Doctoral student in water resources engineering

Description of the workplace

The Department of Building and Environmental Technology has a stimulating and international environment consisting of PhD students, postdocs and teachers from many parts of the world. Research and teaching take place in an open and progressive climate with challenges and collaborations both within the academy and with industrial partners, both nationally and internationally. The working environment is characterized by commitment, collaboration, creativity and personal responsibility. 

The workplace will be the Division of Water Resources Engineering, in the Department of Building and Environmental Technology. Here, research and teaching pursue the understanding of how water resides and is transported in nature and urban systems. This includes, but is not limited to, studies on the movement of rainwater, how rain and melted snow reach rivers, flooding and systems to reduce the consequences of flooding, water flows, factors affecting water use and quality, and erosion along open coasts, rivers and lakes. At the division, there are around 30 employees and 20 PhD students. The current position is within the water management group that covers research in integrated water resource management including water use, hydrology, groundwater recharge, modelling, source water quality and contamination of groundwater and surface water. 

Being a doctoral student 

As a doctoral student, you are both admitted as a student and employed at Lund University. 

As a doctoral student, you will be trained in a scientific approach. In short, you will be trained to think critically and analytically, to solve problems independently using the right methods, and to develop an awareness of research ethics. In addition, you will have the opportunity to work on projects, to develop your leadership and pedagogical skills. Throughout your studies, you will be guided by supervisors. Doctoral studies end with a thesis and a doctoral degree.

More about being a doctoral student at LTH on lth.se. 

Subject and project description

The thesis will focus on innovations to reduce specific water consumption in households, businesses and public sectors and map mechanisms behind how the total water use supplied by Skåne's water supply and sanitation operations can be reduced by 40% from 2026 to 2040. Considering current conditions needs to change, a drive for and interest in implementing innovative solutions which generates new ways to manage the water resource more economical.

Applicants must write a draft of a detailed research plan for their work (see Application process) and attach it to the application. The research plan will be updated when employment has taken place, to allow more innovative ideas to be included in the research studies. The thesis work will be based on analyses and measurements of the water supply and sanitation sector's (WSS) water supplies, interviews with private and public water consumers and stakeholders in the water supply and sanitation industry, studies of how technology for smarter water use can be introduced among water users and other measures to increase the efficiency of water use. The thesis will present scientific methods and measures to reduce water use and ways in which these can be introduced into society.

The project is part of the EU-funded Water4All programme, phase 2.

Work duties

You will primarily devote yourself to your doctoral programme, which includes participation in research projects as well as third cycle courses, seminars and conferences. 

You will map existing water use in a number of selected municipalities, identify regional variations, explore international experiences on how innovative solutions can be introduced to make water use more efficient and develop ideas and methods that lead to new technologies for rational use being incorporated into the operations of water producers and water consumers.

You will work in a research group that has solid knowledge and experience in the area and, during your doctoral studies, assist the research leaders in their outreach work towards water producers and water consumers in the region.

You will network with international expertise from, among others, Denmark, Scotland, the Netherlands and Singapore.

The tasks include:

• Mapping water consumption patterns at the household level and at the municipal level in five municipalities in Skåne
• Review of the business sector's use of municipal drinking water in these municipalities
• Mapping and development of innovations for efficient water use in households, the public sector and business nationally and internationally
• The tasks may also include participation in teaching and other departmental work (however, maximum 20% of working time). 

Qualifications 

To be eligible for admission and employment as a doctoral student, you must fulfil the requirements below.

Admission requirements 

A person meets the general admission requirements for third-cycle courses and study programmes if the applicant: 

• has been awarded a second-cycle qualification, or 
• has satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits were awarded in the second cycle, or 
• has acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad.

A person meets the specific admission requirements for third cycle studies in water resources engineering if the applicant has: 

• at least 120 credits in subjects of relevance to the field of research including at least 75 second-cycle credits in a relevant field for the subject area, or
• a second-cycle degree in civil engineering, environmental engineering, or similar

Additional requirements

To benefit from the current doctoral program, the following are also required: 

• knowledge of statistics and experimental design 
• Ability to communicate with non-academic stakeholders. 
• Structured, creative and problem-solving analytical skills.
• Independet, energetic and persistent working style.
• good ability to work independently and to formulate and tackle research problems. 
• good written and oral communication skills
• good ability to cooperate
• good knowledge of spoken and written English
• Good knowledge of spoken and written Swedish is required as interviews will be held in Swedish and you will be provided with documentation in Swedish

Other qualifications

For the doctoral programme in question, the following are considered as other qualifications: 

• experience of working with drinking water supply and pipeline networks in municipal systems
• experience of change processes in larger organizations

We offer

Lund University is a public authority which means that employees get particular benefits, generous annual leave and an advantageous occupational pension scheme. 

More about working at Lund University on lu.se.

About the employment 

The employment is a fixed-term employment at full time, starting as soon as possible. Third cycle studies at LTH consist of full-time studies for 4 years. In the case of teaching and other departmental duties, the employment is extended accordingly. Doctoral studentships are regulated in the Higher Education Ordinance (1993:100), chapter 5, 1-7 §§.

More about terms of employment for doctoral students on Lund University’s Staffpages.

How to apply

Applications shall be written in English and include: 

• CV and a cover letter stating the reasons why you are interested in the doctoral programme/employment and in what way the research project corresponds to your interests and educational background. 
• A draft research plan of no more than five pages on the topic to be investigated during the doctoral studies. (The final content of the research plan will be defined in collaboration between the doctoral student and the supervisors at the division of Water Resources Engineering after admission.)
• Copies of issued study certificates and/or awarded degree certificates. These must confirm that you meet the general and specific admission requirements for the doctoral programme and show that you have the subject knowledge required for the doctoral programme project. 
• Other documents you wish to be considered (grade transcripts, contact information for your references, letters of recommendation, etc.)

We welcome your application.

The Water4All Partnership– Water Security for the Planet – is a funding programme for scientific research in freshwater and has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe Programme under Grant Agreement 101060874.

Water4All is structured around five operational Pillars covering the whole research and innovation chain and is supporting a wide portfolio of multi-national and cross-sectoral activities. The main goal of European Partnership Water4All Pillar C is to support knowledge transfer and the uptake of research outcomes and innovative approaches in the water sector. Amongst others, this is performed through Task C.3 which is dedicated to “Fostering capacity development of all actors” and subtask C.3.1 which is focused on “Dedicated PhD Schemes Pilot Alignment and Implementation”.