PhD position on Sinking river deltas: modelling of land subsidence processes, projecting impacts of relative sea-level rise and designing solutions

Your job

Are you interested in why deltas and coastal areas are sinking and how this can be avoided? Are you interested to work in an international context across multiple scientific disciplines? Do you want to do impact-oriented research in a rapidly growing field with high societal relevance?

We are currently looking for a highly motivated PhD candidate to strengthen our team (4 years, full time, fully funded) at the Soil Geography and Landscape group at Wageningen University.

Low-lying river deltas, home to over 500 million people worldwide, play a critical role in global food production and economic activities. However, many deltas experience accelerated relative sea-level rise as they increasingly sink due to human-accelerated land subsidence, threatening communities, economies, and food production in deltas worldwide.

The complexity of interactions between natural processes, human water management, and land use governs delta subsidence and we urgently need improved capabilities to create reliable projections for future subsidence and come up with effective solutions and mitigation strategies.

In this PhD research project you will collect and analyse geomorphology, hydro(geo)logy, and geomechanical engineering data from sinking deltas located in SE Asia (Chao Phraya, Mekong, and Pampanga located respectively in Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines) and combine innovative numerical models to quantify different land subsidence processes and subsurface interactions. With these new models and quantifications you will contribute to create reliable projections of relative sea-level rise. You will contribute to the dissemination of these policy relevant scientific findings and use these insights to develop effective mitigation strategies aimed to reduce land subsidence and relative sea-level rise in these vulnerable deltas.

For this position, we are looking for enthusiastic candidates who have a background in Earth sciences, physical geography and/or its relevant sub-disciplines (meteorology, hydrology, ecology), or (environmental) engineering. Prior numerical modelling and coding skills are highly preferable but not a strict must. Your project is imbedded in the broader research line on land subsidence in coastal-deltaic areas around the world, and next to your own project, you will collaborate with other team members on related research topics. As a PhD candidate in our group, you will join the PhD program of the PE&RC graduate school. This is a unique opportunity to work on an emerging and highly societal relevant research topic in a dynamic and supportive team.

Your duties and responsibilities include :

• To perform all the duties related to your PhD research topic and thrive to reach the highest level of scientific quality and societal impact with your research;
• Take part in international fieldworks, workshops and conferences and engage in the organization of international meetings related to the research project;
• Actively engage in the activities and collaborations of the research team and contribute to research team tasks;
• Spend a small part of your time (up to 10%) on education of the SGL group (e.g. university courses) and supervision of BSc/MSc students;

The selected candidate is expected to finish the 4 year project by writing a PhD thesis that contains a series of scientific papers, including peer-reviewed journal articles.

Your qualities

You have:

• completed (or about to complete) an MSc degree in Earth or Geosciences, Environmental sciences, Environmental Engineering, or related fields;
• passion to work on an emerging research topic with high societal relevance
• willing to travel and work internationally (fieldwork anticipated in a.o. Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines);
• good social and interpersonal skills;
• willingness to engage and collaborate with an international and intercultural team
• demonstrated enthusiasm for working with (geoscience) datasets and numerical models;
• Proficiency or willingness to learn relevant modeling software (e.g., groundwater flow models, geomechanical simulations);
• good organizational and communication skills; willingness to engage in the organization of international workshop and knowledge exchange events;
• the ability to publish research results in peer-reviewed academic journals.

You should also possess:

• proven knowledge and skills regarding research design, quantitative, qualitative and/or spatial-temporal methods for data collection, and quantitative (statistical) and/or qualitative approaches to data analysis and presentation;
• proven skills or willingness to learn modelling (e.g. Modflow) and scripting (e.g. Python or R);
• a team player mentality and enthusiasm for collaborating with an interdisciplinary team of researchers with diverse backgrounds and disciplines;
• the entry requirements of the WUR PhD program;
• excellent communication skills in English.

For this position your command of the English language is expected to be at C1 level. Sometimes it is necessary to submit an internationally recognised Certificate of Proficiency in the English Language. More information can be found here

We offer you

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

• Partially paid parental leave;
• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• the option to accrue additional compensation / holiday hours by working more, up to 40 hours per week;
• there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
• a fixed December bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will receive a fully funded PhD position and you will be offered a course program tailored to your needs and the research team.

The gross salary for the first year is € 2.872 - per month rising to € 3.670,-  in the fourth year in according to the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale P). This is based on a full-time working week of 38 hours. We offer a temporary contract for 18 months which will be extended for the duration of the project if you perform well.

There are plenty of options for personal initiative in a learning environment, and we provide excellent training opportunities. We are offering a unique position in an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere.

You are going to work at the greenest and most innovative campus in Holland, and at a university that has been chosen as the “Best University” in the Netherlands for the 19th consecutive time.

Coming from abroad
Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees.

Because we expect you to work and live in the Netherlands our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.
Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. We can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example helping your partner to find a job, housing, or schooling. Finally, certain categories of international staff may be eligible for a tax exemption on a part of their salary during the first five years in the Netherlands.

Do you want more information?

For more information about this position, please contact Asst. Prof. Dr. Philip S.J. Minderhoud, philip.minderhoud@wur.nl

For more information about the procedure, please contact Noorien Abbas, corporate recruiter, noorien.abbas@wur.nl .

Do you want to apply?
You can apply directly using the apply button on the vacancy page on our website which will allow us to process your personal information with your approval.

This vacancy will be listed up to and including 30 September 2024. We hope to schedule the first job interviews soon after the closing date.

Additional information form
For this position, you must fill in a mandatory form which will allow us to have a comprehensive view of your qualifications and better assess your fit for it. You can access the form using the link below:
https://forms.office.com/e/VbyZJUudE3  

Your prompt response will ensure that your application continues to move forward in the evaluation process. We assure you that the information provided will be kept confidential and used solely for this application process.

Equal opportunities
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) employs a large number of people with very different backgrounds and qualities, who inspire and motivate each other. We want every talent to feel at home in our organisation and be offered the same career opportunities. We therefore especially welcome applications from people who are underrepresented at WUR. A good example of how WUR deals with inclusiveness can be read on the page working at WUR with a functional impairment.

We are

You will work here
You will become part of the research team of Asst. Prof. dr. Philip S.J. Minderhoud on coastal-deltaic land subsidence and relative sea-level rise, who will act as co-promotor and daily supervisor. The research is embedded within the Soil Geography and Landscape group led by Prof. Jakob Wallinga.

Wageningen University & Research
The mission of Wageningen University & Research is “To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life”. Under the banner Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen University and the specialised research institutes of the Wageningen Research Foundation have joined forces in contributing to finding solutions to important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment. With its roughly 30 branches, 7,600 employees (6,700 fte) and 13,100 students and over 150,000 participants to WUR’s Life Long Learning, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. The unique Wageningen approach lies in its integrated approach to issues and the collaboration between different disciplines.

Read the 5 reasons why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR and watch the video below to get an idea of our green campus!


We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves, so no employment agencies please. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.