Doctoral fellow

Organisation/Company Ghent University Research Field Engineering › Civil engineering Engineering › Mechanical engineering Engineering › Other Environmental science › Earth science Physics › Other Technology › Environmental technology Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Application Deadline 6 Nov 2026 - 22:59 (UTC) Country Belgium Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

Department TW15 - Department of Civil Engineering

Degree Master's degree or equivalent qualification in civil, coastal, hydraulic or ocean engineering, physical oceanography, or a related field

Occupancy rate 100%

Vacancy type Research staff

ABOUT GHENT UNIVERSITY

Ghent University is a world of its own. Employing more than 15,000 people, it is actively involved in education and research, management and administration, as well as technical and social service provision on a daily basis. It is one of the largest, most exciting employers in the area and offers great career opportunities. With its 11 faculties and more than 85 departments offering state-of-the-art study programmes grounded in research in a wide range of academic fields, Ghent University is a logical choice for its staff and students.

YOUR TASKS

PROJECT BACKGROUND

Tidal currents and ship waves place substantial pressure on riverbanks and intertidal habitats in estuaries, challenging efforts to reconcile river navigation with ecosystem protection and restoration. The four-year RECRAFT research project aims to develop nature-based solutions for riverbank protection and habitat restoration across the full intertidal profile. The approach focuses on developing innovative wave attenuation structures and engineered riverbank profiles, in combination with reused dredged sediments and vegetation-based wave and flow protection, to reduce hydrodynamic forces and create suitable conditions for ecosystem recovery. We aim to develop state-of-the-art, modular, scalable and adaptable solutions that set a new standard in estuarine and riverbank protection.

The project brings together research and industry partners, including global marine engineering leaders DEME and Jan De Nul, Port of Antwerp-Bruges, Mantis Consulting, the University of Antwerp, Ghent University and Flanders Hydraulics. Our team, the Coastal Engineering Research Group at Ghent University, leads the hydrodynamics component of the project through numerical modelling, wave-flume experiments and field measurements. The project offers a unique opportunity for a PhD candidate to develop computational and experimental expertise, build a professional network with research and industry partners, and contribute to the development, optimisation and validation of a new nature-based riverbank protection solution.

YOUR TASKS

As a PhD candidate, you will develop an innovative nature-based engineering solution for riverbank protection, taking into account local opportunities and constraints. Your research will explore wave-attenuating structures, engineered riverbank profiles, and vegetation, and how these can work together to reduce hydrodynamic forces and create conditions for ecosystem recovery.

You will develop and apply computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models to explore how tidal currents and ship waves interact with the proposed solution, examine its performance and optimise its components. Alongside this, you will design and conduct wave-flume experiments to test protection concepts, investigate wave attenuation and hydraulic stability, and validate your numerical models. Together, these studies will help establish how the solution can be adapted to different sites and environmental conditions.

The project also offers the opportunity to help bring the solution to life at a field-scale pilot site. Working with research and industry partners, you will design field campaigns to measure waves, water levels and flow velocities, and investigate your proposed solution under real-world conditions. The pilot site will serve as a living laboratory to examine and refine your ideas and findings.

You will actively collaborate with project partners, participate in project meetings, manage the project timeline and deliverables, contribute to project reports and publish your findings in scientific journals and at conferences. There may also be opportunities to contribute to teaching and the supervision of master’s students.

You will be responsible for:

• Spending at least 70% of your assignment on academic research.
• Planning, coordinating, and executing project tasks as described above.
• Interacting with project partners and engaging in collaborative research.
• Managing project com