Doctoral student in satellite observations: deriving climate data by physically-based machine learning

Organisation/Company

Chalmers University of Technology

Research Field

Computer science » Programming
Computer science » Other
Environmental science » Earth science
Physics » Computational physics
Physics » Other

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Application Deadline

8 Mar 2026 - 22:59 (UTC)

Country

Sweden

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Full-time

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by a EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Helps us to derive novel climate data by combining two of Europe's new satellite sensors. If you have interests in physics, climate and machine learning, this is the Doctoral student position for you!

About us 

Our team is part of the Division of Geoscience and Remote Sensing . The division's overall aim is to develop advanced methods and instruments to observe and understand the Earth system. Combining satellite, airborne and ground-based measurements with modelling and machine learning, we collaborate globally to monitor environmental change and support a sustainable future. The division is found within the Department of Space, Earth and Environment .

About the research project  

The satellite carrying the ground-breaking MicroWave Imager (MWI) and Ice Cloud Imager (ICI) will be launched this summer. Our team plays a leading role in preparing for ICI, and we will derive much-needed climate data on ice clouds from it. This project is about extending the data extraction to use measurements from MWI and ICI jointly as input and, in this way, derive geophysical data on all forms of water in the atmosphere (gas, liquid, and ice). These data will allow unprecedented studies of the atmospheric water cycle.

The data extraction will be based on existing machine learning development made by the team, in particular the use of quantile regression neural networks. There exists no other measurements that can be used as "ground-truth", and to obtain training data the MWI and ICI observations must be simulated. Accordingly, the foundation of the project is to perform detailed physical simulations that involving atmospheric science, radiative transfer, and the sensor's characteristics. To make full use of the possibilities offered by machine learning, we are pushed to perform better and more large-scale physical simulations than done before.

The work will form the basis for official data products (distributed by EUMETSAT) and for research products produced and disseminated by the team itself. Possible additional tasks include to improve our main simulation tool (Atmospheric Radiative Transfer Simulator, https://www.radiativetransfer.org/ ), to apply the derived geophysical data for verifying climate models and to apply the development on the Arctic Weather Satellite and Sterna missions.

Who we are looking forThe following requirements are mandatory:

• To qualify as a Doctoral student, you must have (when starting the position) a Master's degree (*masterexamen*) of 120 credits or a Master’s degree (*magisterexamen*) of 60 credits*. A range of educational backgrounds are possible, but strong skills and interest in physics and computing must be proven. 
• You must be able to start at the latest Aug 1.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Being meticulous, have logical thinking and good problem-solving skills.

*for students with an education earned outside of Sweden, a 4-year Bachelor’s degree is accepted. 

The following experience will strengthen your application: 

• Knowledge in atmospheric science, radiative transfer and remote sensing.
• Proficiency in Python and deep learning frameworks (e.g., PyTorch).  

What you will do

• Take courses at an advanced level within our Graduate school.
• Develop your own scientific concepts and communicate the results of your research verbally and in writing.
• The position generally also includes teaching on Chalmers' undergraduate level or performing other duties corresponding to 20 percent of working hour

The research team is lead by Prof. Patrick Eriksson. For an overview of the research articles produced by the team, see https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8475-0479
An introduction to the datasets offered, so far, is found here: https://clouds-and-precip.group

Contract terms  

• The Doctoral student positions are fully funded from start. 
• The position is a fixed-term appointment of four years, with the possibility to teach up to 20%, which extends the position up to five years. 
• A starting salary of 34,550 SEK per month (valid from May 25, 2025). 
• Doctoral studies require physical presence throughout the entire study period. A valid residence permit must be presented by the study start date; otherwise the admission may be withdrawn. 

What we offer 

• As a Doctoral student at Chalmers, you are an employee and enjoy all employee benefits. Read more about  working at Chalmers  and our benefits  for employees. 
• A dynamic and inspiring working environment in the coastal city of Gothenburg . 
• Read more about Sweden’s generous parental leave, subsidized day care, free schools, healthcare etc at Move To Gothenburg.  

Chalmers is dedicated to improving gender balance and actively works with equality projects, such as the GENIE Initiative for gender equality and excellence . We celebrate diversity and consider equality and inclusion as fundamental aspects of all our activities. 

If Swedish is not your native language, Chalmers offers Swedish courses to help you settle in.

Find more general information about doctoral studies at Chalmers here .  

Application procedure 

The application should be written in English and attached as PDF-files, as below. Maximum size for each file is 40 MB. Please note that the system does not support Zip files. 

CV 

Personal letter 

• A brief introduction about yourself. 
• A brief motivation as to why you are interested in this position. 

Bachelor’s and, if available, master’s thesis together with the transcripts. 

Use the button at the foot of the page to reach the application form.  

Please note: The applicant is responsible for ensuring that the application is complete. Incomplete applications and applications sent by email will not be considered. Contact details to references will be requested after the interview. 

We welcome your application no later than March 8   

For questions, please contact:  

General questions:
Anqi Li, anqi.li@chalmers.se

Research-related questions:
Patrick Eriksson, patrick.eriksson@chalmers.se

We look forward to your application! 

*** Chalmers declines to consider all offers of further announcement publishing or other types of support for the recruiting process in connection with this position. ***  

 Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg conducts research and education in technology and natural sciences at a high international level. The university has 3100 employees and 10,000 students, and offers education in engineering, science, shipping and architecture. With scientific excellence as a basis, Chalmers promotes knowledge and technical solutions for a sustainable world. Through global commitment and entrepreneurship, we foster an innovative spirit, in close collaboration with wider society. 
Chalmers was founded in 1829 and has the same motto today as it did then: Avancez – forward. 

Website

https://academicpositions.com/ad/chalmers-university-of-technology/2026/doctora…

Research Field

Computer science

Years of Research Experience

1 - 4

Research Field

Computer science

Years of Research Experience

1 - 4

Research Field

Environmental science

Years of Research Experience

1 - 4

Research Field

Physics

Years of Research Experience

1 - 4

Research Field

Physics

Years of Research Experience

1 - 4

Website for additional job details

https://academicpositions.com

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

Chalmers University of Technology

Country

Sweden

City

Gothenburg

Postal Code

412 58

Street

Maskingränd 2

City

Gothenburg

Website

https://www.chalmers.se/en/

Postal Code

412 58

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