1 PhD and 4 Postdoctoral Research Positions in Global Hydrology / River Science
We are creating an interdisciplinary cohort of PhD students and Postdoctoral Research Fellows to work across several institutions and topic areas to progress towards a global understanding for links between water infrastructure and aquatic ecosystems. The positions are offered by Cornell University (School of Civil and Environmental Engineering), the University of California, Santa Barbara (Environmental Studies Program/Bren School of the Environment), and the University of Maryland (Center for Global Sustainability) as part of an upcoming project that will develop a global, time-series dataset documenting the past and present evolution of riverine systems under human influence.
The project will reconstruct historical hydraulic infrastructure operations—including dams, wells, and diversions—at the global scale and quantify their influence on river discharge; assess the impacts of hydraulic infrastructure on sediment transport, water temperature, and biodiversity through time-varying indicators; characterize the uncertainty associated with all key variables in the dataset; and validate the dataset and explore policy implications in collaboration with regional partners worldwide.
Details for each available position are provided below, with roles tailored to one or more of the thematic areas outlined above.
PhD Position (Cornell University)
About the research. Dr. Galelli’s Critical Infrastructure Systems Lab offers one PhD position in areas broadly related to the representation of human actions in global hydrologic models. Potential topics of research include (but are not limited to): (1) Estimating reservoir storage dynamics at the global scale using satellite observations, geospatial datasets, and data-driven modeling approaches, (2) Reconstructing groundwater pumping and irrigation activities worldwide through the integration of remote sensing, agricultural statistics, and process-based modeling, and (3) Integrating human water-use datasets into a global hydrologic model, with an emphasis on understanding how human decisions influence water availability, extremes, and long-term trends.
Qualifications. Applicants must hold a Bachelor’s and/or Master’s degree in engineering, environmental science, Earth sciences, applied mathematics, or a related field. A solid background in hydrology, statistics/probability, or optimization is desirable; some familiarity with remote-sensing data or geospatial analysis is an advantage. Candidates should have basic programming skills (preferably in Python), with additional experience in scientific computing or data analysis considered a plus. No applicant is expected to meet all criteria, but strong quantitative skills and motivation to learn are essential.
Terms of Appointment. The position includes full tuition fees and competitive compensation.
Application procedure. Applications should be submitted online, following the guidelines provided by Cornell University Graduate School. Questions can be directed to Dr. Stefano Galelli.
PostDoc Position (Cornell University)
Qualifications. We are looking for a candidate with a PhD degree (or completion expected within 3–4 months) in Civil/Environmental Engineering, Environmental Science, or a related field, preferably with expertise in large-scale catchment hydrology, remote sensing, or climate impact assessments. Candidates with interdisciplinary backgrounds are welcome, but strong data-analytics skills and solid knowledge of process-based numerical modelling tools are required. Robust modelling and programming abilities (e.g., Python) are essential prerequisites. Experience with VIC (or similar hydrologic models), GIS, and large-scale computing—particularly proficiency in Fortran and/or C/C++—is highly desirable. The candidate should be well organized, proactive, and able to work both independently and in a team. Evidence of innovative scientific results achieved during the PhD, strong communication skills, and a proficient command of oral and written English are important evaluation criteria.
Responsibilities. The Postdoctoral Fellow will lead the development and implementation of a global hydrologic model, including the integration of newly generated datasets describing human water-use activities (e.g., reservoir operations, groundwater pumping, irrigation). The candidate will be responsible for completing the scientific tasks assigned within the project, taking a leading role in preparing publications, and coordinating closely with the other researchers to ensure effective integration of the different work packages. In addition to these core responsibilities, the successful applicant is expected to contribute more broadly to the research activities of the group and to serve as an active, collaborative member of the project team, including providing occasional guidance to MSc and PhD students.
Terms of Appointment. The successful candidate will be offered a Postdoctoral Associate position for 12 months, with possibility of extension based on performance. The hiring rate of pay for the successful candidate will be determined considering a variety of criteria, including prior relevant work, qualifications, and unique applicable skills.
Application procedure. Applicants are to submit a cover letter, a detailed curriculum vitae that includes a list of publications, graduate transcript, and the names and contact information for at least three references. The successful applicant anticipated hire date is March/April 2026. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Questions can be directed to Dr. Stefano Galelli.
1-2 Postdoctoral Positions in sediment transport, water temperature, and biodiversity modeling (UC Santa Barbara)
About the research: The River System Science & Sustainability (RS³) Lab at UC Santa Barbara seeks Postdoctoral Researchers to support the development of REAMS (River Ecosystem Assessment Models), a new global framework evaluating how water infrastructure and environmental change shape river ecosystem processes. Work will focus on generating time-varying global indicators describing physical and ecological change in river systems. For this hiring round, sediment continuity and geomorphic alteration will be among the highest priorities.
