Are you a highly motivated researcher passionate about urban hydrometeorology, climate modeling, heat-health interactions, and water-sensitive urban design? We are seeking a talented PhD candidate to join the Horizon Europe Innovation Action Project EUROASIS (EUROpean Adaptive, Systemic and Inclusive Solutions for heat resilience). This PhD position focuses on assessing whether innovative cooling interventions piloted in EUROASIS pilot cities will also perform in the project's replicator cities and regions across Europe's diverse hydroclimates.

The Role

As our PhD candidate, you will model the urban water-energy balance underlying (evapotranspirative) cooling—e.g., how greening and water features impact hydrometeorological conditions and translate into reduced heat-health risk based on temperature- and humidity-based heat indices. You will simulate these effects in the replicator cities against field measurements in a subset of them and quantify the water demand of sustaining this cooling under extreme heat conditions. Your work will directly culminate in international peer-reviewed journal papers and foundational project deliverables.

Requirements

• 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, (hydro)meteorological, hydrological, or urban climate modeling (e.g. RANS and LES) or strong motivation to learn these tools during your PhD.
• Solid programming and data analysis skills (e.g. Python, R, GIS).
• Willingness to travel for validation-related fieldwork in a subset of European cities.
• Ability to work independently while integrating into a large, transdisciplinary, multi-country EU consortium.
• Good organizational and communication skills.

What We Offer

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. Highlights include:

• Partially paid parental leave.
• Flexible working hours for optimal work-life balance.
• Access to campus sports facilities for a small fee.
• A fixed year-end bonus of 8.3%.
• Excellent pension scheme.
• Fully funded PhD position with a tailored course program.
• Gross salary starting at €3,059 per month, increasing to €3,881 in the fourth year, based on a full-time working week of 38 hours.
• Temporary contract for 18 months, extendable based on performance, with a project duration of 4 years starting on 1 October 2026.

Application Process

To apply, please send your complete and up-to-date CV (max. 2 pages) and a motivation letter (max. 1 page) through our website by 10 August 2026. Ensure your documents do not exceed 3 pages in total. Additional files such as grades and transcripts are not required at this stage.

For more information about the position, contact Dragan Milosevic at dragan.milosevic@wur.nl or +31624585024. For procedure-related questions, reach out to Jessa Rozema at jessa.rozema-stol@wur.nl.