Ten full-time PhD Fellowships in MSCA doctoral network RESCUER

9 Apr 2024
Job Information

Organisation/Company

University of Bergen (coordinating organisation)

Department

Department of Mathematics

Research Field

Environmental science » Water science
Physics » Other
Mathematics » Other
Computer science » Other

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Country

Norway

Application Deadline

15 May 2024 - 23:59 (Europe/Oslo)

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Full-time

Hours Per Week

38-40

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

HE / MSCA

Marie Curie Grant Agreement Number

101119437

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

Are you interested in contributing to our understanding of coastal hazards?
Are you interested in numerical simulations and wave experiments?

The RESCUER network brings together 8 beneficiaries and 9 associated partners, located in 8 countries (for beneficiaries: Denmark, France, Italy, Norway, Portugal and Spain, for associated partners:  Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain, United States). Ten Doctoral candidates will enjoy a multi-disciplinary and international environment with abundant training opportunities and exchange within the institutions involved in the network.

Scientific Background:
In the face of rising temperatures and sea levels, new approaches to coastal safety and flooding protection are needed. Ensuring the safety of property and commercial developments onshore and offshore requires an integrated approach, including phase-resolving wave modeling, tracking and mitigation of morphological changes, potential flooding in urban areas and monitoring of water quality. While protective structures and emergency plans for catastrophic storm waves and storm surges are well established, the confluence of global warming and sea level rise with other known natural risk factors and increasing human activity create a new set of hazards and requires new thinking in coastal modeling and the planning of mitigation strategies.

The Doctoral Network (DN) RESCUER (Resilient Solutions for Coastal, Urban, Estuarine and Riverine Environments) aims to train 10 young researchers (Fellows) to tackle medium to long term water challenges, focusing on forecasting and modeling of coastal, riverine, and urban flooding and associated water quality issues. The DN will leverage advances in the numerical treatment of multi-scale and multi-physics problems made in the past decade, into models to address the pressing needs in the practical modeling of hydrodynamic phenomena with the goal of improving overall safety of coastal and riverine areas.

The doctoral candidates will be able to spend time one or two partner organizations through mandatory secondments. The hosts for these secondments include other beneficiaries and also academic and non-academic partners (Águas da Figueira, Portugal; Foundation AZTI, Spain; The Norwegian Public Roads Administration, Norway; Civil Protection Authority for Senigallia Municipality, Italy; Hydronia-Europe, Spain; COWI, Denmark.

Be aware that some fields of research, especially within sensitive technology areas, might be enforced by Norwegian and EU internationalregulations regarding Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology. Candidates who by assessment of the applicationand attachments are seen to conflict with the criteria in these regulations will be prohibited from recruitment.

 

Before submitting an application, please read the instructions on this website:

https://www.rescuer-msca.net/recruitment

 

Project 1: Wind-wave coupling for improved modelling of coastal flooding

Description:  We will investigate modeling fidelity of the atmospheric forcing and its influence on coastal flooding. This is to be done by developing a coupled wave-wind model. By coupling a Boussinesq or Green-Naghdi wave model, able to resolve wave run-up on steep slopes and breakwaters, to a meso-scale Navier-Stokes model in generalized coordinates describing the atmospheric flow the wind forcing is directly given by the pressure working on the free surface. This will significantly improve the nearshore computational capabilities with respect to atmospheric forcing and will reduce the uncertainties associated with surface drag coefficients.

This project will deliver new robust and highly accurate simulation tool for near-shore flows. In addition, two secondments to an academic and industrial partner institution are already planned to broaden the network and differentiate the student's skills and knowledge. Furthermore, the project provides ample opportunities for professional exchange and networking with other academic and industrial partners.

Requirements:

• Master’s degree in Hydraulic Engineering, Applied or Computational mathematics or a related field.
• Strong affinity to computer processes, software operation, and large data handling. Programming skills are required.

Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Claes Eskilsson

Institution: Aalborg University, Denmark

Location: Dep. of the Built Environment, Aalborg University, Thomas Manns vej 23, DK-9200 Aalborg, Denmark

Application deadline: 15.05.2024

Expected starting date: September 2024

For this position, please check these links: https://www.rescuer-msca.net/recruitment https://www.vacancies.aau.dk/phd-positions

 

 

Project 2: Stable simulation methods for structured multi-block grids

Description:  Wave simulation codes are often based on finite difference/volume methods on Cartesian meshes that do not conform with the geometry of the water basin; land and islands are modeled as dry zones. The advantage of this approach is the simple data structure that allows efficient use of computational resources. However, for problems where narrow channels, with large land areas in between, connect basins of water this is unnecessarily memory consuming. By only discretizing channels, and not land in between, the method becomes less memory intensive. At the same time, it is advantageous to retain the structured memory layout of structured grids. Hence, we will port the methods to curvilinear grids, that capture channels, and interface these grids with the grids for the main water basins. That is, we will use a structured multi-block technique. By using the well-established summations-by-parts simultaneous approximation term schemes.

T wo secondments to academic partner institutions are planned. Furthermore, the project provides ample opportunities for professional exchange and networking with other academic and with industrial partners.

Requirements:

• Master’s degree in Numerical analysis, Computational mathematics or a related field.
• Programming skills are required.

Supervisor: Prof. Magnus Svärd

Institution: University of Bergen

Location: University of Bergen, Department of Mathematics, Allégaten 41, 7803 Bergen, Norway

Application deadline: 15.05.2024

Expected starting date: September 2024

For this position, please apply here: MSCA RESCUER PhD Research Fellow in Applied and Computational Mathematics (260904) | University of Bergen (jobbnorge.no)

 

 

Project 3: Development of phase-resolved operational wave forecasting for sites with highly irregular bathymetry

Description:  This PhD project focuses on the characterization of the impact along the shoreline of the wave field’s spatial variability induced by remarkable bathymetric heterogeneities such as a coastal submarine canyon. For that purpose, a phase-resolving numerical modeling study will be conducted in the Capbreton area using the recent Boussinesq-type code developed at the University of Pau. Benefiting from the implementation of the code on GPU hardware, a large range of scenarios will be computed to characterize critical configurations in terms of wave run-up and the induced marine flooding along the shoreline, with a focus on the role of wave focusing and phase coherence mechanisms in the configurations. The PhD candidate is expected to work on both model development and data analysis of the computed results. Development work will mainly focus on improving the dispersion properties of the governing equations and the numerical solution to better account for the strong variability in water depth around the canyon of Capbreton.

T wo secondments at academic partner institutions are planned. Furthermore, the project provides ample opportunities for professional exchange and networking with academic and with other industrial partners.

Requirements:

• Master’s degree in Hydraulic Engineering, Applied or Computational mathematics or a related field.
• Understanding of computer hardware, and large data handling.
• Programming skills are required.

Supervisor: Dr. Matthias Delpey

Institution: SUEZ-Rivage Pro Tech / PhD enrollment at University of Pau, Anglet campus, France

Location: SUEZ – Rivages Pro Tech
Zone Europarc, 15 Avenue Léonard de Vinci, 33600 PESSAC, France

Application deadline: 15.05.2024

Expected starting date: September 2024

For this position, please apply here: https://www.rescuer-msca.net/recruitment

 

 

Project 4: Tracing ocean swell in fjord systems

Description:  In connection with a partially floating bridge to be constructed over Bjørnafjorden as part of the E39 project in Norway, loads on structures due to wave action in the fjord need to be understood. Swell waves have been identified in buoy measurements in a campaign conducted on behalf of the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, but traditional phase-averaged models such as SWAN have been shown not to accurately model these waves. These problems may be addressed by phase-resolving models, but such models suffer from instability in the presence of steep bathymetries. Here, we will use a model with improved stability properties which will enable nearshore computational capabilities with respect to sharp changes in the bathymetry.

S econdments at an academic and an industrial partner institution are planned. The project also provides ample opportunities for professional exchange and networking with further academic and with industrial partners.

