Description
USP‑CEU is seeking excellent postdoctoral researchers interested in applying for the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships (MSCA‑PF 2026). The University CEU holds the HR Excellence in Research (HRS4R) Award and is strongly committed to attracting and supporting international research talent.
USP‑CEU is a competitive and supportive host institution for MSCA‑PF candidates, with a strong track record including 10 awarded fellowships, an exceptional 100/100 score, and two recent successes in the MSCA‑PF 2025 call. We offer personalised guidance throughout the proposal preparation process, as well as our International Talent Retention Programme, which provides successful MSCA Fellows with an additional 6–12‑month contract to support long‑term career development.
Hosting Research Group
The EMMA group is a multidisciplinary research team dedicated to advancing and disseminating mathematical research applied to key environmental challenges, such as natural disaster prevention and atmospheric monitoring. These areas are directly connected to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are increasingly shaping global policies and everyday practices.
The group combines complementary expertise.
On one side, several researchers have developed a multicriteria decision-making model supported by econometric analysis. This framework provides a robust basis for assessing progress toward specific SDGs, especially those linked to environmental and climate priorities.
On the other side, the group also addresses the vulnerability of many regions of the planet to natural hazards driven by dynamic processes in the solid Earth, the atmosphere, and the hydrosphere. Modern Geodesy, through advanced satellite observation systems, offers essential data to understand these processes and enhances scientific knowledge of the mechanisms operating within the Earth System, including oceans, terrestrial ecosystems, the atmosphere, tectonic plate motions, and geodetic reference frames.
As a result, EMMA positions itself at the intersection of mathematics, economics, and geodesy, with a strong focus on environmental and atmospheric SDGs.
Its main research lines include:
- GNSS-based ionospheric and tropospheric monitoring
- GNSS applications for deformation control
- Econometrics
- Decision theory
The supervisor, Prof. María Clara de Lacy Pérez de los Cobos is a Full Professor in Geodetic Engineering with extensive experience in satellite navigation (GNSS) and its high‑precision applications, a field directly connected to several technological and environmental priorities of the EU. She currently holds a Chair at Universidad San Pablo CEU, after obtaining her University Chair in 2020 in the Department of Cartographic, Geodetic and Photogrammetric Engineering at the University of Jaén.
Her scientific career is strongly aligned with EU strategic research areas, particularly those linked to Galileo, Earth observation, and resilient geospatial infrastructures. She has led research projects on GPS modernisation and Galileo, developing advanced algorithms for the forthcoming multi‑GNSS environment. In addition, she has a solid trajectory in the analysis of permanent GNSS networks for deformation monitoring in geodynamically active regions, covering the Iberian Peninsula, southern Spain, and North Africa.
Prof. de Lacy has also worked in close collaboration with European institutions. Notably, in 2015 she secured a technology transfer contract funded by the European Space Agency (ESA) for the development and implementation of the Pcube software, reflecting her capacity to bridge academic research with applied innovation and European technological priorities.
Her international experience includes invited professorships at Politecnico di Milano over three academic years, and she currently coordinates the Ibero-American Network in Geodetic Engineering, demonstrating strong leadership in collaborative and cross-border research environments.
Her work has resulted in multiple JCR publications in GNSS, deformation monitoring, and gravimetric geoid modelling, consolidating her profile as a reference in applied geodesy and satellite‑based Earth observation.
