Closing date:

Research associate in urban flood risk modelling: Sediment transport and debris

City/location:
Edinburgh
Organization:
Heriot-Watt University

This job posting has closed

The School of the Built Environment is one of the leading built environment centres in the UK in both teaching and research, with a commitment to delivering high quality programmes for our research.  Whilst based in the School’s Institute of Infrastructure & Environment, as a member of the Water Academy you will be part of a dynamic cross-School research group undertaking exciting multi-disciplinary environment for both staff and students engaged in water-related research themes.

The School and Water Academy are currently seeking an enthusiastic, dynamic and well-qualified individual to join the research group. The successful candidate will contribute to the delivery of research specific to the modelling of sediment and debris dynamics associated with flood risk in the urban environment. This will focus upon modelling urban drainage, SuDS, green building components and watercourses to enhance their design for effective transfer of sediment and debris during multiple runoff events and without compromising flood conveyance and or infrastructure scour.

This research forms one work package embedded within the EPSRC-funded research programme on 'Delivering and Evaluating Multiple Flood Risk Benefits in Blue-Green Cities', which involves 8 universities across the UK. Here, a blue-green city aims to recreate a naturally-oriented water cycle while contributing to the amenity of the city by bringing water management and green infrastructure together; this project therefore seeks to advance UK development beyond 'the drained city' approach (where we currently manage water for a series of single functions (e.g. flood defence)) towards the 'water cycle city' approach promoted in countries such as Australia. This will only be achieved by combining and protecting the hydrological and ecological values of the urban landscape while providing resilient and adaptive measures to deal with flood events. There is, therefore, a need for a better understanding of the connectivity between: individual components in flood risk management systems, these components and other infrastructure, and the attitudes/behaviour of society/stakeholders. Thus, it is essential that the successful candidate must be able and willing to contribute to the external collaborative research activities associated with the wider research programme and demonstrate a commitment to strategic research output/dissemination.

You will possess a good first degree/masters in an engineering or physical sciences subject discipline and have either completed or be writing-up a PhD related to research in hydraulic, sediment and/or debris modelling in river and/or urban drainage systems.  Experience of appropriate modelling software is essential to the post.  Evidence of a growing track record of journal publication output is essential.

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