PhD and Postdoctoral Research Positions in Global Hydrology and River Science University of California, Santa Barbara in United States

Multiple PhD and postdoctoral research positions are available in the field of global hydrology and river science, focusing on the links between water infrastructure and aquatic ecosystems. These interdisciplinary opportunities are offered by the University of California, Santa Barbara (RS³ Lab), Cornell University (Critical Infrastructure Systems Lab), and the University of Maryland (Center for Global Sustainability). The project aims to develop a global, time-series dataset documenting the evolution of riverine systems under human influence, reconstructing historical hydraulic infrastructure operations and assessing their impacts on river discharge, sediment transport, water temperature, and biodiversity.

The PhD position at Cornell University, supervised by Dr. Stefano Galelli, involves research on representing human actions in global hydrologic models. Potential topics include estimating reservoir storage dynamics using satellite and geospatial data, reconstructing groundwater pumping and irrigation activities, and integrating human water-use datasets into hydrologic models. Applicants should have a background in engineering, environmental science, Earth sciences, or applied mathematics, with strong quantitative and programming skills (preferably Python), and familiarity with hydrology, statistics, or geospatial analysis.

Postdoctoral positions are available at Cornell University, UC Santa Barbara, and the University of Maryland. At Cornell, the postdoc will lead the development of a global hydrologic model, integrating datasets on human water-use activities, and is expected to have expertise in large-scale catchment hydrology, remote sensing, and scientific computing. At UC Santa Barbara, postdocs will support the development of the REAMS framework, focusing on sediment continuity, geomorphic alteration, and global indicators of river temperature, water quality, and biodiversity. Strong skills in numerical modeling, scientific programming (R or Python), and experience with sediment transport or fluvial geomorphology are highly desirable. The University of Maryland position focuses on global groundwater and water use modeling with uncertainty analysis.

All positions offer competitive funding, including full tuition and stipends for PhD students and salaries commensurate with experience for postdocs. The appointments provide access to computational resources, opportunities for international collaboration, and support for conference travel and professional development. Applicants should prepare a cover letter, CV with publications, graduate transcript, and contact information for references. Review of applications begins immediately and continues until the positions are filled. For more details and application procedures, visit the project website or contact the listed supervisors.