20 Dec 2025
Job Information
- Organisation/Company
KU LEUVEN- Department
Engineering Technology- Research Field
Engineering » Civil engineering
Environmental science » Earth science- Researcher Profile
First Stage Researcher (R1)- Country
Belgium- Application Deadline
12 Jan 2026 - 23:59 (UTC)- Type of Contract
Temporary- Job Status
Full-time- Offer Starting Date
1 Mar 2026- Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?
Not funded by a EU programme- Reference Number
BAP-2025-745- Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?
No
Offer Description
The rising sea level and increasing storm intensities threaten the Belgian coast. Dunes serve as a natural safeguard, but they face significant erosion risks from wave overwash. This project aims to enhance the XBeach coastal model by integrating advanced sediment transport and groundwater flow models, leveraging insights from fluvial hydraulics and new field experiments.The PhD candidate will work on:
- Collecting and analyzing data from field measurements and laboratory experiments
- Comparing and evaluating existing numerical models, including XBeach and Watlab (developed at UCLouvain/iMMC)
- Developing and implementing improved numerical models for dune erosion and overwash.
- Validating the enhanced model against real-world storm events and providing practical guidelines for coastal protection.
- A Master’s degree in Civil Engineering, Coastal Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Hydraulics, Geosciences, or a related field
- Strong background in hydrodynamics, sediment transport, and numerical modeling
- Experience with computational tools such as XBeach, SWASH, Watlab or CFD modeling is an asset
- Programming skills (Python, C++, MATLAB, or Fortran) are required
- Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities along with a good team-spirit.
- Fluent in English (both written and spoken), Dutch or French is an asset.
- A 4-year fully funded PhD in a leading research environment at KU Leuven and UCLouvain
- Access to cutting-edge numerical and experimental facilities
- Collaboration with international experts in coastal engineering and sediment transport
- Opportunity to contribute to real-world coastal defense strategies.
More info? Contact prof. dr. ir. Pieter Rauwoens, mail:pieter.rauwoens@kuleuven.be or prof. Sandra Soares-Frazao, mail:sandra.soares-frazao@uclouvain.be
Where to apply
- Website
- https://www.kuleuven.be/personeel/jobsite/jobs/60598708?hl=en
Requirements
- Research Field
- Geosciences
- Education Level
- Master Degree or equivalent
- Research Field
- Engineering
- Education Level
- Master Degree or equivalent
- Languages
- ENGLISH
- Level
- Good
- Research Field
- Engineering » Civil engineering
- Years of Research Experience
- None
Additional Information
Benefits
- A 4-year fully funded PhD in a leading research environment at KU Leuven and UCLouvain
- Access to cutting-edge numerical and experimental facilities
- Collaboration with international experts in coastal engineering and sediment transport
- Opportunity to contribute to real-world coastal defense strategies.
Eligibility criteria
- A Master’s degree in Civil Engineering, Coastal Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Hydraulics, Geosciences, or a related field
- Strong background in hydrodynamics, sediment transport, and numerical modeling
- Experience with computational tools such as XBeach, SWASH, Watlab or CFD modeling is an asset
- Programming skills (Python, C++, MATLAB, or Fortran) are required
- Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities along with a good team-spirit.
- Fluent in English (both written and spoken), Dutch or French is an asset.
Selection process
More info? Contact prof. dr. ir. Pieter Rauwoens, mail:pieter.rauwoens@kuleuven.be or prof. Sandra Soares-Frazao, mail:sandra.soares-frazao@uclouvain.be
- Website for additional job details
https://www.kuleuven.be/personeel/jobsite/jobs/60598708?hl=en
Work Location(s)
- Number of offers available
- 1
- Company/Institute
- KU LEUVEN
- Country
- Belgium
- City
- Brugge
- Geofield
Contact
- City
Brugge
STATUS: EXPIRED
- X (formerly Twitter)
More share options- Viadeo
- Gmail
- Blogger
- Qzone
- YahooMail
Similar Positions
-
Doctoral Scholarship Holder Role Of Mangrove Ecosystems For Nature Based Coastal Climate Adaptation, University of Antwerp, Belgium, 1 day ago
Department: Department of Biology Regime Full-time Let’s shape the future - University of Antwerp The University of Antwerp is a dynamic, forward-thinking, European university. We offer an innova...
-
Ph D Student In Urban Water Engineering – Stormwater Sediment: From Risk To Resource, Lulea University of Technology, Sweden, 1 day ago
Luleå University of Technology is in strong growth with world-leading competence in several research areas. We shape the future through innovative education and ground-breaking research results, a...
-
Doctoral Research And Travel Scholarships – University Of Auckland, The University of Auckland, New Zealand, 1 day ago
Research project scholarship opportunities 15/12/2025 The Department of Physics at the University of Auckland is seeking a highly motivated PhD student to join the new Ike Moana Mahana research te...
-
Ph D Fellow In Industrial Economics , University of Stavanger, Norway, about 14 hours ago
31st January 2026 Languages English Norsk Bokmål English English PhD Fellow in Industrial Economics Apply for this job See advertisement Job description The University of Stavanger invites applica...
-
Ph D Position On Attacks Against Large Language Models (Ll Ms), University of Twente, Netherlands, 3 days ago
Vacancies PhD position on attacks against large language models (LLMs) Key takeaways This project will investigate attacks on large language models (LLMs), a major recent development in artificial...
-
Ph D Position On Physics Based Machine Learning Modeling For Materials And Process Design Full Ph D, DAAD, Germany, 2 days ago
Description Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon The Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon conducts cutting-edge international research for a changing world: Around 1,000 employees contribute to the tackling of climate ch...