Possible research topics include: (1) Process-based modeling of sediment continuity and geomorphic alteration, including representation of multiple grain-size classes and mixed transport processes (see e.g., here, for examples); (2) Global indicators of river temperature, water quality, and biodiversity response to regulated flow and sediment regimes, depending on candidate expertise.
Researchers will collaborate with project partners to ensure consistent integration of physical, ecological, and human-influence datasets across the REAMS framework.
Qualifications: Applicants should hold (or about to receive) a PhD in geomorphology, hydrology, water resources engineering or management, aquatic ecology, or a related field. Strong quantitative skills and proven experience with numerical modeling and scientific programming (preferably R or Python) are essential. Expertise in sediment transport or fluvial geomorphology is highly desirable for this hiring round.
Candidates should demonstrate ability to develop numerical or statistical models and analyze large datasets; a record of scholarly publication is advantageous. Experience with remote sensing, geospatial analysis, or machine learning is considered a plus, as is experience working on regional-to-global scales. Strong communication skills and interest in working within a multi-institutional research team are important.
Responsibilities: The Postdoctoral Researcher will deliver scientific tasks assigned within the project’s work packages, tailored to their expertise. Responsibilities include developing and applying numerical and geospatial models, assembling and analyzing datasets, and contributing to global indicators within the REAMS framework. Additional duties include preparing peer-reviewed publications, presenting results at conferences, and collaborating with project partners. Postdoctoral Researchers are also expected to provide mentorship to students, contribute to coordination across work packages, and participate in the intellectual life of the RS³ Lab. Interest in supporting proposal development or small grant efforts is welcome.
Terms of Appointment: The position is a two-year appointment, with potential extension based on performance, project needs, and funding availability. Extensions may be prioritized for candidates interested in contributing across multiple components of the REAMS framework.
Salary follows UC Santa Barbara Postdoctoral Scholar scales and will be commensurate with experience. The position provides access to computational resources, opportunities for international collaboration, and support for conference travel and professional development.
Application procedure. Applicants are to submit a cover letter, a detailed curriculum vitae that includes a list of publications, graduate transcript, 1 or 2 key publications, and the names and contact information for at least three references. The anticipated hire date is March/April 2026. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Questions can be directed to Dr. Rafael Schmitt.
1 Postdoctoral Position in global groundwater and water use modeling with uncertainty analysis (University of Maryland)
Overview. The University of Maryland’s (UMD’s) Center for Global Sustainability (CGS) is seeking a postdoctoral research associate to contribute to reanalysis and uncertainty analysis of the global hydrologic cycle. Led by Dr. Thomas B. Wild and Dr. Kamal Chowdhury, the postdoc will join a dynamic UMD-CGS team focused broadly on discovering how humans have shaped the global water cycle through the operation of hydraulic infrastructure, and characterizing the uncertainty in those human influences and its propagation. Possible research topics for the postdoc include: (1) Using Machine Learning (ML) methods to analyze the historical operation of global groundwater well infrastructure and integrating the outputs into a global hydrological model; (2) Estimating historical global patterns in surface water withdrawals from emerging sectors such as data centers and critical minerals and materials; (3) Developing ML-based stochastic resampling methods to bound uncertainty in reanalysis time series and analyze how it propagates across systems and scales.
The researcher will join a dynamic team at UMD-CGS that is tackling a diverse range of global sustainability challenges, and will collaborate closely across the project’s partner institutions to ensure tight integration across models and datasets.
Qualifications. Applicants should hold (or expect to hold soon) a PhD in civil/environmental engineering, hydrology, environmental science, or a related discipline. Desired qualifications also include:
- Technical experience: running, developing, and analyzing outputs from large scale hydrological models. Experience with groundwater specifically is highly desirable.
- Computational: programming (python, julia, fortran, c++), HPC, large data management.
- Methodological: machine learning, uncertainty and sensitivity analysis, statistics
- Communication and teamwork: successful candidates are expected to be highly motivated, have strong written and oral communication skills, and work effectively as part of a large interdisciplinary team.
Responsibilities. The postdoc will be responsible for producing models, data products, and publications focused on global groundwater extraction, while also contributing to the UMD-CGS team’s efforts in other areas, including emerging sources of water use and uncertainty analysis. In addition, the postdoc will coordinate effectively with researchers at the project’s other institutions (e.g., to integrate data on human water uses into a global hydrological model). The postdoc will be expected to follow best practices in data and software management. Finally, the postdoc will be expected to communicate findings effectively at various workshops and conferences.
Terms of Appointment. The successful candidate will be offered a Postdoctoral Research Associate position for 12 months, with possibility of extension based on performance. The hiring rate of pay for the successful candidate will be determined considering a variety of criteria, including prior relevant work, qualifications, and unique applicable skills.
Application procedure. Applicants are to submit a cover letter; a detailed curriculum vitae that includes a list of publications, datasets, and/or model development activities; and the names and contact information for at least three references. The successful applicant’s anticipated hire date is March-June 2026. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Questions can be directed to Dr. Thomas B. Wild.
