CORRAL is a European project that aims to support local and regional authorities in driving the socio-ecological-technological transformations required to build coastal resilience. The project will co-design and implement locally grounded, systemic solutions that address diverse climate risks while strengthening ecological integrity and community preparedness. The CORRAL consortium consists of 28 partners from 9 countries.
In particular, in collaboration with the municipality of The Hague, the TU Delft Green Village and Hydraulic Engineering department, CORRAL will develop a "Dune Park" in Scheveningen that consists of a "Growing Dune Landscape". The plan is inspired by the Zandmotor pilot project and involves developing vegetation planting strategies to trap wind-driven sediment, leading to natural elevation of the local morphology providing functions to society. The hypothesis is that, as the sediment accumulates, vegetation growth and dune development will progress hand in hand, demonstrating how natural processes can generatively support coastal protection and provide a nature-based solution to combat sea-level rise.
In This Ambitious Plan, You Will
- Study the natural processes that govern the growth of coastal dunes in an urban coastal environment.
- Lead a fieldwork program to measure vegetation dynamics and morphological changes using GPS surveys, drones, and advanced remote sensing techniques.
- Simulate vegetation and dune evolution with the AeoLiS model.
- Disseminate observations and modelling results to stakeholders to showcase the site's evolution and the potential of dune landscapes as a sustainable coastal defence strategy.
Job Requirements
- An MSc degree in Hydraulic Engineering, Physical Geography, Hydro-informatics or Civil Engineering (or in a related discipline).
- Demonstrated experience or deep interest in modelling and coastal engineering.
- Affinity with international collaborations that require travelling.
- Scientific and/or practical knowledge of coastal processes.
- Excellent programming skills (e.g. in Python, SQL, Java, PyTorch, etc.).
- A critical, creative and pro-active approach to research, with good problem-solving skills.
- Excellent command of English (oral and written).
Conditions of Employment
- 4-year PhD position, in the form of two contracts: an initial 1.5-year contract with a go/no go assessment within 15 months, followed by an additional 2.5-year contract assuming satisfactory performance.
- Salary in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities: €3,059–€3,881 gross/month (fulltime, 38 hours), increasing from first to fourth year, plus 8% holiday allowance and end-of-year bonus of 8.3%.
- Customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance, and a monthly work costs contribution.
- Flexible work schedules.
- Enrollment in the TU Delft Graduate School with access to the Doctoral Education Programme.
How to Apply
Please apply no later than 1 June 2026 via the TU Delft application portal and upload the following documents:
- CV (max 4 pages), inclusive of publications (if any).
- Cover letter (max 1 page) describing your motivation and qualifications for the position.
You can address your application to Sierd de Vries. For more information, contact Sierd de Vries (sierd.devries@tudelft.nl) and Maria Pregnolato (m.pregnolato@tudelft.nl).
After the first selection, online interviews will be held in early July. The candidate is expected to start on 1 October 2026.