Sabine Pahl

The University of Vienna is launching the STRENGTH research platform, focusing on strengthening resilience and preparedness to prevent and react to emerging socio-natural hazards and risks. This initiative, aligned with the EU Preparedness Union Strategy, addresses the increasing challenges posed by climate change and rapidly changing environmental and societal systems. Communities and decision-makers often face new hazards and risks for which they are unprepared, making this research both timely and impactful. STRENGTH is led by a team of distinguished academics, including Prof. Thomas Glade, Prof. Sabine Pahl, Prof. Alexandra Brausmann, Prof. Krzysztof Janowicz, Dr. Renata Pacheco Quevedo, Dr. Philipp Marr, Dr. Ivan Majic, Dr. Nina Vaupotic, and Prof. Ugur Ozturk. The platform will fund four fully funded PhD positions in the following areas: PhD 1: Geomorphology & Hydrometeorology – EO-based assessment of emerging interconnected multi-hazard risks under climate change (Supervisors: Prof. Glade / Prof. Janowicz) PhD 2: Geoinformation / Data Science – AI methods for hazard and risk assessment to support decision-making (Supervisors: Prof. Janowicz / Prof. Pahl) PhD 3: Environmental Psychology – Socio-economic dynamics in disaster preparedness and response (Supervisors: Prof. Pahl / Prof. Brausmann) PhD 4: Environmental Economics – Disaster-mitigation policies and welfare impacts (Supervisors: Prof. Brausmann / Prof. Glade) Applicants should have a relevant master's degree, strong academic performance, and skills related to the specific research area. Proficiency in English is required. The positions are fully funded, with details available in the individual job posts. Application deadlines vary by position (late February to early March). Candidates must apply via the official application links; applications via email or messaging will not be considered. For further information, contact the lead supervisor listed in the job post. Research areas include socio-natural hazards, climate change, risk assessment, disaster preparedness, geoinformation, data science, environmental psychology, and economics. The University of Vienna offers a vibrant academic environment and the opportunity to contribute to impactful research addressing global challenges.