PhD Positions in Hydrology, Flood Modelling, and Machine Learning at Wageningen University & Research Wageningen University & Research in Netherlands

Wageningen University & Research is seeking two highly motivated PhD candidates to join the Hydrology and Environmental Hydraulics Group as part of the NWO-funded VIDI project “FutureFlood - Future-proof flood prediction.” The research focuses on improving flood forecasting by advancing the understanding and modelling of flood-generating mechanisms using both stochastic and machine learning approaches.

The first PhD position centers on the ML-based classification of flood-generating processes, comparing various algorithms (ANNs, WNNs, SVM, CART, and potentially fuzzy-based methods) to predict flood types based on atmospheric and catchment data. The research will analyze how flood-generating processes differ across global case studies, including the Netherlands, New Zealand, Germany, and Brazil, and will extend to climate change scenario analysis. The second PhD position focuses on incorporating flood types into tailored rainfall-runoff models, comparing hydrological models (HBV, WALRUS, LISFLOOD) and developing type-specific parametrizations to improve flood prediction under changing climate conditions.

Both positions are embedded in a dynamic, international team and offer opportunities for collaboration with stakeholders and regular exchange within the project. The research group is renowned for its work in hydrology, environmental hydraulics, and the development of novel sensing and modelling techniques.

Eligibility: Applicants must hold a completed MSc in hydrology, earth systems, statistics, water management, or a related field. Advanced programming skills (preferably R or Python), experience in data analysis, and knowledge of statistics, clustering, pattern analysis, and hydrological modelling are required. Experience with machine learning is a plus. Candidates should be collaborative, analytical, and possess strong communication skills. English proficiency at C1 level is mandatory.

Funding: The positions are fully funded for up to four years, with a starting gross salary of €3,059/month, rising to €3,881/month in the fourth year (full-time, 38 hours/week). Benefits include flexible working hours, sports facilities, an 8.3% year-end bonus, and an excellent pension scheme. International staff may receive tax exemptions and support with relocation and visa procedures.

Application: Apply via the official Wageningen University & Research vacancy pages by submitting a CV and motivation letter (max 3 pages total). The deadline is January 15, 2026. Only applications submitted through the website will be considered.

Supervision will be provided by Svenja Fischer (Assistant Professor), Ryan Teuling, Claudia Brauer, and Huu Loc (Josh) Ho. For more information, contact Svenja Fischer at [email protected].