About the Project
Agriculture in Ethiopia faces major challenges from declining soil fertility, land degradation, climate variability and reduced crop productivity. Smallholder farmers often lack access to timely information to support decisions on fertiliser use, water management and sustainable farming practices. Growing interest in regenerative agriculture and carbon sequestration is creating opportunities to improve food security and climate resilience. However, affordable and reliable methods for monitoring…
soil health and carbon dynamics remain limited.
ETHIO-SENSE will address these challenges by adapting low-cost soil sensing and Monitoring, Reporting and Verification technologies currently being developed in Ghana. By integrating real-time sensor data, farmer-led soil-health assessments and digital decision-support tools, the project will support climate-smart agricultural management and lay foundations for future carbon-market participation.
The successful PhD candidate will join an interdisciplinary team across the UK and Ethiopia to establish an integrated soil-health monitoring network in the Bilate Catchment near Hawassa, Ethiopia.
Research activities will include:
- deploying and validating low-cost soil-health sensors across contrasting agroecological zones,
- monitoring soil moisture, temperature, greenhouse-gas emissions, carbon fluxes and other soil-health indicators,
- comparing sensor measurements with simple farmer-led assessments,
- collecting field data on crop growth, management practices, yields and climate impacts,
- developing an Ethiopia-specific MRV platform for monitoring soil carbon, productivity and environmental outcomes, and
- building digital-twin models to predict yield responses, drought risk, carbon sequestration and climate adaptation outcomes.
The student will receive training in soil science, environmental sensing technologies, carbon accounting, digital agriculture, spatial modelling, data science, MRV systems, stakeholder engagement and scientific communication. Opportunities through the SUSTAIN Doctoral Landscape Award will provide additional professional development, networking and interdisciplinary research experience.
Applicants should have a strong background in soil science, agriculture, environmental science, geography, engineering, data science or related disciplines.
Supervisors:
- Prof. Jo Smith
- Dr. Jagadeesh Yeluripati
- Prof. Lina Stankovic
- Prof. Awdegenest Moges
Applications:
Our fully-funded studentship package includes:
- All PhD tuition fees paid.
- A tax-free stipend at UKRI rates to cover living costs.
- A Research Training Support Grant (RTSG) of £3,000 each year to support travel, training and consumables costs (up to £12,000 in total).
- Additional funding to support outreach and dissemination, attendance at summer schools, research events, and development projects.
Interested applicants should visit 'https://www.sustain-cdt.ai/how-to-apply' for full instructions on how to submit their application.
Please note that this project is not open to researchers from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar, Sudan or Iran.
Requirements:
Honours degree (minimum 2:1) in agricultural, computer or environmental science, or electronic engineering, with strong interest in agriculture in low income countries.
It is essential that the PhD student is self-driven, curious, interested in working across disciplines and exploring new areas, as well as eager to work as part of an interdisciplinary team.
The student will be expected to engage with their peers and other academic staff, get involved in departmental events and seminars, and show enthusiasm for public/policy engagement activities.
Desirable:
- a Master’s degree in AI, Machine Learning, Agriculture or Environmental
- Quantitative or technically focused BSc/MSc Dissertation/Thesis.
Enquiries:
Prof Jo Smith (jo.smith@abdn.ac.uk)
Application Deadline:
12:00 noon (UK time) Friday, 16 October 2026
References
- Smith, J., Naher, U.A., Dahal, K.R., et al., 2026. Low-cost and labour-efficient innovations in household recycling of organic wastes for soil improvement. Environ. Res. Comm. 8, 4, 042002. https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/ae59f6.
- Bittner, D., Smith, J.U., Leontidis, G., Campbell, G., Biegel, J., Smith, P., Kuhnert, M., Skalský, R., Giuliani, L.M.M., Salik, A.W.W., Hallett, P., Burslem, D., Yakob, G., Mekuria, W., Phimister, E., Haileslassie, A., Tegegne, D., Norouzi, S., Chen, H., Gubry-Rangin, C., Khan, A., 2026. Assessing the impact of nature-based solutions on soil health in sub-Saharan Africa through farmer-centred methods. Environmental Research Letters, 21, 043004. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ae3975