Requirements:

• Master’s degree in Applied and Computational Mathematics, Civil Engineering or a related field.
• Programming skills are required.

Supervisor: Prof. Henrik Kalisch

Institution: University of Bergen, Norway.

Location: University of Bergen, Department of Mathematics, Allégaten 41, 7803 Bergen, Norway

Application deadline: 15.05.2024

Expected starting date: September 2024

For this position, please apply here: MSCA RESCUER PhD Research Fellow in Applied and Computational Mathematics (260898) | University of Bergen (jobbnorge.no)

 

 

Project 5: Flow patterns of pollutants and microplastics in estuaries

Description: Sea level rise must be considered in future predictions of pollutant circulation and distribution, and ocean currents and sediment transport also influence the redistribution of pollutants locally and globally. However, there is a lack of knowledge in fundamental research, namely advection, diffusion and dispersion of water particles having different pollutant concentration, the influence of turbulence, and the kinetic description of the chemical reactions.

Objectives in this project are to understand the potential threats on eco-hydraulics in fluvial and coastal environments due to heavy metals, pesticides, detergents etc., and to be able to describe and predict the transport and fate of pollutants, sediments and microplastics in hydraulic environmental models and their connections.

S econdments at an industrial partner institution and two academic institutions are planned. The project also provides ample opportunities for professional exchange and networking with further academic and with industrial partners.

Requirements:

• Master’s degree in Civil Engineering or a related field.
• Programming skills are required.

Supervisor: Prof. Rita Carvalho

Institution: University of Coimbra, Portugal.

Location: Department of Civil Engineering, University of Coimbra, MARE-ARNET
R. Luís Reis Santos, 3030-788 Coimbra, Portugal

Application deadline: 15.05.2024

Expected starting date: September 2024

For this position, please apply here: https://www.jobbnorge.no/en/available-jobs/job/261215/msca-rescuer-phd-research-fellow-in-flow-patterns-of-pollutants-and-microplastics-in-estuaries

 

 

Project 6: Multiphysics shallow-water models for river and estuary dynamics

Description:  Rivers and estuaries are complex, interconnected systems which are subject to a multitude of physical, chemical and biological effects. Proper maintenance includes monitoring water levels, flow rates, water quality and sediment status, and effective management depends on real-time measurements as well as accurate numerical tools. The aim of this project is the development of computational models enabling the simulation of flow dynamics over erodible beds with variably saturated subsurface flows as well as dry and wet granular flows. In particular, a numerical 2D coupled surface-subsurface flow model will be extended to handle a moving bed, which affects both the surface and the subsurface computational domain. While standard practice today is the use of dedicated uncoupled models for river flow, sediment transport, recent advances in numerical techniques and GPU implementations enable an integrated and comprehensive multi-physics model encompassing and linking all the effects mentioned above.

 

Requirements:

• Master’s degree in Physics, Civil Engineering or a related field.
• Programming skills are required.

RESIDENCE PERMIT

Non-EU applicants who have a permit of stay in Spain (or the receipt of the request for the permit)must show at Staff Department (University of Zaragoza), no later than the deadline for entering thecontract, the original copy of the permit of stay (or the receipt of the request for the permit). Failureto provide the document means that the winner loses the right to enter the contract.Non-EU applicants who do not yet have a permit to stay in Spain and who have been offered afellowship, must wait for the official authorisation, which is necessary to apply for a visa. Activitiescan only start after the above-mentioned visa has been supplied to the Staff Department. Failure toprovide the document means activities cannot begin.

INCOMPATIBILITIES
1. The research fellowship is incompatible with public or private employment, including short-term or part-time contracts, starting from the enrolment time.
2. The fellowship is not compatible with other scholarships, except for those awarded bynational or foreign institutions with the purpose of integrating the research activities withstays abroad.

 

Supervisor: Prof. Pilar Garcia-Navarro

Institution: University of Zaragoza, Spain.

