PhD student in Hydrology with a focus on Flow and Transport in Fractured Rocks Full-time

PhD Student in Hydrology with a Focus on Flow and Transport in Fractured Rocks

PhD student in Hydrology with a focus on Flow and Transport in Fractured Rocks

Uppsala University, Department of Earth Sciences

Are you interested in working on cutting-edge research in hydrogeology, with the support of competent and friendly colleagues in an international environment? Are you looking for an employer that invests in sustainable employeeship and offers safe, favourable working conditions? We welcome you to apply for a PhD position at Uppsala University.

The Department of Earth Sciences is Sweden’s most comprehensive academic environment for research and education in geoscience. It offers a broad range of expertise that can contribute to solving important societal issues.

Earth is a dynamic and constantly changing planet. To understand how this planet works, our researchers seek answers in the field, through laboratory experiments and advanced models. Our research and education cover a wide range of disciplines, including rocks and minerals, weather and climate, the evolution of life, natural disasters, wind power and energy, environmental and water engineering, and sustainable development.

Our research combines natural sciences and technology with social sciences and is often interdisciplinary. More than 300 people from over 30 countries work at the department, both in Uppsala and at Campus Gotland.

Our six research divisions:

• Geophysics
• Air, Water and Landscape Science
• Mineralogy, Petrology and Tectonics
• Natural Resources and Sustainable Development
• Palaeobiology
• Wind Energy

The successful candidate will join the research program Air, Water and Landscape Sciences (LUVAL).

Duties: The PhD project will focus on uncertainty quantification in modelling flow and solute transport in fractured rocks. The work will include numerical modelling of flow and transport, analysis of uncertainties in model predictions, and development of efficient methods for evaluating their implications for geological repository safety. The methods will be demonstrated using conditions representative of a Swedish geological repository site, with the aim of improving the robustness and transparency of long-term safety assessments for radioactive waste disposal.

Requirements: To meet the entry requirements for doctoral studies, you must hold a Master's (second-cycle) degree in hydrogeology, hydrology, rock mechanics, geophysics, geotechnical engineering, water engineering, applied mathematics, physics, computer science, or another relevant field, have completed at least 240 credits in higher education, with at least 60 credits at Master's level including an independent project worth at least 15 credits, or have acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way. In addition to meeting the entry requirements above, you must have a solid foundation in mathematics and physics, as well as experience in numerical modelling or scientific programming.

Additional qualifications: Knowledge of subsurface flow and transport, fractured media, uncertainty quantification, statistical methods, or machine learning is considered a merit.

About the employment: The employment is a temporary position according to the Higher Education Ordinance chapter 5 § 7. Scope of employment 100%. Starting date 1st February 2027 or as agreed. Placement: Uppsala.

For further information about the position, please contact: Qinghua Lei (qinghua.lei@geo.uu.se)

The application should include a CV, copies of relevant exams, degrees and grades, MSc thesis and other relevant documents, including contact details of two referees.

Please submit your application by 1 October 2026, UFV-PA 2026/2478.