IHE Delft Institute for Water Education
6 days ago
PhD in Hydroinformatics: Long-Term Planning Under Uncertainty for Resilient Water Infrastructure IHE Delft Institute for Water Education in Netherlands
Degree Level
PhD
Field of study
Computer Science
Funding
48-month PhD position funded under the Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network i3WaterS. The final remuneration follows IHE Delft employment conditions and applicable MSCA Doctoral Network allowances. Employment is full-time at 38 hours per week, with an initial 18-month contract and a go/no-go decision within the first year.
Deadline
Sep 20, 2026
Country
Netherlands
University
IHE Delft Institute for Water Education
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About this position
IHE Delft Institute for Water Education is recruiting a PhD candidate in Hydroinformatics for the project Long-Term Planning Under Uncertainty for Resilient Water Infrastructure within the Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network i3WaterS.
The research focuses on developing an integrated framework for efficient long-term planning of critical drinking-water infrastructure toward 2050 under deep uncertainty. The project combines hydraulic modelling, digital twins, optimization, decision support, resilience, robustness, flexibility, and artificial intelligence to support water utilities in making better infrastructure decisions.
The candidate will be hosted by the Hydroinformatics and Socio-Technical Innovation Department at IHE Delft in Delft, the Netherlands. The supervisory team includes Associate Professor Leonardo Alfonso (main supervisor, IHE Delft), Professor Zoran Kapelan (co-supervisor, TU Delft), and Dr Mario Castro-Gama (industrial mentor, Vitens).
Training is provided through the i3WaterS International Doctoral School, with chapters in Barcelona, Dublin, Bordeaux, Delft, Brussels, and Newcastle. Training topics include AI and machine learning, explainable and trustworthy AI, knowledge representation, multi-agent and intelligent decision-support systems, digital twins, smart water systems, innovation and entrepreneurship, scientific communication, and transferable skills.
Eligibility highlights: a relevant Master's degree with strong grades; strong knowledge of hydraulics and drinking-water distribution modelling; experience or interest in optimization, preferably multi-objective, robust, or stochastic optimization; Python programming; and strong English academic writing skills. Applicants must also satisfy the MSCA doctoral candidate and mobility rules.
Funding and terms: this is a 48-month full-time PhD position with MSCA Doctoral Network allowances and IHE Delft employment conditions. The initial contract is for 18 months, with a go/no-go decision in the first year. The expected start date is 1 January 2027.
Application deadline: 20 September 2026 at 23:59 CEST. Apply online via the vacancy page and upload a CV, motivation letter, MSc thesis abstract, and two referees. Email applications will not be considered.
Funding details
48-month PhD position funded under the Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network i3WaterS. The final remuneration follows IHE Delft employment conditions and applicable MSCA Doctoral Network allowances. Employment is full-time at 38 hours per week, with an initial 18-month contract and a go/no-go decision within the first year.
What's required
Applicants must have a Master's degree with strong academic results in Hydroinformatics, civil or environmental engineering, water engineering, applied mathematics, operations research, computer science, or a closely related field, with at least B+ (US), 2nd Upper (British), or a GPA of 3/4. Required skills include strong knowledge of hydraulics and hydraulic modelling of drinking-water distribution systems, knowledge of optimisation preferably multi-objective, robust or stochastic optimisation, programming experience in Python, and strong English writing and speaking ability. Experience with optimisation libraries, water-network modelling software, data science, machine learning, uncertainty quantification, or Value of Information methods is highly desirable. Applicants must be Doctoral Candidates at recruitment, must not already hold a doctoral degree or have defended a thesis, and must satisfy the MSCA mobility rule of not having lived or worked in the Netherlands for more than 12 months in the previous 36 months.
How to apply
Submit the application in English via the Apply button on the vacancy page. Include a CV, motivation letter, abstract of your MSc thesis, and two contactable referees. Applications by email will not be considered.
More information can be found here
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