PhD Position Surrogate-enabled Uncertainty Quantification for Water Quality Modeling

Reactive transport models are essential for assessing groundwater quality and contamination risks, which are critical for safe drinking water. However, uncertainties in model parameters and data hinder accurate predictions. Traditional uncertainty quantification (so-called Bayesian) methods require extensive computational resources, hindering robust uncertainty quantification for complex models.
This PhD position offers an exciting opportunity to address this challenge by leveraging surrogate modeling techniques. Surrogate models approximate computationally intensive models at reduced cost, enabling uncertainty quantification despite time budget constraints. Recent advances in machine learning techniques also offer promising opportunities to improve surrogate modeling approaches. In this project, you will develop surrogate models tailored to reactive transport models and integrate them into an uncertainty quantification framework.
Key responsibilities:

• Design and implement surrogate modeling strategies for efficient uncertainty quantification of reactive transport models.
• Evaluate and propagate surrogate model errors to improve uncertainty estimates.
• Apply the developed framework to real-world case studies in collaboration with international working groups in the field of water quality modeling.

At the intersection of hydrogeology, biogeochemistry and statistics, this project bridges method development with applications in water quality modeling and process understanding. Our department brings together experts in water quality and reaction processes, mathematical modeling of environmental systems, and statistical and machine learning techniques in water resources. You will also collaborate with AIdroLab, part of TU Delft AI, and the Statistical Model-Data Integration group at the University of Stuttgart.

Requirements:

• Very good Master's degree in a relevant field such as environmental science, environmental engineering, hydrogeology, physics, or applied mathematics.
• Strong interest in uncertainty quantification, Bayesian statistics, and machine learning techniques. Demonstrated experience in at least one of these areas is a plus.
• Familiarity with numerical modeling and scientific programming, for example using Python, Julia or R.
• Experience in modeling reactive transport in groundwater is preferred.
• Very good written and spoken English as you will be working in an international community.
• Enthusiasm for interdisciplinary research involving experts from hydrogeology to statistics.

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.

Salary Benefits:

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.
From 1 September next, a salary increase of 3.7% applies due to a Collective Agreement amendment, followed by an additional 1% increase on 1 January 2025. In addition, most employees employed on 1 September 2024 will receive a one-off payment of €300 gross based on full-time employment.

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.

32 - 40 hours per week

Mekelweg 2