PhD: Spatial Optimization of Land Use in Brazil
Find synergies and trade-offs between agricultural production and biodiversity conservation in Brazil's Cerrado biome through spatial optimization.
Deadline 13 Oct '26
Published 11 Sep '26
Vacancy ID 5687
Research fields Environmental science; Geography
Job types PhD; Research, development, innovation; Education
Education level University graduate
Weekly hours 36—40 hours per week
Salary indication €3204—€4051 per month
Location Princetonlaan 8a, 3584CB, Utrecht
Job description
Do you care about the impacts of land use in ecologically sensitive regions of the world? Are motivated to explore how rearranging land use can minimize negative impacts and maximize the positive ones for different stakeholder groups, as a basis for policy making? Are you interested in spatial optimization algorithms and uncertainty assessment? Then this PhD position at the Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning of Utrecht University may be for you!
Your job
The MATOPIBA region in the Brazilian Cerrado is of major national and global importance: it is one of South America's most agriculturally productive landscapes, a biodiversity hotspot, and home to Indigenous people, Quilombola, smallholder farmers, and large agribusinesses among others. Therefore, future land use strategies in MATOPIBA require balancing agricultural production with biodiversity conservation and social justice, while also accounting for effects of climate change. In this position, you will contribute to such land use strategies by quantifying the synergies and trade-offs between agricultural production and biodiversity conservation for different land use configurations and stakeholder preferences. Hereto, you will compute Pareto frontiers with spatial optimization algorithms.
More specifically, you will:
- Travel to Brazil to interact with various stakeholders in land use in MATOPIBA;
- Translate stakeholders' preferences in terms of 'productive agriculture' and 'healthy biodiversity' into quantifiable impact indicators;
- Develop a spatial optimization algorithm that finds land use configurations that optimize these indicators;
- Compute Pareto frontiers under different climate and socio-economic scenarios to evaluation the robustness of land use solutions for all stakeholder groups; and
- Write academic articles and policy documents that summarize the above to generate and disseminate knowledge on the possible pathways to sustainable land use futures in MATOPIBA.
This PhD position is part of the project “Frontiers of MATOPIBA landscapes”, which examines how agricultural production and biodiversity conservation can be balanced in Brazil's MATOPIBA region under future climate and socio-economic conditions. It has the aim to support evidence-based decisions to form sustainable, just, climate-resilient land use strategies that protect biodiversity, food security, and local livelihoods. The project is fully funded through the Dutch Research Agenda and the Brazilian research council CNPq. Within the project, you will closely collaborate with another PhD candidate at Utrecht University on stakeholder perspectives, several consortium members in Brazil, and the Department of Sustainable Development at Utrecht University.
Requirements
We are looking for candidates with:
- An MSc degree in (or nearing completion of) an MSc program in Geoinformatics, Computer Science, (Quantitative) Geography, (Spatial / Geographic) Data Science, Environmental Science, or a related discipline;
- An interest in the impacts of land use;
- Experience in handling spatial data;
- Programming experience in Python, and/or R;
- Proficiency in English; and
- The ability to work as part of an interdisciplinary research team.
The following qualifications are desirable but not required:
- Experience with (spatial) optimization;
- Experience with land use (change) impact assessment; or
- Proficiency in Portuguese.
Conditions of employment
We offer:
- a position (1.0 FTE) for 1 year, with an extension to a total of four years upon a successful assessment in the first year, and with the specific intent that it results in a doctorate within this period;
- a working week of 36 - 40 hours and a gross monthly salary between € 3.204 and €4.051 in the case of full-time employment (salary scale P under the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU));
- 8% holiday pay and 8.3% year-end bonus;
- a pension scheme, partially paid parental leave and flexible terms of employment based on the CAO NU.
In addition to the terms of employment laid down in the CAO NU, Utrecht University also offers a range of its own schemes for employees. This includes arrangements for professional development, various types of leave, and options for sports and cultural activities. You can also tailor your employment conditions through our Terms of Employment Options Model. In this way, we encourage you to keep investing in your personal and professional development. For more information, please visit Working at Utrecht University.
Employer
Universiteit Utrecht
A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University, the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major strategic themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Pathways to Sustainability. Sharing science, shaping tomorrow.
Utrecht University's Faculty of Geosciences studies the Earth: from the Earth's core to its surface, including man's spatial and material utilisation of the Earth – always with a focus on sustainability and innovation. With 3,400 students (BSc and MSc) and 720 staff, the faculty is a strong and challenging organisation. The Faculty of Geosciences is organised in four Departments: Earth Sciences, Human Geography & Spatial Planning, Physical Geography, and Sustainable Development.
Additional information
For more information about this position, please contact Judith Verstegen at j.a.verstegen@uu.nl
Candidates for this vacancy will be recruited by Utrecht University.
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