Ph.D. Opportunity in Flood Resilience Planning, Hydrologic Modeling, and Hydroclimatology
Natural Hazards (NH)
The Water Resources Ecohydrology Lab (WRElab; wrelab.science) at Northeastern University invites applications for a Ph.D. position in hydroclimatology, water resources, and flood resilience planning beginning in Fall 2026. This position is part of a recently awarded NSF grant (RAISE: Working with communities to reduce flood risk and increase resilience; NSF-2438338) and offers exceptional opportunities for community-engaged interdisciplinary research. The successful candidate will perform both hydrologic and hydraulic modeling to develop projections of future inundation extent, depth, and time in Maine cities, accounting for climate change, broad land cover change, and regional and local infrastructure decisions. Working directly with Maine municipalities and stakeholders, they will translate these findings into decision- support tools that address community needs for resilient flood planning. This work will involve close collaboration with climate science and social science experts to ensure the modeling and tools reflect both likely future conditions and critical stakeholder priorities. The selected candidate will have the opportunity to collaborate with others at Northeastern University, particularly in the College of Science and the Departments of Marine & Environmental Science and Civil & Environmental Engineering. They may also collaborate with others across Boston’s many world-class Universities. This candidate will further have the opportunity to mentor as well as learn from current and future lab members.
The WRElab seeks to better understand how watersheds function as systems with interactions among meteorological and coastal forcing, geologic setting, and ecological process, and how these systems affect critical water resources in a changing climate. To do so, we use state-of-the-science computational watershed and ecological simulators that are constrained with novel field and remotely-sensed measurements, including stable isotope analyses and spatial-pattern calibration approaches. Current projects focus on the partitioning of rain and snow to streamflow and evapotranspiration in headwaters, integrating upstream and ecological processes to better understand saltwater intrusion processes and impacts under sea level rise, and watershed responses to disturbances including extreme storms and wildfire.
The WRElab emphasizes productive collaboration facilitated by a dedication to a respectful and inclusive work environment. We encourage candidates from a broad variety of backgrounds to apply, particularly those with majors in civil and environmental engineering, earth science, geography, and computer science and experience in computational modeling and data analysis. Ideal candidates will have research experience, a passion for learning and scientific exploration, and a commitment to equity and inclusion. While an M.S. is preferred, it is not required. A positive attitude and the ability to work both independently and part of a team are required. Candidates from historically and currently marginalized groups are particularly encouraged to apply and to ask the questions necessary to ensure they can feel safe, supported and comfortable in the lab, university, community, and field environments. Candidates can apply to the Lab through either Northeastern’s Department of Marine & Environmental Science or Northeastern’s Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering depending on their background, and can be housed in either department.
Funding: This position will be funded through research and teaching assistantships for up to five years, with initial support through an awarded NSF grant (RAISE: Working with communities to reduce flood risk and increase resilience; NSF-2438338). Students will be supported and encouraged to apply for university and national fellowships, where Northeastern has a successful track record. The position includes a competitive stipend, tuition waiver, health insurance benefits, and funding to attend academic conferences.
Need more information?
Northeastern Department of Marine & Environmental Sciences
Northeastern Civil & Environmental Engineering
Northeastern Facts & Figures
Questions can be directed to pjdf@northeastern.edu. Prospective candidates are encouraged to email to express their interest and discuss the research project and WRElab.
Qualified applicants are invited to apply for graduate admission to the Department of Marine & Environmental Science (MES) or the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering (CEE) at Northeastern. The priority application deadline is December 1, 2025 with rolling admission after these dates.