Location: University of Zaragoza, María de Luna 3 50018 Zaragoza, Spain

Application deadline: 15.05.2024

Expected starting date: September 2024

To apply for this position, please send your application package by e-mail to: [email protected]

 

 

Project 7: Advancing Flood Modeling: Integrating High-Order Numerical Methods with Sub-Cell Limiting Techniques for Accurate Urban Flooding Prediction

Description:  Strategic planning to mitigate the effects of floods, induced within an urban environment by either heavy rainfall or other sources related to river and sea actions, is crucially important due to its paramount importance for people (e.g., pedestrian), objects, and structures. The only non-destructive way to assess these dangers is by advanced flow modeling techniques, which allow accurate forecasts of the hydrodynamics in urban areas.

The objective of this PhD is to develop a modeling framework for urban flooding simulations that integrates precise representations of topography and built structures using the Discontinuous Galerkin (DG) numerical method. Ensuring high-resolution descriptions of both coastlines and structures, with accuracies of maybe less than a meter, is crucial for accurately depicting flooding dynamics. The primary challenge lies in managing complex and irregular bathymetric data represented by polynomials on unstructured grids. This framework must effectively handle interactions between irregular bathymetric data and flooding fronts (wet/dry transitions), potentially incorporating non-submerged floating structures. A well-balanced scheme is imperative to avoid spurious and non-physical waves arising from numerical discretization-induced bathymetric variations.

The idea is to explore sub-cell models and sub-cell resolution strategies combined with some nonlinear numerical method. For example one avenue of exploration lies in the usage of sub-cell approximations that may allow to construct well balanced schemes preserving the high resolution. Further more the integration of sub cell techniques can be instrumental in maintaining water positivity around wet/dry areas.

It is known that high order DG methods may produce spurious oscillations in the presence of discontinuities or steeply varying gradients, i.e. Gibbs phenomenon a possible way to treat this is the sub cell nonlinear approximations for the topography to avoid these spurious oscillations.

Furthermore, the integration of individual cell models could be extended to deal with friction phenomena and adapting to the presence of floating structures, allowing an integrated simulation framework that captures a variety of real-world scenarios.

The implementation will be carried out within the UHAINA codebase, a phase-resolving free surface wave model. UHAINA is built on the Aerosol platform, offering extensive capabilities such as arbitrary high-order finite element discretizations, hybrid meshes, and an advanced programming environment optimized for performance and high-performance computing (HPC).

Anticipated outcomes include improvement on academic tests, and applications in operational context to realistic events benefiting from BRGM’experience in the matter, and experiments from other partners benefiting from consortium data

The resulting numerical scheme will be applied to a case study of urban flooding, with comparisons made against experimental data provided by UNIVPM.

Two secondments at academic partner institutions are planned. Furthermore, the project provides ample opportunities for professional exchange and networking with academic and with other industrial partners.

Requirements:

• Master’s degree in Computational Mathematics, Civil Engineering or a related field.
• Programming skills are required.

Supervisor: Dr. Maria Kazolea

Institution: INRIA, Bordeaux, France.

Location:

For this position, please apply here: https://recrutement.inria.fr/public/classic/en/offres/2024-07351

Application deadline: 17.05.2024

Expected starting date: September 2024

 

 

Project 8: Modelling flows in estuarine urban environments

Description:  Although disregarded in classical urban-flood simulations, the role of courtyards, urban furniture, parked cars, and otherurban irregularities, are relevant for people safety in both evacuation and rescue operations. This project will be dedicated to both numerical and physical modelling of urban flows in an estuarine urban environment. In particular, this study will involve physical modeling of urban flow through irregularities and validation of a shallow-water solver and setting up a modelling chain to link riverine and urban environments. Such a modeling chain will be reached through coupling of a shallow-water solverthat models interactions between river and sea in an ideal estuarine area. A real-world case using the data available in the study site of Senigallia will be studied.

Secondments at an industrial partner institution and at an academic institution are planned. The project also provides ample opportunities for professional exchange and networking with further academic and with industrial partners.

Requirements:

• Master degree in Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or Maritime Engineering, or equivalent.
• Skills in scientific computing.
• Proficiency in English.
• Experience with writing scientific texts is an advantage.
• Applicants must be able to work independently and in a structured manner and demonstrate good collaborative skills.
• Personal and relational qualities will be emphasized. Ambitions and potential will also count when evaluating the candidates.

