PhD student in the EXPO-PMT NEXUS "Integrated approach to Persistent, Mobile and Toxic pollutants in water resources: assessment of their contribution to EXPOsome, recommendation of adaptation solutions" via EURAXESS

Offer Description

– work environment:  What is the ExposUM Doctoral Nexus? 

The Doctoral Nexus proposed by the ExposUM Institute are networks of 3 to 4 PhD students from different disciplines and affiliated to at least two different research units. Compared with a traditional PhD, taking part in a Doctoral Nexus will encourage the ability to work in a team and to design projects in a transdisciplinary way while deepening one’s own field of expertise. A specific teaching programme will be offered and the doctoral students concerned will also have the opportunity to organise a seminar within the Nexus network. Theses are funded from the outset for 4 years, including the PhD student’s salary and an environmental allowance.

Context of the PhD hesis and EXPO-PMT Nexus:

As climate change increases the risk of drought, the spread of anthropogenic micropollutants—particularly those identified as toxic, mobile, and persistent (PMT substances)—further exacerbates the pressure on water resource availability for drinking water supply. Industrial pollution, such as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) used in many everyday consumer products (e.g., rainwear, non-stick cookware), now adds to long-standing agricultural diffuse pollution (nitrates, pesticides). These emerging health threats are eroding public trust in water utilities.

Ensuring the sustainable management of water services now requires anticipating new risks to water quality by developing multi-level local action strategies:

1.Improving knowledge of the quality of water resources being utilized;

2.Identifying and preventing pollution risks upstream;

3.In cases of confirmed pollution, selecting and implementing technical remediation solutions (e.g., abandoning a water intake, dilution or treatment measures, or establishing transfers and interconnections).

Pollution prevention involves various regulatory tools (e.g., protection perimeters around water intakes, river and aquifer contracts), but may also rely on influencing polluter behavior. A critical challenge is the capacity of local authorities to leverage urban planning tools to influence the siting of water-intensive and polluting activities. Equally important is the communication and transparency towards users.

A systemic and interdisciplinary approach is therefore required—one that considers interdependencies to explore potential solutions and build effective response strategies at the scale of a water utility, its water sources, and its stakeholders.¹

However, current decision-support and planning tools available to local authorities and their water services, while existing, remain inadequate. Most tools have been developed with a focus on infrastructure asset management (e.g., system renewal, maintenance, repair) [2,3]. Traditional regulatory planning instruments such as SDAEP (Master Plans for Drinking Water Supply) or PGSSE (Water Safety Plans) are, in the former case, often based on backward-looking assumptions that fail to adequately address emerging pollutants, and in the latter, oriented towards prevention and short-term operational crisis management.

There is thus a clear need to develop a methodology for exploring adaptation strategies for water utilities facing resource degradation caused by emerging pollutants.

Supervision of the PhD thesis: The thesis will be supervised by L. Guérin-Schneider and Marine Colon from UMR GEAU, both specialists in decision support and management of water and wastewater services.In addition to the research teams involved in the other two theses (Institut Européen des Membranes, Laboratoire de Biotechnologie de l’Environnement), two operational partners have already been identified: the consultancy firm Espelia, which specialises in organisational consultancy for public services and has a base in Montpellier, and the Montpellier Metropolitan Water Board (service operator). They will be able to contribute to discussions on the development of the decision-support approach and also identify areas of application.

Career opportunities: Careers in teaching and research, careers as experts in territorial or water management (consultancies, local authorities and other public organisations, water service operators, etc.).

This project is part of a Nexus involving the groups of Stephan BROSILLON (IEM) & Elena GOMEZ (HSM) and Rémi SERVIEN (LBE) & Dominique PATUREAU (LBE).

– main mission:

 1. To take stock of French and international knowledge on strategies for adapting public water services to global change, particularly with regard to the degradation of resources, in order to:

a. Highlight the theories of change that are currently shaping thinking on the adaptation of water services to the risk of pollution.

b. Identify the parameters that need to be taken into account in order to build operational strategies (levers for action).

