We are looking for a passionate and ambitious researcher to join our team and contribute to understanding how climate finance shapes adaptation and how these adaptation measures, in turn, influence social and economic resilience to climate change. This PhD position will focus on climate physical risks, analyzing the effectiveness of various climate finance mechanisms in supporting adaptation, and exploring socio-economic implications of climate adaptation measures at different scales. This project will target regional economic assessments and financial instruments for climate risks for the Dutch context. This position offers a unique opportunity to perform impactful work at the intersection of advanced academic research and policy-oriented applications. Your research will help shape climate finance policies and instruments, contributing to achieving resilience to climate change across different countries, regions, and sectors.

The research will target the development and evaluation of innovative financial instruments and adaptation strategies aimed at mitigating climate risks. This includes leveraging the latest socio-economic and climate scenarios to understand regional vulnerabilities and resilience. Additionally, you will investigate the role of private adaptation actions and climate finance in enhancing economic stability and growth. This position offers a unique opportunity to perform impactful work at the intersection of advanced academic research and policy-oriented applications, with the potential to shape climate finance policies and instruments across different countries, regions, and sectors.

The direct tasks of this PhD position include:

(1) quantifying direct and indirect regional damages from climate-induced hazards (with a focus on SLR, and river floods) for the Netherlands, building up on the latest socio-economic and climate scenarios.

(2) quantifying the economic effects of alternative public adaptation strategies for the Netherlands using the the PBL climate risk and adaptation scenarios (https://www.pbl.nl/publicaties/klimaatrisicos-in-nederland).

(3) statistical analysis of different private adaptation actions and their effects on the firms gross value added and sales targeting the creation of a ranked matrix of climate adaptation actions for firms by economic sector.

(4) assessing the effectiveness of private climate finance, focusing on private investments in combination with household private adaptation (using actual firms’ data).

This position is hosted by TU Delft and is a part of the Flagship Team on ‘Climate Finance’ (https://www.tudelft.nl/en/climate-action/research-themes/climate-governance) of the cross faculty Delft Climate Action Program. At TU Delft you will be part of the Policy Analysis Section, Department of Multi-Actor Systems at the Faculty of Technology Policy and Management, and will have opportunity to collaborate and spent part of your PhD time in collaboration with PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency

The ideal candidate will have:

• MSc degree in Economics, Operations Research or Econometrics.
• Working knowledge of at least one of the modeling software/languages, for example either GAMS, R, Python or Julia.
• Experience with (statistical) data analysis, ideally using either STATA, R, or Python.
• Domain knowledge in the field of climate policy or damage/risk assessment is an asset.
• Solid problem-solving skills and capacity to take the initiative.
• Ability to work well in a team.
• Proven written and verbal English communication skills.

Doing a PhD at TU Delft requires English proficiency at a certain level to ensure that the candidate is able to communicate and interact well, participate in English-taught Doctoral Education courses, and write scientific articles and a final thesis. For more details please check the Graduate Schools Admission Requirements.

Fixed-term contract: 4 years.

Doctoral candidates will be offered a 4-year period of employment in principle, but in the form of 2 employment contracts. An initial 1,5 year contract with an official go/no go progress assessment within 15 months. Followed by an additional contract for the remaining 2,5 years assuming everything goes well and performance requirements are met.

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, increasing from € 2770 per month in the first year to € 3539 in the fourth year. As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related and research skills.

The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged. 

For international applicants, TU Delft has the Coming to Delft Service. This service provides information for new international employees to help you prepare the relocation and to settle in the Netherlands. The Coming to Delft Service offers a Dual Career Programme for partners and they organise events to expand your (social) network.

Delft University of Technology

Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

Faculty Technology, Policy and Management

The Faculty of TPM provides an important contribution to solving complex technical-social issues, such as energy transition, mobility, digitalisation, water management and (cyber) security. TPM does this with its excellent education and research at the intersection of technology, society and policy. We combine insights from both engineering and social sciences as well as the humanities. TPM develops robust models and designs, is internationally oriented and has an extensive network of knowledge institutions, companies, social organisations and governments.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management.