PhD: Mixing in turbidity currents in experiments and submarine canyons

More than 10,000 submarine canyons connect the continents to the deep ocean. These canyons are the conduits for transport of land-derived materials to the ocean floor in avalanche-like events called turbidity currents. Turbidity currents transport enormous amounts of sediment and Particulate Organic Carbon (POC) and bury this in deposits below the ocean floor. They additionally convey abundant nutrients and oxygenated water masses, which together with the POC (as food) support conditions for abundant life at unexpected depths in the absence of light for photosynthesis. Submarine canyons are also called the ‘human connection to the deep sea (Dissanayaka et al., 2023)’. Unfortunately, this connection brings land-derived pollutants (microplastics, pesticides, pharmaceuticals) into the very heart of these ecodiverse hotspots, making them vulnerable to far-field human interference. While this general knowledge is now firmly established, the processes of transport and burial during turbidity current events remain poorly understood.

The DEEP-FLUX project aims to establish a new physical framework for quantifying fluxes of POC and microplastics from land to the ocean floor. The project team will eventually consist of 4 PhD candidates and the PI (Joris Eggenhuisen). Together they will:

1. perform scaled-down laboratory experiments that will reveal the physical mechanisms of transport and burial of microplastics and POC in turbidity currents down submarine canyons;
2. incorporate these mechanisms into an existing computer model for sediment flux through submarine canyons; and
3. validate the model on monitored submarine canyons.

The responsibility of the PhD position advertised here will mainly involve experiments on mixing in turbidity currents, and experimental tests of turbulent diffusion characteristics of microplastics and POC.

Training
A personalised training programme will be set up reflecting your training needs and career objectives. About 20% of your time will be dedicated to this training component, which includes following courses and/or workshops (some of which are mandatory), as well as training on the job in assisting in the bachelor’s and master’s degrees programmes of the department at Utrecht University.

PhD position on Modelling of turbidity current fluxes in submarine canyons

More than 10,000 submarine canyons connect the continents to the deep ocean. These canyons are the conduits for transport of land-derived materials to the ocean floor in avalanche-like events called turbidity currents. Turbidity currents transport enormous amounts of sediment and Particulate Organic Carbon (POC) and bury this in deposits below the ocean floor. They additionally convey abundant nutrients and oxygenated water masses, which together with the POC (as food) support conditions for abundant life at unexpected depths in the absence of light for photosynthesis. Submarine canyons are also called the ‘human connection to the deep sea (Dissanayaka et al., 2023)’. Unfortunately, this connection brings land-derived pollutants (microplastics, pesticides, pharmaceuticals) into the very heart of these ecodiverse hotspots, making them vulnerable to far-field human interference. While this general knowledge is now firmly established, the processes of transport and burial during turbidity current events remain poorly understood.

The DEEP-FLUX project aims to establish a new physical framework for quantifying fluxes of POC and microplastics from land to the ocean floor. The project team will eventually consist of 4 PhD candidates and the PI (Joris Eggenhuisen). Together they will:

1. perform scaled-down laboratory experiments that will reveal the physical mechanisms of transport and burial of microplastics and POC in currents down submarine canyons;
2. incorporate these mechanisms into an existing computer model for sediment flux through submarine canyons; and
3. validate the model on monitored submarine canyons.

The responsibility of the PhD position advertised here will mainly involve the development of the computer model for flux quantifications, and the validation of the model against laboratory experiments.

Training
A personalised training programme will be set up reflecting your training needs and career objectives. About 20% of your time will be dedicated to this training component, which includes following courses and/or workshops (some of which are mandatory), as well as training on the job in assisting in the bachelor’s and master’s degrees programmes of the department at Utrecht University.

PhD in Global Talent Mobility and Europe’s Strategic Autonomy

Talent is a critical yet scarce resource in contemporary innovation systems. Across Europe, concerns about competitiveness, resilience, and strategic autonomy have renewed attention to the role of highly skilled human capital. At the same time, geopolitical tensions, migration restrictions, and national security considerations may constrain the international mobility of researchers, potentially reshaping global knowledge networks and innovation outcomes.

This PhD project examines how Europe’s strategic innovation ambitions depend on the mobility of global talent, with a particular focus on STEM PhD recipients as key actors in science- and technology-based innovation. The project bridges economic geography and innovation studies to understand how doctoral training, international mobility, and institutional contexts shape where knowledge is created and where it is ultimately translated into technological and economic value.