Supervisor: Prof. Maurizio Brocchini

Institution: Università Politecnica della Marche (UNIVPM), Ancona, Italy.

Location: Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile, Edile e Architettura – Area Idraulica, via Brecce Bianche 12, 60131 Ancona

For this position, please apply here: MSCA RESCUER PhD Research Fellow in Modelling flows in estuarine urban environments (261244) | University of Bergen (jobbnorge.no)

Application deadline: 15.05.2024

Expected starting date: November 2024

 

 

Project 9: Assessment of surface water interaction and pollutant dispersion between urban watershed, canals and coastal flows

Description:  An appropriate integrated urban wastewater management should consider three main components simultaneously: the sewer system, the Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) and the receiving water. Maximum performance of the whole system can only be obtained by considering the current state of the receiving water body (e.g., temperature, biological oxygen demand and levels of ammonia and dissolved oxygen), operating the sewer system according to the current state of the WWTP. The current state of the art does not include systems which fully couple all components. This project focusses on the development, calibration, and validation of an integrated hydraulic and biochemical model able to simulate the complete urban coastal wastewater system including the flow dynamics and the biological, chemical and physical reactions taking place in the sewer system, the WWTP and the receiving waters. The model will be able to reproduce water levels, flow, velocity, and water quality at every point along the whole urban wastewater system and the receiving water.

Secondments at an industrial partner institution and two academic institutions are planned. The project also provides ample opportunities for professional exchange and networking with further academic and with industrial partners.

Requirements:

• Master’s degree in Physics, Civil Engineering or a related field.
• Programming skills are required.

RESIDENCE PERMIT
Non-EU applicants who have a permit of stay in Spain (or the receipt of the request for the permit)must show at Staff Department (University of Zaragoza), no later than the deadline for entering thecontract, the original copy of the permit of stay (or the receipt of the request for the permit). Failureto provide the document means that the winner loses the right to enter the contract.Non-EU applicants who do not yet have a permit to stay in Spain and who have been offered afellowship, must wait for the official authorisation, which is necessary to apply for a visa. Activitiescan only start after the above-mentioned visa has been supplied to the Staff Department. Failure toprovide the document means activities cannot begin.

INCOMPATIBILITIES
1. The research fellowship is incompatible with public or private employment, including short-term or part-time contracts, starting from the enrolment time.
2. The fellowship is not compatible with other scholarships, except for those awarded bynational or foreign institutions with the purpose of integrating the research activities withstays abroad.

Supervisor: Prof. Pilar Garcia-Navarro

Institution: University of Zaragoza, Spain.

Location: María de Luna 3 50018 Zaragoza, Spain

To apply for this position, please send your application package by e-mail to [email protected]

Application deadline: 15.05.2024

Expected starting date: September 2024

 

 

Project 10: Mixing and wave-driven transport of pollutants in the surf zone

Description: Coastal waters are the receptacle for pollutants from estuarine watersheds such as fecal bacteria and plastic debris that are discharged by rivers or by sewer systems during heavy rainfall events. Those discharges occur mostly in the nearshore area, where waves may strongly impact dispersion processes. The current state-of-the-art in predicting nearshore freshwater and contaminant transport utilizes large-scale models which have limited ability to accurately represent detailed features of wave and surf zone dynamics. While the present use of phase-resolving models in operational forecasts focuses on wave-driven hazards such as run-up and inundation, the question remains to what level this approach can also be used to compute pollutant transport in the nearshore zone. In this context, the project targets the extension of a Boussinesq-type model to represent the transport of dissolved contaminants and solid pollutants. A careful analysis of the applicability of depth-integrated equations to the representation of the vertically nonhomogeneous mixing process will outline the following steps for finding an appropriate numerical approach for the computations of pollutant and particle transport.

A secondment at an industrial partner institution are planned. Furthermore, the project provides ample opportunities for professional exchange and networking with academic and with other industrial partners.

