PhD in Water-Mediated Cooling of European Cities and Citizens Wageningen University & Research in Netherlands

Wageningen University & Research is advertising a fully funded PhD position on Water-Mediated Cooling of European Cities and Citizens within the Horizon Europe Innovation Action project EUROASIS (EUROpean Adaptive, Systemic and Inclusive Solutions for heat resilience).

The project sits at the intersection of urban hydrometeorology, climate modelling, heat-health interactions, water-sensitive urban design, and urban climate modelling. The PhD researcher will assess whether innovative cooling interventions piloted in EUROASIS pilot cities also work in replicator cities and regions across Europe’s diverse hydroclimates. The work includes modelling the urban water-energy balance behind evapotranspirative cooling, studying how greening and water features affect hydrometeorological conditions, and estimating how these changes reduce heat-health risk using temperature- and humidity-based heat indices.

The successful candidate will simulate these effects in replicator cities, compare model outputs with field measurements in selected locations, and quantify the water demand needed to sustain cooling during extreme heat. The research is expected to lead to peer-reviewed journal papers and project deliverables.

Eligibility highlights: a completed or nearly completed Master’s degree in urban hydrometeorology, hydrology, meteorology, climate/atmospheric science, environmental science, civil/environmental engineering, water-sensitive urban design, or a closely related field; experience in land-surface, hydrometeorological, hydrological, or urban climate modelling (e.g. RANS, LES) or strong motivation to learn; solid programming and data analysis skills in Python, R, or GIS; willingness to travel for validation fieldwork; ability to work independently in a large transdisciplinary EU consortium; and good organizational and communication skills. English at C1 level is expected.

Funding: the position is fully funded, with a gross salary of €3,059 per month in year 1 rising to €3,881 per month in year 4, plus a tailored course program. The contract is initially 18 months and may be extended for the project duration if performance is good.

Supervision and research environment: the work is in the Hydrology and Environment Hydraulics (HWM) chair group at Wageningen University & Research. The post mentions co-supervision by Dr. D. (Dragan) Milosevic and Dr. AJ (Ryan) Teuling, with chairholder Martine van der Ploeg leading the group.

Application window: applications are open until 10 August 2026. Applicants must apply via the WUR vacancy page and submit only a CV (max 2 pages) and motivation letter (max 1 page). Additional files such as grades and transcripts are not required at this stage. A mandatory additional form must also be completed.