PhD Positions in Environmental Science, Water Quality Modelling, and Data Science at Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Germany Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research in Germany

The Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) in Leipzig, Germany, is offering four fully funded PhD positions within the In4Nile research cohort, focused on advancing water quality information in the Nile River Basin. The cohort addresses the limited availability of water quality data in the region by developing and applying low-cost sampling techniques, mining open geospatial datasets, leveraging unstructured data sources through natural language processing (NLP), and developing basin-scale, multi-pollutant spatially explicit water quality models.

The four PhD projects cover:

• Spatio-temporal patterns of water quality drivers and pollution pathways: Integrating diverse open datasets on pollution drivers (urbanization, land use, sanitation, industry) to develop a comprehensive geospatial database, assess pollution risks, and quantify relationships between pollution drivers and water quality.
• Analysis and assessment of aquatic chemical pollution: Conducting case studies in the Nile Basin, including field sampling, organic micropollutant analyses using high-resolution mass spectrometry, and advanced data evaluation to create extensive data on chemical pollution and related risks.
• Monitoring water quality impacts using NLP and LLMs: Leveraging unstructured text data and advances in NLP, large language models, and machine learning to extract, analyze, and spatialize pollution-related knowledge from scientific literature, reports, and media news.
• Multi-pollutant spatially explicit water quality modelling: Developing a scalable modelling framework to track the fate and transport of multiple pollutants, reconstruct historical and present-day water pollution patterns, and assess future scenarios under changing hydro-climatic and socio-economic conditions.

All positions offer excellent supervision, professional and interdisciplinary qualification through the HIGRADE graduate programme, and integration into national and international research networks. The UFZ provides a vibrant, diverse, and supportive environment for international researchers, with a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Eligibility: Applicants must have a relevant Master’s degree and demonstrate strong interest and experience in environmental science, geospatial analysis, chemical analysis, data science, or related fields. Proficiency in English and motivation to work in a multidisciplinary, international team are essential. Candidates from the Nile basin and African countries are especially encouraged to apply.

Funding: The positions are fully funded for 36 months, with salary according to the TVöD public-sector up to pay grade 13, plus social security benefits and additional perks.

Application deadline: 12 January 2026. For more information and to apply, visit the UFZ career portal and refer to the specific position links provided.