Phd Opening in Understanding The Impact of Nature-based Solutions in Small Rivers

**Key takeaways**:
- Hours
- 38 hr.- Salary indication- Salary gross/monthly
based on full-time- € 2,901 - € 3,707- Deadline
- 16 Feb 2025

Alongside two other PhD students at the University of Twente, you will be participating with many other researchers and practitioners in the national growth fund program: NL2120, elevating nature-based solutions. Recently funded by the Dutch government, NL2120 aims to develop the knowledge that is essential for supporting the large-scale realization of nature-based solutions.

This PhD project aims to explore the impact of nature-based solutions on small river systems in the Netherlands. Nature-based solutions promote the utilization of natural processes to create a resilient water infrastructure that simultaneously satisfies societal and ecosystem needs. Such nature-based solutions include creating space for water retention and periodic flooding, re-meandering of straightened river sections, removing bank protection, increasing flow resistance by promoting vegetation growth, and installing natural structures such as dead wood, which increases the flow variability and provides habitats for a wide range of species. Although these measures are expected to help prevent floods and/or droughts and to promote ecosystem services, they are being implemented on “ad-hoc” designs without knowing the long-term and larger-scale developments and their contribution to the desired impacts.

The River Dinkel and possibly other small rivers in the vicinity of the UT will be used as case studies to investigate how recent nature-based interventions have affected the hydro
- and morphodynamics of these small rivers. The research will be carried out by a combination of small
- and large-scale hydrodynamic and morphodynamic modeling to evaluate the current situation and to investigate the future development of the system. Developing these models (either from scratch or by adapting existing models) will be part of the project. Available field data (e.g., river bathymetries and cross-sections, discharges, etc) will be complemented by flow velocity measurements with acoustic instrumentation (ADCPs and ADVs) to support the model studies. The goal of this research is to assess the impact of different nature-based designs and to develop tools to generalize the knowledge from the case studies.

**Your profile**:

- MSc in Civil/Hydraulic Engineering, Geosciences, Physical Geography, Applied Mathematics, Physics or related discipline.
- Experience with data analysis and sound programming skills (e.g., Python, Matlab).
- Experience with hydraulic numerical modeling (e.g., Delft3D, OpenFOAM).
- Experience with data collection in the lab/field.
- Good organizational skills, enthusiastic, independent and a problem-solving attitude.
- Willing to contribute to the Civil Engineering teaching program and to supervise MSc and BSc thesis projects.
- You are fluent in English, both spoken and written (IELTS = 6.5 or equivalent).
- Even though the research will be carried out fully in English, Dutch speaking skills are an advantage for practical reasons such as the communication with local authorities to issue permits for the field experiments and the communication with local residents at the field experiment sites.
- You have a car driving license.

Your first responsibility is to carry out the research, but you will also acquire teaching experience (about 10% of your time). We support you to broaden your knowledge and skills by taking courses and international summer schools, by participating in national and international conferences and workshops, and by writing your findings in journal papers and a PhD thesis. Being part of the NL2120 project implies that you will have regular interaction with practitioners and fellow researchers in the project.

**Our offer**:

- Challenging work in an inspiring multidisciplinary environment with enthusiastic colleagues.
- A 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 of at least 6 months (30 EC), including visits to conferences.
- A starting salary of € 2901;
- gross per month in the first year increasing to € 3707;
- gross per month in the fourth year.
- An annual holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual salary, and an annual year-end bonus of 8.3%.
- Minimum of 41 holidays per year in case of fulltime employment.
- You have to be willing to move to (the vicinity of) Enschede. A relocation allowance or temporary housing allowance may be part of the offer.
- The University of Twente is situated on a green and lively campus with lots of facilities for sports and other activities.
- We provide excellent mentorship and a stimulating research environment to accelerate your further professional and personal growth.
- a cover letter (emphasizing your specific interest, motivation and qualifications)
- a detailed CV
- an