Ihe Delft Announces Phd Position 2027 In Netherlands With Full Funding

The IHE Delft Institute for Water Education is offering a fully funded PhD opportunity in the Netherlands for an aspiring researcher interested in hydroinformatics, water distribution systems, optimisation, artificial intelligence, and decision-making under uncertainty.

The position is part of the Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Doctoral Network i3WaterS – Intelligent, Innovative and Integrative Water Systems. The network will train 15 doctoral candidates to develop advanced data-driven, model-based, and AI-enabled solutions for intelligent, resilient, and sustainable drinking-water systems.

The selected PhD candidate will be hosted by the Hydroinformatics and Socio-Technical Innovation Department at IHE Delft in Delft, Netherlands. The research will focus on developing uncertainty-aware optimisation methods for robust operation of drinking-water distribution systems.

The expected contract start date is 1 January 2027, and applications must be submitted by 20 September 2026 at 23:59 CEST.

Scholarship Summary

Host Institution: IHE Delft Institute for Water Education
Host Country: Netherlands
Study Level: PhD / Doctoral
Position: PhD Candidate in Hydroinformatics
Research Area: Uncertainty-Aware Optimisation for Robust Water Distribution System Operation
Project: i3WaterS – Intelligent, Innovative and Integrative Water Systems
Funding Programme: Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network
Duration: 48 months (4 years)
Working Hours: 38 hours per week
Location: Delft, Netherlands
Expected Start Date: 1 January 2027
Application Deadline: 20 September 2026
Application Language: English
Application Method: Online
Eligible Nationalities: Applicants from all nationalities, subject to MSCA eligibility requirements
Degree Requirement: Master's degree
Secondments: University of Cartagena and Cetaqua
Main Supervisor: Associate Professor Leonardo Alfonso, IHE Delft

About the PhD Research

The PhD candidate will investigate how uncertainty in hydraulic models and operational data can be incorporated into decision-making for drinking-water distribution systems.

The research will develop an uncertainty-aware, model-based, multi-objective optimisation methodology designed to improve operational decisions under uncertain conditions.

The candidate will work with areas including:

Hydraulic modelling
Drinking-water distribution systems
Multi-objective optimisation
Robust and stochastic optimisation
Artificial intelligence
Machine learning
Data science
Digital twins
Uncertainty quantification
Value of Information
Decision-support systems
Real-time operational optimisation

The research is expected to produce reproducible methodologies and software that can identify important sources of uncertainty, support robust optimisation, and be validated using a real water utility case.

Degree Level

This opportunity is available at the:

PhD / Doctoral level

Applicants must have a relevant Master's degree and must meet the MSCA Doctoral Network eligibility conditions.

Subjects and Research Areas

Applicants with academic backgrounds in the following areas are particularly encouraged to apply:

Hydroinformatics
Civil Engineering
Environmental Engineering
Water Engineering
Applied Mathematics
Operations Research
Computer Science
Hydraulic Engineering
Water Distribution Systems
Optimisation
Artificial Intelligence
Data Science
Machine Learning

The selected candidate will conduct interdisciplinary research combining water engineering, mathematical optimisation, data-driven methods, and artificial intelligence.

Benefits and Funding

This is a 48-month employment-based PhD position at IHE Delft. Employment is according to the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, with the position placed on scale P.

The remuneration package will follow IHE Delft's employment conditions and the applicable MSCA Doctoral Network allowances.

Additional benefits and opportunities include:

Four-year PhD appointment
Employment at IHE Delft in the Netherlands
Salary according to the applicable Dutch university employment scale
Applicable MSCA Doctoral Network allowances
Participation in the i3WaterS International Doctoral School
International research and training opportunities
Three-month secondment at the University of Cartagena
Collaboration with Aguas de Cartagena
Two-month secondment at Cetaqua
Opportunities to publish research in peer-reviewed journals
Opportunities to attend international conferences and symposia
Multidisciplinary and international research experience
Opportunity to develop and defend a PhD thesis

The position also includes entry into the Netherlands' Civil Service Pension Fund (ABP).

