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Announcement of Opportunity:
“Working with 15 YEARS OF SPOT-VEGETATION – A PhD Thesis topic”
The SPOT/VEGETATION programme is the result of a space collaboration between various European partners: Belgium, France, Italy, Sweden and the European Commission. The programme consists of two optical multispectral instruments in orbit, VEGETATION 1 and VEGETATION 2, respectively launched in 1998 and 2002, as well as the necessary ground infrastructures.
In 2013 the Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), will have been hosting the user segment of both SPOT-VEGETATION instruments uninterruptedly for 15 years. This activity includes the continuous processing, correction, archiving and distribution of the VEGETATION data and added-value products to scientific and commercial customers.
Obviously we will not let the occasion of this 15th anniversary pass unnoticed …. We will, amongst other activities, organize a contest to employ a PhD student at our Institute to work on the extensive VEGETATION (VGT)-archive for a 4-year period. Since VITO, as part of an industrial consortium, is developing the user segment of the ESA PROBA VEGETATION (PROBA-V) mission, methods or improved products based on PROBA-V can also be part of the PhD research. The PROBA-V context is however not a prerequisite. The PhD candidate selected in this contest will be fully funded by VITO. The research will be conducted in close cooperation with a University, which will also act as promotor of the PhD thesis, whereas the Scientific Coordinator of the Remote Sensing Unit (TAP) at VITO will act as co-promotor. Please find more information, as well as a link to the application form, at:
A tentative timeline for the contest described is as follows:
September 2011: Publication of the announcement of opportunity
December 2011: Deadline for proposal submission
March 2012: Contractual issues and start of the PhD activities at VITO
By mutual arrangement: start of the PhD
Taking part in this contest is exclusively possible via the VGT website. The process is self-explanatory, but if in doubt, please contact the VGT helpdesk at helpdesk@vgt.vito.be
The VEGETATION Team.
