Doctoral fellow

ABOUT GHENT UNIVERSITY

Ghent University is a world of its own. Employing more than 15.000 people, it is actively involved in education and research, management and administration, as well as technical and social service provision on a daily basis. It is one of the largest, most exciting employers in the area and offers great career opportunities.
With its 11 faculties and more than 85 departments offering state-of-the-art study programmes grounded in research in a wide range of academic fields, Ghent University is a logical choice for its staff and students.

YOUR TASKS

Within the framework of the Horizon Europe project EU-FarmBook, Ghent University is recruiting a full-time PhD researcher focusing on impact planning, education and training, and knowledge exchange in agriculture and forestry.
EU-FarmBook aims to develop and maintain an open-access, user-friendly online platform supporting knowledge exchange between actors in the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System (AKIS), including farmers, foresters, advisors, educators and researchers. See https://welcome.eufarmbook.eu and https://eufarmbook.eu for the project website and EU-FarmBook platform, respectively for more info.
The PhD research is situated within the Work Packages Education & Training’ and ‘ Communication, Dissemination and Exploitation’ and focuses on the design, evaluation and optimisation of knowledge mobilisation and lifelong learning processes.
As a PhD researcher, you will carry out the following research tasks:

• Development of knowledge quality frameworks: 

You will investigate what constitutes high-quality practice-oriented knowledge objects (KOs) and develop guidelines to improve their usability in education and training contexts. 

• Impact evaluation methodology: 

You will develop a methodological framework to assess the impact of knowledge use in lifelong learning (LLL) and design mechanisms to capture and report this impact to relevant stakeholders. 

• Platform and value chain analysis: 

You will analyse the use of digital knowledge platforms and formulate recommendations to improve the value proposition and long-term sustainability of the EU-FarmBook platform. 

Support to education and training activities: 

• You will contribute to the design, implementation and evaluation of training activities (e.g. workshops, demonstration events, peer learning formats) aimed at facilitating knowledge uptake across Europe. More specifically, you will develop 10 webinars, with farmers, foresers or other rural actors as the trainers on several topics, teaching their peers. These webinars will be included in program curricula at the Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, UGent and will be shared via Ufora besides EU-FarmBook platform. The uptake by other training institutes in EU will be investigated. 
  The research results are expected to lead to publications in international peer-reviewed journals and presentations at international conferences. The final outcome of the project is a PhD thesis

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Candidates are expected to have a strong interest in research at the interface of knowledge exchange, education, impact and sustainability transitions in agriculture and forestry.
Profile requirements

• You hold a Master’s degree in bioscience engineering, agricultural engineering, economic sciences, or equivalent. 
• The degree requirements must be fulfilled at the start of the appointment. 
• You have a strong interest in scientific research. 
• You can operate both independently and within a multidisciplinary team. 
• You have strong analytical skills and a critical attitude. 
• You have good organisational skills and a proactive attitude. 
• You have good writing and presentation skills. 
• You have a good command of English, both written and spoken, in an academic context. 

Additional assets 

• Experience with qualitative and/or mixed-method research approaches. 
• Experience with international or European research projects. 
• Affinity with knowledge systems (AKIS), lifelong learning, or impact assessment. 
• Experience with stakeholder engagement or participatory research methods. 
• Familiarity with online platforms or knowledge management systems.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

• We offer a full-time position as a doctoral fellow, consisting of an initial period of 12 months, which—after a positive evaluation—will be extended to a total maximum of 48 months. 
• Your contract will start on 1 September 2026 at the earliest. 
• The fellowship amount is 100% of the net salary of an AAP member in equal family circumstances. The individual fellowship amount is determined by Team Personnel Administration based on family status and seniority. A grant that meets the conditions and criteria of the regulations for doctoral fellowships is considered free of personal income tax. Click here for more information about our salary scales 
• All Ghent University staff members enjoy a number of benefits, such as a wide range of training and education opportunities, 36 days of holiday leave (on an annual basis for a full-time job) supplemented by annual fixed bridge days, bicycle allowance and eco vouchers. Click here for a complete overview of all the staff benefits.

INTERESTED?

Send your CV, a copy of your diploma (if already in your possession), a motivation letter and the contact details of at least one reference person (phone number and/or email address) to pieter.spanoghe@ugent.be no later than 10 July 2026.
Please mention “PhD Application EU-FarmBook” in the subject of your email.
The file names must have the following format: Type of document_First Name_Last Name.docx (e.g., CV_Jordy_Motte.docx).
Late applications will not be accepted.
As Ghent University maintains an equal opportunities and diversity policy, everyone is encouraged to apply for this position.
For more information about this vacancy, please contact Prof. Pieter Spanoghe (pieter.spanoghe@ugent.be).