Open positions, project: SAR Mapping applications for Canada's North
51猎奇入口SARlab recently won an NSERC Alliance grant (with industrial partner MDA) titled:
鈥�Enhancement of SAR research methods to identify and create community-centric mapping applications for Canada's North鈥�.
The project pairs directed research and engineering development of advanced synthetic aperture radar methods with selected outreach to design applications for Canadian Northern communities to improve their daily livelihoods and empower traditional and scientific knowledge exchange. Concretely we are looking for three PhD (or possibly alternate, MSc) candidates to work on the following project topics (starting Fall 2026/Spring 2027):
PhD Position 1 鈥� Arctic Marine Remote Sensing using SAR and Artificial Intelligence
A funded PhD position is available to develop next-generation Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) methods for Arctic maritime monitoring. The research will focus on detecting and characterizing small vessels in challenging coastal environments containing sea ice, icebergs, and complex ocean clutter using satellite and airborne SAR data.
The successful candidate will develop advanced signal processing, machine learning, and deep learning methods for vessel detection, maritime awareness, and anomaly detection, using data from RADARSAT-2, the RADARSAT Constellation Mission, Sentinel-1, and airborne SAR systems.
Applicants should have a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Remote Sensing, Physics, Geomatics, or a related field. Experience in SAR, machine learning, computer vision, or signal processing is desirable.
The project offers opportunities to work with unique Arctic datasets, collaborate with leading researchers in remote sensing and AI, and contribute to operational Arctic maritime monitoring.
PhD Position 2 鈥� Arctic Land Monitoring using InSAR, Geophysical Modelling, and AI
A funded PhD position is available to develop advanced SAR and InSAR methods for monitoring Arctic landscape change. Research will focus on permafrost degradation, ground deformation, hydrology, coastal erosion, and infrastructure stability using satellite radar observations integrated with geophysical modelling and deep learning.
The successful candidate will develop innovative algorithms for InSAR time-series analysis, geohazard monitoring, and automated change detection using data from TerraSAR-X, RADARSAT-2, the RADARSAT Constellation Mission, and Sentinel-1.
Applicants should have a Master's degree in Geophysics, Remote Sensing, Earth Science, Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, or a related discipline. Experience in InSAR, geospatial analysis, machine learning, or scientific programming is an asset.
The project provides access to state-of-the-art satellite datasets, interdisciplinary collaborations, and opportunities to contribute to climate resilience and Arctic environmental monitoring.
PhD Position 3 鈥� Compact Polarimetric SAR for Maritime Surveillance
A funded PhD position is available to develop C-band Compact Polarimetric (CP) SAR methods for maritime surveillance and ocean monitoring. The project will develop new models describing ocean backscatter as a function of wind conditions and vessel radar cross section (RCS), enabling improved vessel detection and ocean wind retrieval using compact-polarimetric SAR.
The research will use extensive archives of RADARSAT-2 Fine Quad-Polarization data and RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM) Compact Polarimetric data to develop and validate new CP models for maritime domain awareness and future SAR mission design.
Applicants should hold a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Remote Sensing, Physics, Geomatics, Computer Science, or a related field. Experience in SAR remote sensing, radar signal processing, electromagnetic modelling, or scientific programming (Python or MATLAB) is desirable.
This project is ideal for candidates with a strong engineering background who are interested in advancing next-generation SAR technology for Arctic and coastal maritime applications.
Please refer to the MSc and PhD positions for general requirements.