Supervisor: Dr. Mónica Herrero-Huerta
Start Date: Fall 2025 (flexible)
Duration: 3 years (with potential extension)
We are seeking a highly motivated PhD student with a strong background in computer science, AI, or geospatial data engineering to join the ECOnet Lab – Digital Solutions for Ecosystems, hosted at the Desertification Research Centre (CIDE), CSIC–UV–GV in Valencia, Spain.
The candidate will focus on automated pipelines, multi-modal data fusion, and AI-based modelling, contributing to 5D digital twins of ecosystems within the project FREs-5D: Forest Ecosystem Resilience through 5D Modelling for Extreme Events.
🔍 Research Topics:
- Design of scalable pipelines to process and fuse LiDAR, SAR, hyperspectral, thermal imagery, UAS, and IoT data
- Implementation of Neural Radiance Fields (NeRF) and other neural rendering methods for immersive 3D reconstruction
- Integration of Augmented Reality (AR) for real-time ecosystem visualization and interaction, aiding environmental decision-making
- Application of deep learning (CNNs, GNNs, Transformers) for forest structure analysis, change detection, and risk assessment
- Simulation of climate-induced disturbances and prediction of ecosystem services
- IoT sensory networks for Disaster Risk Reduction
✅ Desired Profile:
- MSc in Computer Science, Remote Sensing, Geoinformatics, or a related field
- Strong Python programming; experience with PyTorch/TensorFlow, Open3D, Unity/Unreal or AR SDKs
- Experience with NeRF and remote sensing or photogrammetry pipelines is a plus
- Familiarity with spatial data infrastructures, cloud environments (GEE, AWS), IoT sensory networks, and immersive technologies
- Interest in applying digital innovations to ecological and climate resilience research
💬 What We Offer:
- Research in an interdisciplinary and international environment at the frontier of AI and AR for climate-smart forestry
- Collaboration with top labs: Image and Signal Processing group (ISP) from the University of Valencia (SP), Environmental Data Science Innovation and Inclusion Lab (ESIIL) within CIRES at the University of Colorado Boulder (USA)
- Integration into COST Actions (3DForEcoTech, ARIF, CLEANFOREST, PANGEOS)
- High-end UAS and terrestrial platforms, and extensive multi-sensor datasets
- Opportunities for international exchange, training schools, and high-impact publications
📨 To Apply: Send your CV, academic transcript, and a brief motivation letter to:
📧 monica.herrero@csic.es
📅 Deadline: May 25th, 2025. However, open until the optimal candidate is found.
«It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives.
It is the one that is most adaptable to change»
(Charles Darwin) 🌳🛰️🧠✨
CIDE Communication