2. To co-construct adaptation strategies with water services by: 

a. Analysing the conditions required for each of these solutions in terms of technical configuration, costs and organisation (within the service and with its stakeholders)

b. Integrating this knowledge into a structured method for exploring strategies for adapting water services to resource degradation.

c. Testing the feasibility and relevance of the method in the field to prepare for its transfer.

3. In the light of the operational work carried out, to propose a discussion of the adaptation models co-constructed with the stakeholders, by developing a reflection on the limits of the current frameworks in France, both in relation to the regulatory and institutional tools/frameworks, and on the representations that may represent obstacles to change.

– activities: 

The method can be broken down into three stages.

1- Bibliographical analysis (academic and grey literature) and state of the art 

1.1. Identification of solutions to resource pollution 

The first step is to characterise the problem (what type of pollution are we talking about, what negative effects need to be reduced), to specify the strategic question (what issues are being addressed, what time horizon, within what scope of action), to identify the players involved (potential users of the tool, decision-makers, but also stakeholders in the solutions) and then to characterise the solutions by major families.

This analysis could be carried out with a view to making international comparisons to identify the strategies initiated on the subject in France or elsewhere.

     1.2 Decision support and strategic planning methods for water services 

The literature review will also cover strategic approaches to environmental management, and decision support tools and methods (particularly diagnostic methods and decision tree type methods) and their application in the field of strategic management of water services and/or protection of the quality of water resources.

Expected results: Formulation of the problem and the decision-making context. Identification and characterisation of the solutions to be considered (including innovative solutions related to thesis 1). Identification of the preferred decision support method.

2 – Development of a diagnostic method for exploring solutions

The development of the method will result from the intersection of the previously outlined state of the art and field-based expertise. In line with a research-action approach, both the operational question and the tool designed to address it will be co-constructed with practitioners (see partners).

The problem characterization and diagnostic process may incorporate findings from Thesis 1 (analytical and measurement methods).

For each potential solution, several dimensions will be considered to identify decision-making criteria: expected effectiveness, feasibility, economic aspects (cost estimates, cost-sharing among stakeholders, availability of funding opportunities), and governance (which actors to engage, and with what tools or collaborative mechanisms). A user-oriented dimension may also be explored (perceived legitimacy of solutions, user engagement).

Expected outcomes: A beta version of the diagnostic and solution exploration method, including a general framework and at least one initial set of detailed solutions.

3 – Field application of the method

The method will be tested on one or more real-world sites identified in collaboration with operational partners.

Expected outcomes: Refinement of the method, clarification of underlying assumptions, and preparation for its transfer to potential end-users, such as consulting firms or local authorities. The method could be aligned with existing frameworks such as SDAEP (Departmental Water and Sanitation Master Plans) and PGSSE (Water Safety and Sanitation Management Plans).

At the academic level, the thesis will contribute to bridging the gap between decision-support tools and the development of sustainable pathways for water service management.

The gross salary is €2,200 month

Contract duration: 3 years

Contract date from 01/10/2025 to 30/09/2028

Skills/Qualifications

The thesis is in management (decision sciences) but a proven or potential interdisciplinary profile is required. This could be, for example, an engineer with additional training or experience in the human sciences or, at the very least, a good understanding of the importance of institutional and organisational factors, or, conversely, a Master’s student in social and human sciences (management sciences, economics, political science in particular) with an awareness of a field of engineering sciences, capable of understanding decision-making tools with a strong technical component.

Skills in the following areas would be useful:

– governance of local public services and/or water resource management by local authorities,

– management of water services, or more broadly of local or environmental public services,

– diagnostic and decision-making tools and methods, strategic approaches.

The working language and the language of interaction with the field will be French (perfect command of the language is required). The ability to read scientific articles in English is required.

Additional Information

Selection process

The application must include the following

– A full curriculum vitae, 

– A cover letter, 

– A copy of the M2 diploma (or equivalent) required for enrolment (or certificate of successful completion)

– Master’s transcript of marks (obtained in each subject + dissertation mark if already submitted)

Please send your application and all the required information by e-mail with the subject ‘NEXUS GEAU thesis application’ to laetitia.guerin@inrae.fr with a copy to catherine.faur@umontpellier.fr and exposum-aap@umontpellier.fr (it is not necessary to use ADUM online): Before Sunday 18 May 2025 midnight CET.