CESFRA - Postdoctoral Position in Agronomy and Soils Sciences (Dynamic of Organic Matter (SOM)

Job Title:  CESFRA - Postdoctoral Position in Agronomy and Soils Sciences (Dynamic of organic matter (SOM) in soils and how to improve it contains, particularly, on its stable form and establish the relationships between SOM and biological indicators for soil health under different land uses).

Area of specialization: Degraded soils, Organic matter, organo-mineral amendment, microbial inoculation, plant covert, soil health and quality, soil health indictors, sustainable agriculture, field experiments monitoring.

About UM6P:

At the heart of the future Green City of Benguerir, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), a higher education institution with an international standard, is established to serve Morocco and the African continent. Its vision is honed around research and innovation at the service of education and development. This unique nascent university, with its state-of-the-art campus and infrastructure, has woven a sound academic and research network, and its recruitment process is seeking high-quality academics and professionals to boost its quality-oriented research environment in the metropolitan area of Marrakech.

About Center of Excellence for Soil and Fertilizer Research in Africa, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences:

Center of Excellence of Soil and Fertilizer Research in Africa at the Mohamed VI Polytechnic University (CESFRA) aims to evolve a continental hub of knowledge, skills, technology and information on soil suitability, land use and fertilizer development, which can be accessible to the various African stakeholders viz., farmers, universities, research institutions, policy makers, public and private sectors with the purpose of unveiling the huge potential of the Africa’s agriculture. Certainly, the knowledge generation and accessibility tasks do take place through partnership, networking, faculty and students exchange between CESFRA of UM6P and the various academic, research and other related organizations operating in Africa.  The key thematic research and development areas that can help in transforming the Africa’s food production systems is listed below:

• Pedology and land use
• Soil fertility and fertilizer
• Soil Health

Job/Project description:

The Center for Sustainable Soil Sciences (CAES) at the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University seeks a dynamic and highly motivated individual to join our academic institution as a postdoctoral research staff in Agronomy (Dynamic of organic matter in soils and how to improve it contains, particularly, on its stable form and establish the relationships with biological indicators for soil health under different land uses). The successful candidate will contribute to our institution's commitment to excellence in research and innovation in agronomy and soils sciences, mainly by conducting innovate research which allow us: (i) to evaluate the effect of land uses and agricultural practices on the capacity of soils to store carbon and (ii) to develop strategies (organo-mineral amendment, installation of a plant cover, inoculation by microorganisms of agronomic interest) and propose recommendations (iii) to increase the sequestration of organic matter on its stable form in the soils and (iv) to use practical biological soil health indicators, such as soil fauna, to promote sustainable use of agricultural soils in Africa.

Main responsibilities:

The selected candidate will be expected to:

• Conduct a survey with farmers to obtain a general view of real agricultural practices used in the selected Mediterranean and Sub-Saharan African countries where SOC is very low; 
• Propose characterisation of the soil properties collected from different studied farms; 
• Test how to Improve soil organic carbon content using organo-mineral resources under controlled condition;
• Assess the effect of using organo-mineral resources on soil carbon stock in the field;
• Implement agronomic assay to evaluate the stability of clay-humic complexes under culture conditions and how an intense of microbial activity contributes into the process of stabilization of organic matter;
• Assess the effects of organo-mineral management on soil biological parameters, including soil fauna;
• Predict the dynamic of OM in the future global climate change by using Soil Organic Models.
• Mentor master students and PhDs

Education, qualifications, and experience

• Applicants must have an earned doctorate in Agronomy, Soils Sciences with hands-on the dynamic of Organic Matter in the soils, or Soil Ecology. 
• Strong knowledge of soil science, soil fertility, and crop production systems in Mediterranean and Sub-Saharan African countries;
• Capabilities to set up field experiments and interpret measured data, including statistical medthods, and translate it high quality into manuscripts to be submitted; 
• Demonstrated experience of multidisciplinary research in the above research area.
• High-quality publications in relevant scientific journals demonstrate a strong record of research accomplishments.
• Experience in supervising undergraduate/graduate students.
• Strong communication skills in English and French, both written and verbal, to effectively engage with students, colleagues, and the broader scientific community.

Applications and selection procedure:

The application folder must contain:

• Cover letter indicating the position applied for and the main research interests.
• Detailed CV.
• Statement of research and teaching interests describing the candidates’ experience with the position field.
• 3 references letters

The successful candidate is expected to start in 1st September 2025.