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This postdoctoral position at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) offers an exciting opportunity to advance sustainable urban water management through the development of City Information Models (CIM) and nature-based solutions (NBS). The role is part of the Green4Grey, a Water4All European project, which unites universities and municipalities to promote urban water circularity by integrating decentralized NBS with centralized urban systems. The project addresses the current lack of comprehensive digital tools for planning and implementing NBS, aiming to bridge knowledge gaps and support decision-making at multiple scales. As a postdoctoral researcher, you will join the Information Systems in the Built Environment (ISBE) group within the Department of the Built Environment. Your main tasks will include developing a modular, spatially explicit CIM that integrates data management, computational operations, and interactive visualization. You will leverage web-GIS technology and generative AI to create a parametric CIM, enabling cities to assess, plan, and implement NBS for improved water quality and quantity, while supporting circular economy principles. Key responsibilities include: Developing a CIM Data Module to manage connections to diverse data sources (e.g., rainfall, water use, sensor data, materials, costs). Creating a CIM Operations Module for integrating NBS, including developing an ontology of green infrastructure types and instantiating it as a knowledge graph. Building an Interactive Visualization Module with 2D/3D interfaces using open-source technologies (e.g., Cesium), allowing users to visualize and place NBS elements on urban sites. Integrating generative AI for natural language user input, enabling intuitive interaction with the CIM. Developing scalability assessment tools to simulate the impact of NBS across urban areas. Organizing participatory workshops with stakeholders to test prototypes and refine the CIM for real-world application. Producing technical documentation, academic publications, and contributing to project management and reporting. The ISBE group is renowned for its interdisciplinary research and education in information systems for the built environment, with a strong focus on sustainability. TU/e offers a vibrant, international academic community, excellent research facilities, and a supportive environment for professional development. Funding and Benefits: The position is full-time for 18 months, with a competitive salary (scale 10: €4,241–€5,538), year-end and vacation bonuses, and a comprehensive benefits package including training, childcare, sports facilities, and support for international staff. Eligibility: Applicants must have a PhD in a relevant field (urban planning, GIS, computer science, environmental engineering, or similar), strong programming and software development skills, experience with digital twins, city information models, or spatial decision support systems, and proficiency in English. Experience with 3D visualization, knowledge graphs, urban water management, and stakeholder engagement is highly desirable. Application: Apply online with a cover letter, CV, publication list, references, and up to five selected publications. The vacancy remains open until filled, with a deadline of January 9, 2026.

Are you interested in sustainability transitions, biodiversity restoration, and the redesign of agrifood systems? This PhD position at Eindhoven University of Technology is part of the NWO-KIC project RISE – Resilient Integrated Systems for Ecosystem restoration . The project brings together TU/e, Wageningen University & Research, Leiden University, and Inholland University of Applied Sciences, along with societal partners from agriculture, horticulture, regional development, water management, policy, and civil society. The project addresses a practical and urgent challenge: how to make biodiversity-enhancing practices in agriculture and horticulture ecologically effective, economically viable, and socially supported. The PhD will be embedded in the Department of Industrial Engineering & Innovation Sciences and the Innovation, Technology Entrepreneurship & Marketing (ITEM) group, an environment with strong expertise in system dynamics, innovation systems, stakeholder engagement, and agri-food transitions. The specific focus of this project is the socio-economic dynamics of nature-inclusive agrifood transitions . You will study how value chains, business models, economic incentives, stakeholder coordination, lock-ins, and rebound effects shape the feasibility of biodiversity-restoring practices. Using system dynamics and participative modelling, you will map the economic system around farms in regional case studies, conduct interviews and fieldwork, develop causal loop diagrams, and build a simulation model of regional transitions. Two regional case areas are central to the project: Reusel-Zuid , focused on open-field agriculture, and Oostland Zuid-Holland , focused on greenhouse horticulture. A third region will support validation and replication. You will work closely with farmers, growers, value-chain actors, policymakers, and regional stakeholders in workshops and collaborative scenario development. The PhD is part of a cohort of four candidates, each contributing to linked work packages across universities and disciplines. Cross-university supervision connects innovation science, spatial modelling, biodiversity monitoring, and ecological indicator development. The position is well suited to a candidate who enjoys working at the boundary of theory and practice and wants to produce both strong academic outputs and practical tools for transition pathways. Requirements include a relevant master’s degree, strong interest in sustainability transitions and agrifood innovation, and an interest or background in systems thinking and qualitative or mixed-method research. Excellent English is required; Dutch is a strong advantage because much of the fieldwork and stakeholder engagement will take place in Dutch agricultural and horticultural regions. The appointment is a full-time PhD position for four years , with an intermediate assessment after nine months. The salary is in accordance with the Dutch Universities collective labour agreement, scale P, and includes holiday allowance and a year-end bonus. TU/e also offers pension contributions, training opportunities, and additional employment benefits. Applications should be submitted online. A complete application includes a cover letter, CV with publications, and contact information for three references. The vacancy remains open until the position is filled, but applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.