleuven.beSTATUS: EXPIREDShare this page

Expected salary

Location

Louvain, Brabant Flamand

Job date

Sun, 06 Apr 2025 02:46:21 GMT

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