Fully funded PhD position on glacier-fjord systems in North and East Greenland

The Greenland Ice Sheet is losing mass at an accelerating rate and is currently one of the largest contributors to global sea level rise. A substantial part of this mass loss occurs at marine-terminating glaciers, where ice flows from the interior of the ice sheet into fjords and the ocean. At these glacier termini, complex processes such as submarine melting, ice mélange dynamics, and iceberg calving determine how rapidly glaciers retreat and discharge ice into the ocean.

Your job
Despite their critical role in sea level rise, fjord–glacier–ocean interactions remain poorly understood and are inadequately represented in current climate and ice sheet models.

This project focuses on improving the physical representation of glacier dynamics, calving laws, and ice–ocean interactions in numerical ice sheet models, reducing uncertainties in future projections of the contribution of Greenland to sea level rise.

The PhD position is embedded in the GreenLand’s ice-Ocean interactions and Warming impacts, GLOW project, which aims to address critical knowledge gaps in our understanding of retreating and accelerating marine-terminating glaciers and their interaction with the ocean around Greenland. The project is a collaboration between Utrecht University, TU Delft, and the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI, Germany). Research visits to AWI are envisioned as part of the project.

To support academic and personal development, PhD candidates follow courses and assist in teaching Earth Sciences at Bachelor's and Master's level. Together these activities amount to twenty percent of the contracted time.

We look forward to your application if you have the following qualifications:

• MSc in glaciology, (climate) physics, geophysics, applied mathematics or a related field;
• affinity with numerical modelling, preferably glacier modelling;
• strong programming skills (e.g., Python, MATLAB, Fortran);
• experience with processing large scale datasets from remote sensing products and models;
• interested in interdisciplinary scientific challenges and interactions;
• ability to work both independently and collaboratively in an international team;
• excellent English oral and writing skills and willingness to learn Dutch.

We offer:

• a position (1.0 FTE) for 1 year, with an extension to a total of 4 years upon a successful assessment in the first year, and with the specific intent that it results in a doctorate within this period;
• a working week of 36 - 40 hours and a gross monthly salary between € 3.059 and €3.881 in the case of full-time employment (salary scale P under the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU));
• 8% holiday pay and 8.3% year-end bonus;
• a pension scheme, partially paid parental leave and flexible terms of employment based on the CAO NU.

In addition to the terms of employment laid down in the CAO NU, Utrecht University also offers a range of its own schemes for employees. This includes arrangements for professional development, various types of leave, and options for sports and cultural activities. You can also tailor your employment conditions through our Terms of Employment Options Model. In this way, we encourage you to keep investing in your personal and professional development. For more information, please visit Working at Utrecht University.

A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University, the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major strategic themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Pathways to Sustainability. Sharing science, shaping tomorrow.

Utrecht University’s Faculty of Geosciences studies the Earth: from the Earth’s core to its surface, including man’s spatial and material utilisation of the Earth – always with a focus on sustainability and innovation. With 3,400 students (BSc and MSc) and 720 staff, the faculty is a strong and challenging organisation. The Faculty of Geosciences is organised in four Departments: Earth Sciences, Human Geography & Spatial Planning, Physical Geography, and Sustainable Development.

The team of the Department of Physical Geography excels in research and education on BSc, MSc and PhD level. We research processes, patterns and dynamics of Earth’s systems from the mountains to the sea, and the interaction in between. This knowledge is essential for the sustainable management of our planet and to guarantee the availability of resources for the next generations. We have access to world-class laboratories like Geolab and Earth Simulation Lab, and to excellent high-performance computing facilities.

We are a lively department that hosts an active early career community (PhD-students, researchers and lecturers). We organize a warm welcome for every new member.

The department and its facilities are located at Utrecht Science Park. Utrecht is the fourth largest city in the Netherlands with a population of nearly 360,000 and forms a hub in the middle of the country. Its historical city centre and its modern central station can easily be reached from the Science Park by public transport or by a 15-minute bicycle ride. Utrecht boasts beautiful canals with extraordinary wharf cellars housing cafés and terraces by the water, as well as a broad variety of shops and boutiques.

For more information about this position, please contact Dr Faezeh Nick via f.m.nick@uu.nl or Prof. Roderik van de Wal via R.S.W.vandeWal@uu.nl

Candidates for this vacancy will be recruited by Utrecht University.