PhD opening: Practical modeling of coastal nourishments morphodynamics

This research position is part of the NWO-funded SOURCE program: Sand nOURisment strategies for sustainable Coastal Ecosystems. The SOURCE philosophy is that carefully planned sand nourishments in the present will create the required and desired resilient and dynamic multifunctional coastal landscapes of the future.

SOURCE will deliver the scientific knowledge, models and design tools to develop and evaluate nourishment strategies in a multi-stakeholder co-creation process. Our Living Labs are two sand nourishments along the Dutch coast. These will be co-designed, monitored and evaluated by the SOURCE consortium. There will be 12 PhD, Post-Doc and other researchers at 8 academic institutes in total. They will collaborate closely with 25 partners from government organizations, research institutes, nature organizations and industry.

Within the SOURCE program, your project aims to develop models to replicate the complex physics of cross- and alongshore nourishment morphodynamics in a simplified, wave-averaged way. A double model approach will be followed to bridge the gap the morphodynamics of a single nourishments (kms, years) and the large-scale morphodynamics of a complete coastal system (100s of kms, decades). First, a depth-averaged 2DH model (e.g. Delft3D) will be developed, accounting for the dynamic beach-dune coupling. The second step in upscaling is the development of a coastline model, e.g. ShorelineS. This new free-form coastline model is able to describe large coastal transformations based on relatively simple principles, and is computationally very efficient. This approach allows studying how inherent model and data uncertainties affect long-term morphodynamic predictions in a probabilistic framework. The modelling approach will be validated using lab and field data, in particular from the Living Lab field site and new wave flume experiments by a fellow SOURCE PhD. Furthermore, model development will be informed by a more detailed research model within another SOURCE PhD project. Finally, these models will be used to compute the morphological development and impacts of different nourishment strategies.

Being part of the SOURCE team implies close interaction with your UT supervisors as well as fellow researchers within the consortium. Especially, close collaboration is foreseen with knowledge institute Deltares. Regular consortium meetings will accommodate knowledge exchange with our partners, increasing the relevance and impact of our research. Furthermore, you will present your work at (inter)national conferences and publish your findings in journal papers and a PhD thesis.

• Challenging work in an inspiring multidisciplinary environment with enthusiastic colleagues.
• Four-year fulltime PhD position, with a qualifier exam after 6-9 months.
• Full status as an employee at the UT, including pension and health care benefits.
• Tailor-made educational/development program 6 months (30 EC), including conference visits
• Gross monthly salary ranging from € 2901,- (first year) to € 3707,- (fourth year).
• Annual holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual salary, and an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%.
• Minimum of 41 holidays per year in case of fulltime employment (40 hours/week).
• A relocation allowance or temporary housing allowance may be part of the offer when moving to (the vicinity of) Enschede.
• The University of Twente is situated on a green and lively campus with lots of facilities for sports (free of access) and other activities.
• We provide excellent mentorship and a stimulating research environment to accelerate your further professional and personal growth.

Your first responsibility is to carry out the research, but you also will acquire teaching experience (about 10% of your time). We support you to broaden your knowledge by joining international exchange programs, by participating in national and international conferences and workshops and by visiting industrial companies, research institutes, and universities worldwide.

For more information about the position, you are encouraged to contact Dr. ir. Trang Duong (t.m.duong@utwente.nl), Dr. ir. Jebbe van der Werf (j.j.vanderwerf@utwente.nl) or Prof. dr. Suzanne Hulscher.

Please upload your application via the ‘Apply now’ button before February 13th, 2025.

Your application should include a cover letter of max 2 pages (emphasizing your specific interest, motivation and qualifications), a detailed CV, an academic transcript of BSc and MSc education, result of an English test (if you attended a non-English taught MSc program), a publication list (if applicable) and contact details of two referees. Since only three documents can be uploaded per application, please combine documents if needed. An interview and a scientific presentation will be part of the selection procedure.

The first selection interviews are scheduled for March 6th, 2025 preferably in person at the campus of the University of Twente. A second round may be part of the procedure.

We aim for this project to start June 1st 2025. We also welcome students to apply who expect to have finished their MSc thesis around this time.