PhD Position WaterFRAME – Water Fit for Reuse digital Architecture and Modeling Ecosystem. Standardization, integration, and enrichment of data into a data framework

VITO

Ghent, Belgium 🇧🇪

Job description

Flanders together with many other regions in Europe has suffered through one of its driest summers in history and this will unfortunately not be a singular event. To ensure sufficient water availability for all actors in the Flemish region(drinking water, agriculture, industry…), we need to significantly increase the resilience of our water management through optimization of existing infrastructures, stimulation of circular water practices and strategic investments in new infrastructure. However, water management is inherently a very complex subject touching many different actors and covering a large spatial scale. Building water resilience thus requires a decision making tool which is able to incorporate this complexity in order to support holistic decisions that can balance multiple objectives. However, bringing available data and modelling tools together over different scales and application domains to address high level technological or societal challenges is not possible with the tools that are currently available. This project will use methodologies based on semantic web standards. More specifically, data standards, a ontology model and a dynamic knowledge graph will be developed as a way to encode and structure knowledge and as such create a standardized and holistic structure of the water domain. The knowledge graph will be dynamic so it can be continuously populated with new data (sensor data, design data, simulation data) and integration of predictive models and optimization algorithms will be foreseen within its structure allowing for the analysis of holistic scenarios to support decision making. Knowledge graphs can be built in a modular way creating a lot of flexibility for future developments/updates. Since they are based on standardized web semantics they can be easily queried (used to answer questions). Moreover their standardized form also allows coupling to other sectors (such as energy) for cross-domain decision making.

The objective of this PhD is to develop a data storage and standardization framework to be used within the context of water reuse, taking as inspiration existing developments in other sectors, and including aspects related to quality of the data. This data framework will provide the basis for the development of an ontology model and a dynamic knowledge graph. The final goal is to use a common, standard, and structured vocabulary to facilitate  the  interlinkage and  sharing  of trusted  information  (circular data)  among entities and  stakeholders through  global and  open  standards. This  will  allow all  actors  of the  value chain to take advantage of the potential of the available data. The methodologies and tools created will be tested in real case studies in the field of water reuse, in close collaboration with stakeholders. 

Information:

For information on the content, you can contact Janelcy Castano Alferes (janelcy.alferescastano@vito.be).
If you are selected as a candidate, you will be asked to outline a more elaborated project description of about 10 pages and defend this before a jury before being selected for the scholarship. For information on the procedure, please check the doctoral regulations.

Interested?

Successful candidates are encouraged to apply online.
The application file should contain a motivation letter, detailed CV and copies of latest degree and transcripts. You can register until 20/09/2023 for the jury of November 17, 2023.

Job requirements

  • The applicant must have attained a master’s degree in engineering, informatics, mathematics, or bioscience engineering with (at least) a “distinction”, or equivalent.
  • You can work independently, as well as in a team.
  • You are fluent in English, both oral and written.

POSITION TYPE

EXPERIENCE-LEVEL

DEGREE REQUIRED

IHE Delft - MSc in Water and Sustainable Development