Requirements:

• Master’s degree in Hydraulic Engineering, Applied or Computational mathematics or a related field.
• Understanding of computer hardware, and large data handling.
• Programming skills are required.

Supervisor: Prof. Volker Roeber

Institution: University of Pau, Anglet campus, France

Location: Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour
ISALAB 264, 55 rue de Mirambeau, 64600 Anglet, FRANCE

For this position, please send your application package by e-mail to

[email protected]

Application deadline: 15.05.2024

Expected starting date: September 2024

Requirements

Research Field

Environmental science » Other

Education Level

Master Degree or equivalent

Research Field

Physics » Other

Education Level

Master Degree or equivalent

Research Field

Mathematics » Other

Education Level

Master Degree or equivalent

Research Field

Computer science » Other

Education Level

Master Degree or equivalent

Additional Information
Benefits

Doctoral candidates are offered a competitive remuneration based on the MSCA allowances in line with the MSCA WP 2021-2022 .

Eligibility criteria

This position will be part of the EU-funded project RESCUER , which is an ambitious inter- and multidisciplinary Doctoral Training Network under the Horizon-Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions.

PhD candidates can be of any nationality, and have to meet these eligibility criteria:

• Applicants must be doctoral candidates, i.e. not already in possession of a doctoral degree at the date of recruitment.
• Mobility rule: researchers must not have carried out their main activity (e.g. work, studies) in the host country for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately before their recruitment date.
• Applicants must fulfil the local recruiting requirements at the partner institutions

 

If you comply with the eligibility criteria and you wish to submit your application, you must:

• Submit a 1-2 page motivational cover letter stating why you are interested in the chosen position, and how your educational / professional background fits with the proposed research and thesis topic.
• English-translated transcripts from the master’s degree or equivalent.
• Check for specific requirements of the Doctoral School at the targeted RESCUER beneficiary.
• English curriculum vitae, including information about the level on English language knowledge.
• Names of at least two references.
• Mobility declaration, where you confirm that you satisfy the mobility requirements, cf. Mobilty rule above (including documentation of country of residence during the last 3 years, e.g., work contract, rental contract).

A packet with templates for these documents can be downloaded from this website:

https://www.rescuer-msca.net/recruitment

Website for additional job details

https://www.rescuer-msca.net/recruitment

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

Aalborg University, Denmark

Country

Denmark

City

Dep. of the Built Environment, Aalborg University, Thomas Manns vej 23, DK-9200 Aalborg, Denmark

Number of offers available

2

Company/Institute

University of Bergen, Department of Mathematics

Country

Norway

City

Bergen

Postal Code

5007

Street

Allégaten 41, 5007 Bergen

Geofield

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

SUEZ-Rivage Pro Tech / PhD enrollment at University of Pau, Anglet campus, France

Country

France

State/Province

SUEZ – Rivages Pro Tech Zone Europarc, 15 Avenue Léonard de Vinci, 33600 PESSAC, France

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

University of Coimbra, Portugal

Country

Portugal

State/Province

Department of Civil Engineering, University of Coimbra, MARE-ARNET R. Luís Reis Santos, 3030-788 Coimbra, Portugal

Number of offers available

2

Company/Institute

University of Zaragoza, Spain

Country

Spain

State/Province

University of Zaragoza, María de Luna 3 50018 Zaragoza, Spain

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

INRIA, Bordeaux, France

Country

France

Geofield

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

versità Politecnica della Marche (UNIVPM), Ancona, Italy

Country

Italy

Street

Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile, Edile e Architettura – Area Idraulica, via Brecce Bianche 12, 60131 Ancona

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

University of Pau, Anglet campus, France

Country

France

Street

Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour ISALAB 264, 55 rue de Mirambeau, 64600 Anglet, FRANCE

Where to apply

Website

https://www.rescuer-msca.net/recruitment

Contact

City

Bergen

Website

https://www.rescuer-msca.net/recruitment

Street

Post Box 7800 5020 Bergen Norway

E-Mail

[email protected]

STATUS: EXPIRED