Summary
The i3WaterS (Intelligent · Innovative · Integrative Water Systems) project is a Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Doctoral Network offering 15 fully funded Doctoral Candidate (PhD) positions. The project brings together universities, research centres, technology developers, and water utilities across Europe to develop AI-driven, resilient, and sustainable solutions for critical water distribution systems (WDSs).
15 Fully Funded PhD Positions in the i3WaterS Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network
Designation
- Doctoral Candidate / PhD Researcher (Full-Time, Fixed-Term Contract under MSCA regulations)
Overview of Open Positions
| Code | Position Title / Research Topic | Host Institution | Location |
| DC1 | Intelligent data analysis tools to facilitate smart health assets assessments of critical urban water infrastructures using GPR | University College Dublin (UCD) | Dublin, Ireland |
| DC2 | Incident Hub – increase in the preparation of water distribution systems through AI and lessons learned | Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) | Barcelona, Spain |
| DC3 | Smartification of water quality and safety monitoring for water distribution systems | University of Sheffield (USFD) | Sheffield, United Kingdom |
| DC4 | Uncertainty-Aware Optimisation for Robust Water Distribution System Operation | IHE Delft Institute for Water Education (IHE) | Delft, Netherlands |
| DC5 | Intelligent decision support system for water demand prediction | Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) | Barcelona, Spain |
| DC6 | A Climate-Ready and AI-Enhanced Approach to Water Network Management | University of Bordeaux (UBx) | Bordeaux, France |
| DC7 | Hybrid AI for Sustainable Management of Water Distribution Systems | University of Bordeaux (UBx) | Bordeaux, France |
| DC8 | Long-Term Planning Under Uncertainty for Resilient Water Infrastructure | IHE Delft Institute for Water Education (IHE) | Delft, Netherlands |
| DC9 | A multi-source data fusion approach to modelling the impact of hydro-meteorological extremes on WDS water quality | University College Dublin (UCD) | Dublin, Ireland |
| DC10 | Intelligent assistant to the supervision of daily and extreme events management of drinking WDSs | Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) | Barcelona, Spain |
| DC11 | Mining the Flow: Centralized and Distributed Paradigms for Water Distribution Systems in the Age of IoT | Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) | Barcelona, Spain |
| DC12 | Optimal WDS management during critical scenarios | University of Naples Federico II (UNINA) | Naples, Italy |
| DC13 | “More” Intelligent Management of WDSs for Improving Water Quality (MIMIQ) | University of Cassino and Southern Lazio (UNICAS) | Cassino, Italy |
| DC14 | Development of Water Supply Quality Index for an optimal management of distribution network | University of Girona (UdG) | Girona, Spain |
| DC15 | District Information Areas for Smart Water Systems (DIAS @ i3WaterS) | Newcastle University (UNEW) | Newcastle, United Kingdom |
Research Area
- Primary Fields: Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Smart Water Distribution Systems (WDS), Digital Twins, Hydroinformatics, Intelligent Decision Support Systems (IDSS), IoT & Big Data Analytics, Cyber-physical Infrastructure, and Water Quality/Asset Monitoring.
Location
- Host Countries: Spain (Barcelona, Girona), Ireland (Dublin), United Kingdom (Sheffield, Newcastle), Netherlands (Delft), and France (Bordeaux), Italy (Naples, Cassino).
- International Mobility: Includes mandatory international secondments at partner facilities across Europe.
Eligibility / Qualification
- Education Level: Master’s Degree (or equivalent enabling enrolment in a doctorate program) in Computer Science, Civil/Environmental Engineering, Applied Mathematics, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, or a related discipline.
- Mobility Rule: Candidates must comply with MSCA mobility criteria (must not have resided or carried out main activity in the host country for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to recruitment).
- Language Proficiency: High proficiency in English (minimum C1 level equivalent); knowledge of the host country’s language is valued.
- Technical Skills: Experience/interest in data analysis tools (Python, MATLAB, R, Java), machine learning, decision support systems, or water infrastructure modeling.
Scholarship Description & Benefits
- Funding Scheme: European Union’s Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (HORIZON_MSCA-101227354-i3WaterS).
- Remuneration: Highly competitive salary covering living, mobility, and family allowances (where applicable) as defined by MSCA standards.
- Supervision & Networking: Joint academic-industrial supervision, access to an International Doctoral School across 6 European training hubs, and two international industrial secondments in real-world water utilities.
How to Apply
- Prepare Application Documents:
- Detailed Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Motivation / Cover Letter
- Academic transcripts, degree certificates, and supporting evidence for CV entries
- Proof of English language proficiency
- Submission:
- Review specific requirements for individual positions on the i3WaterS Recruitment Portal or via EURAXESS.
- Submit application materials directly to the respective host university contact/email listed on each Doctoral Candidate (DC) offer page.
- General inquiries can be directed to:
i3waters.management@upc.edu
Last Date for Apply
- Application Deadline: September 30, 2026 (Check individual position postings on the portal for any host-specific timelines).
