- Position: PhD Position – Real-Time Flood Forecasting and Risk Assessment under Climate Change
Employer: University of Parma - Homepage: https://www.unipr.it/en/phd
- Location: Parma, Italy
- Sector: Academic
- Relevant divisions: Hydrological Sciences (HS)
- Natural Hazards (NH): Type
- Full time: Level
- Student / Graduate / Internship: Salary
- In accordance with Italian PhD funding regulations. Includes full tuition waiver and monthly stipend.
- Required education: Master
- Application deadline: 1 July 2025
- Posted: 28 May 2025
Job description
PhD Position – Real-Time Flood Forecasting and Risk Assessment under Climate Change
Organisation/Company
University of Parma – Hylab research group
Location
Parma, Italy
Job Type
PhD position (fully funded, 36 months, full-time)
Working Hours
40 hours/week
Salary
In accordance with Italian PhD funding regulations. Includes full tuition waiver and monthly stipend.
Job Description
We are offering a fully funded PhD position at the University of Parma in the field of real-time flood forecasting and risk assessment, with a focus on climate change adaptation.
The candidate will join the Hylab research group to develop an integrated flood forecasting system based on the GPU-accelerated PARFLOOD model, developed by our team. The system simulates flood propagation — including levee breaches — with significant lead time, supporting emergency management and climate resilience.
Main Responsibilities
Apply and improve the PARFLOOD model for real-time, high-resolution flood simulations
Develop a rainfall–runoff model using meteorological forecasts (e.g. ICON, ECMWF)
Couple hydrological and hydraulic models for operational forecasting
Validate the system in river basins in the Emilia-Romagna region
Analyze simulation outputs to support decision-making for civil protection
Qualifications and Requirements
MSc degree in Civil/Environmental Engineering, Hydrology, Applied Physics, or similar
Solid foundation in hydraulic modeling, numerical simulation, or flood risk assessment
Programming experience (e.g. Python, C++, MATLAB)
Experience with GPU computing is a plus
Good written and spoken English
Benefits
Fully funded PhD position (tuition + stipend)
Access to high-performance computing resources
Collaboration with civil protection and water authorities
Research focused on real-world societal impact
Integration into a dynamic, interdisciplinary team
How to Apply
Applications must be submitted exclusively through the online procedure at:
https://www.unipr.it/en/phd
informal equiries can be sent to renato.vacondio@unipr.it
Please follow the instructions in the official PhD call and upload all required documents. Be sure to select the correct doctoral programme.
Contact for Further Information
Renato Vacondio
email: renato.vacondio@unipr.it