International Training and Mobility

The successful candidate will participate in the i3WaterS International Doctoral School, which is organised across six locations:

Barcelona
Dublin
Bordeaux
Delft
Brussels
Newcastle

The training programme will cover topics such as:

Artificial intelligence and machine learning
Explainable and trustworthy AI
Knowledge representation
Multi-agent systems
Intelligent decision-support systems
Digital twins
Smart water systems
Innovation and entrepreneurship
Scientific communication
Transferable skills

The research also includes international secondments.

A three-month secondment at the University of Cartagena is planned around project month 21. This will focus on water-demand forecasting, optimal operation, specialised training, and collaboration with Aguas de Cartagena.

A second two-month secondment at Cetaqua is planned around project month 34 and will focus on testing and validating the research findings.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants should meet the following requirements:

Hold a Master's degree with strong academic results.
Have a degree in Hydroinformatics, Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Water Engineering, Applied Mathematics, Operations Research, Computer Science, or a closely related discipline.
Have strong knowledge of hydraulics.
Have knowledge of hydraulic modelling of drinking-water distribution systems.
Have knowledge of optimisation, preferably multi-objective, robust, or stochastic optimisation.
Have an interest in decision-making under uncertainty.
Have programming experience in Python.
Experience with optimisation libraries and water-network modelling software is highly desirable.
Experience with data science, machine learning, uncertainty quantification, or Value of Information methods is an advantage.
Demonstrate English proficiency in both written and spoken communication.
Have the ability to independently write academic texts in English.
Demonstrate a collaborative and proactive attitude.
Be capable of conducting independent research.
Be prepared to work in a multidisciplinary and multicultural environment.

MSCA Mobility Requirements

Because this position is part of an MSCA Doctoral Network, applicants must also satisfy specific mobility requirements.

At the time of recruitment:

The applicant must be a doctoral candidate.
The applicant must not already hold a doctoral degree.
The applicant must not have already defended a doctoral thesis.
During the 36 months immediately before recruitment, the applicant must not have lived or carried out their main activity, such as work or studies, in the Netherlands for more than 12 months.

Compulsory national service and time spent obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention are excluded from the mobility calculation.

Employment Conditions

The PhD appointment has a total duration of 48 months and requires 38 hours of work per week.

The candidate will be based in Delft, Netherlands.

The initial employment contract is for 18 months. During the first year, a go/no-go assessment will be conducted based on a detailed PhD research proposal developed by the candidate. The outcome of this assessment will determine whether the contract is extended.

The candidate is expected to successfully complete and defend the doctoral thesis within the four-year appointment.

Responsibilities

The selected PhD candidate will be responsible for:

Developing and implementing the research methods and tools defined in the project objectives.
Studying state-of-the-art approaches to decision-making under uncertainty.
Developing robust multi-objective optimisation methods for drinking-water distribution systems.
Contributing to i3WaterS project deliverables.
Preparing technical reports.
Participating in project meetings and network-wide activities.
Publishing research findings in peer-reviewed journals.
Presenting research at national and international conferences.
Participating in the International Doctoral School.
Taking part in international secondments.
Collaborating with academic and non-academic partners.
Supporting or mentoring relevant MSc thesis projects when appropriate.
Preparing and successfully defending the PhD thesis.

Required Documents

Applicants must prepare the following documents in English:

Curriculum vitae (CV)
Motivation letter
Abstract of the MSc thesis
Names of two contactable referees

Applicants should ensure that qualifications, professional experience, and other claims included in the CV are supported by appropriate evidence.

All required documents should be uploaded as PDF files through the online application system.

Application Process

Follow these steps to apply for the IHE Delft PhD position:

Review the eligibility requirements carefully.
Prepare an updated academic CV.
Write a motivation letter explaining your interest in the research position and your relevant academic and technical background.
Prepare an abstract of your MSc thesis.
Provide the names of two referees who can be contacted.
Convert the required documents into PDF format.
Submit the application through the official IHE Delft online application system using the Apply button.
Submit the complete application before 20 September 2026 at 23:59 CEST (Brussels time).

Applications submitted by email will not be considered.