Funded PhD (45m + placement): Physics-Aware Foundation Model for Hydrology (HydroFM) — QUARTILES DLA

[David Haro Monteagudo]

Dear all,
We invite applications for a fully funded 45-month PhD (plus up to 3-month placement) at the University of Aberdeen under the QUARTILES Doctoral Landscape Award.

Project: HydroFM — A Physics-Aware Foundation Model for Hydrology
The student will develop a modular AI model (UNet + LSTM/TCN + graph routing) with water-balance constraints and calibrated uncertainty, pretrained on global EO/reanalysis/gauge data and adapted efficiently to new basins. Outputs include decision-ready metrics (low-flow reliability, environmental-flow deficits, peak-flow exceedance) and a future-scenarios pipeline.

Training & support: front-loaded QUARTILES training; weekly supervision; hydrology–AI reading group; HPC/GPU access; curated data loaders; and a partner placement.

Essential skills: Python (NumPy/pandas/xarray; PyTorch or similar), time-series and/or geospatial data, ML fundamentals, strong scientific communication, motivation to work across AI + hydrology.

Deadline: Wednesday, 14 January 2026
Apply and enquiries: https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/quartiles-dla-rivers-rewired-a-physics-aware-foundation-model-for-global-rainfall-runoff/?p191499

We welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds and are committed to an inclusive research environment.