Relevant publications and projects
- M. Selmira Garrido-Carretero, M. Clara De Lacy-Pérez de los Cobos, Elena Giménez-De Ory, Leire Anne Retegui-Schiettekatte. GNSS-CORS as water vapor sensors for local atmospheric monitoring: Comparing high-end geodetic-grade and low-cost stations in S Spain. Remote Sensing Applications: Society and Environment Volume 41, January 2026, 101880. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsase.2026.101880
- Rodríguez Collantes, D.; Blanco Hernández, A.; de Lacy Pérez de los Cobos, M.C.; Galindo-Zaldivar, J.; Gil, A.J.; Sánchez Piedra, M.Á.; Mastere, M.; Ouchen, I. A New Earth Crustal Velocity Field Estimation from ROA cGNSS Station Networks in the South of Spain and North Africa. Remote Sens. 2025, 17, 704. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs17040704
- Retegui L, MG Garrido, MC de Lacy. Use of GNSS and ERA5 precipitable water vapor based standardized precipitation conversion index for drought monitoring in the Mediterranean coast: A first case study in Southern Spain. Advances in Space Research, Vol 72(9), November 2023, Pages 3946-3959 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asr.2023.08.030
- Garrido-Carretero, M. S., C. Azorit, M. C. de Lacy-Pérez de los Cobos, J. M. Valderrama-Zafra, R. Carrasco, and A. J. Gil-Cruz. 2023. Improving the precision and accuracy of wildlife monitoring with multi-constellation, multi-frequency GNSS collars. Journal of Wildlife https://doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.22378
Research project: The European Galileo System as a Generator of Advanced GNSS Services. Applications in Andalusia. Funded by the Regional Government of Andalusia from 2021-10 to 2022-12. PI: Maria Clara de Lacy
Research Project Description
Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) were originally developed mainly for positioning purposes, but in recent years they have emerged as a strategic tool for climate monitoring. Specifically, the use of continuously operating GNSS reference stations (CORS GNSS) for atmospheric monitoring makes it possible to estimate time series of precipitable water vapour (PWV), a key parameter for understanding atmospheric processes associated with extreme rainfall, droughts, or hurricanes. Examples of CORS GNSS networks are EUREF Permanent GNSS Network in Europe, RAP or ERVA in Spain, SPIN3 GNSS in Italy, AGNESS GNSS Network in Switzerland, RGP in France, APOS in Austria and so on. These CORS GNSS networks play a fundamental role in achieving several Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those related to climate change (SDG 13) and biodiversity conservation (SDG 15). However, the spatial density of existing CORS GNSS networks is generally insufficient for this type of study. For this reason, the EMMA research group is carrying out a project that has begun to densify these networks with low-cost GNSS receivers in the provinces of Madrid and Jaén through the CEUNet and JaeNet networks, respectively. These new networks complement the existing CORS GNSS infrastructure by providing the data needed to monitor parameters related to natural disasters. This project aims to take a qualitative leap forward by installing at least four new low-cost GNSS stations in areas of high climate vulnerability, particularly in the eastern Iberian Peninsula, a region where extreme events are becoming increasingly intense.
The candidate joining this project will be responsible for setting up these stations, processing the GNSS data, and generating time series of the tropospheric wet component from 2008 until the end of the project. Furthermore, the researcher will then apply time series models (ARIMA and variants), stochastic volatility techniques, and machine learning algorithms to identify patterns of atmospheric anomalies and develop early predictive models of extreme phenomena.
The proposal will directly contribute to the “Climate Adaptation” objectives of Horizon Europe by developing data-driven solutions that enhance climate resilience and early warning systems.
Candidate requirements: Dynamic postdoctoral candidates of any nationality (max. 8 years after defense), PhD in Physics, Mathematics, Meteorology, or a closely related discipline and a strong background in atmospheric sciences and advanced data analysis.
Applicants are encouraged to submit an expression of interest to clara.lacy@ceu.es with:
- A short CV (Max. 2 pages)
- A one-page research proposal
For MSCA-PF 26 call, at the deadline for the submission of proposals (09/09/2026) candidates must not have resided or carried out their main activities in Spain for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the abovementioned deadline.
*Those files received before 15th of June will be considered for MSCA-PF 2026 call.* Applications received after this date, will be considered for other calls after discussion with the candidate.
Keywords: GNSS, zenith tropospheric delay, precipitable water vapour, time serie