진학프로석·박사 채용 접수 플랫폼

Location.

Earth and Life Institute, Environmental Science, Croix du Sud 2, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.

The job.

This research position is part of the EU project iRIS (Intelligent Research Infrastructure Sustainability), funded under the HORIZON EUROPE INFRA-2025-01-TECH-01. The iRIS project proposes a transformative initiative to reduce the environmental and climate footprint of European Research Infrastructures (RIs). By leveraging machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI), iRIS introduces sustainable solutions targeting the entire life cycle of RIs—from design and construction to operation and reuse. The position is embedded in Work Package 4 (WP4), which aims to optimise the reuse of construction waste, particularly excavated materials, by transforming it into functional soils, thereby reducing the environmental footprint of future RIs. To achieve this, the project will utilise data collected at CERN’s OpenSkyLab (openskylab.web.cern.ch). The successful candidate will contribute to the following key tasks: i) Defining the scientific foundation and standard operating procedures (SOPs) for soil reconstitution, taking into account local sourcing of amendments, regional plant selection, seasonal adaptation;  ii) Collecting a robust dataset at the OpenSkyLab to train and validate a functional soil-plant model;  iii) Developing an AI-based predictive surrogate model to assess critical soil-plant features, including  water and nutrient retention capacity, carbon sequestration potential, biomass productivity, biodiversity enhancement, microclimate effects.

Your tasks.

• • Conduct a comprehensive literature review on the application of soil-plant models in soil reconstitution programmes.
• • Develop a methodology for designing an AI-based soil-plant model tailored to evaluate soil functions and ecosystem services in reconstituted soils.
• • Collect and curate a robust dataset at CERN’s OpenSkyLab to train and validate the model.
• • Design, implement, and test an AI-driven surrogate soil-plant model to optimise the soil reconstitution process.
• • Contribute to the drafting and editing of reports for iRIS deliverables related to WP4.
• • Participate in workshops and conferences organised within the iRIS project, specifically those linked to WP4.
• • Support outreach activities for WP4, including the dissemination of project results and engagement with stakeholders.
• • Present research findings at seminars and meetings organised by the hosting laboratory (Earth & Life Institute).