The project combines large-scale longitudinal data on PhD recipients with complementary sources such as publication and patent data, and aims to enrich these with other sources on individual paths and preferences. The PhD candidate will have the opportunity to develop unique datasets and apply quantitative and mixed-method approaches to address policy-relevant questions at the intersection of innovation, migration, and geography.

Main responsibilities include:

• Designing the research project focusing on topics related to global talent interdependencies and innovation;
• Collecting, processing and analysing large-scale data (e.g. publication, patent, and career data);
• Writing and publishing research papers in fulfilment of the PhD requirements;
• Presenting your research at (inter)national conferences, workshops, and seminars;
• Completing a dissertation within four years;
• Contributing to the teaching activities of the department.

The successful candidate will be based at the Economic Geography Section of the Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, with close collaboration with the Innovation Studies Section at the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development. Both groups are leading internationally in their respective disciplines and provide an exciting and collaborative environment, with room to learn and develop professionally at the frontier of academic research.

You will work under the supervision of Dr Burcu Özgün, Dr Giovanna Capponi, and Professor Carolina Castaldi.

Postdoc Accelerating the Circular Transition

The postdoctoral researcher will join the Deep Transition Lab team, which is responsible for Work Package 3 (WP3) on identifying and evaluating actionable transition pathways. The team is led by Prof. Dr. Johan Schot at Utrecht University.

ACT aims to accelerate the transition towards a circular society in the Netherlands by 2050 through the development of historical and systemic approaches, analytical tools, and transition pathways that address the environmental, economic, and social challenges associated with linear economies.

The successful candidate will focus on (i) assessing future-oriented circular transition pathways and (ii) monitoring their deployment. These pathways will be used to identify and evaluate interventions capable of enabling systemic change towards a circular economy and society. The postdoctoral researcher will contribute to the development of rigorous and repeatable methods for assessing whether, how, and to what extent these transition pathways are driving structural change.

You will:

• select and co-develop indicators and methods to assessing circular transition pathways and systemic change across environmental, economic and social dimensions;
• apply approaches like network analysis and complementary systems-change-oriented methods to national-scale case studies, while supporting the development of pathways and theories of change;
• develop reproducible analytical tools, workflows and monitoring and evaluation frameworks for repeated assessment across cases;
• Monitor the deployment of the co-development pathways.

The postdoctoral researcher will work closely with colleagues developing pathways in Work Package 3, modelling and simulation tools in Work Package 2, and case studies in Work Package 4. This will involve aligning pathway development with suitable assessment approaches, co-designing monitoring strategies, analyzing interventions, and ensuring consistency across project outputs. The postdoctoral researcher will take a leading role in developing a robust toolkit for monitoring transition pathways and assessing progress towards systemic change, with explicit attention to sustainability, justice and fairness.

Your key responsibilities include:

Develop and refine metrics and analytical methods for measuring systems change and transition pathways;

• Apply network analysis and complementary methods across regional and local -scale case studies;
• Develop reproducible analytical tools and workflows for repeatable measurement of systems change across cases;
• Analyze and communicate findings through research outputs, practical tools and engagement with project partners;
• M&E framework to evaluate future transition pathways for a circular society;
• Co-design theories of change with project partners to co-develop systemic strategies for stakeholders;
• Monitor the deployment of co-developed transition pathways;
• Prepare academic publications and contribute to project deliverables;
• Engage with stakeholders, including policymakers, businesses, and NGOs, to co-create and refine pathway analysis and possible interventions;
• Present research findings related to M&E at project meetings, workshops, and conferences;
• Contribute to Deep Transition Lab activities see www.transformativeinvestment.net and the Social and Economic History Group in the History and Art History Department.

Publiek-Private Samenwerking (PPS) Officer

Als Publiek-Private Samenwerking Officer bouw je bruggen tussen onderzoekers van het UMC Utrecht en partners uit het bedrijfsleven. Je signaleert kansen, brengt partijen samen en helpt onderzoek sneller zijn weg te vinden naar de praktijk.

• Accountmanagement: je bouwt nieuwe publiek-private samenwerkingen op en onderhoudt bestaande relaties met belangrijke industriële partners.
• Matchmaking: je bent het eerste aanspreekpunt voor bedrijven die willen samenwerken met onderzoekers van UMC Utrecht en ondersteunt onderzoekers bij het vinden van passende private partners. Waar relevant, werk je samen met het Funding & Support Office om samenwerkingen te financieren middels beschikbare subsidies.
• Netwerken: je versterkt de positionering van het UMC Utrecht binnen regionale, nationale en internationale innovatienetwerken en werkt daarbij samen met partners op het Utrecht Science Park en daarbuiten.
• Proactieve verbetering: je draagt bij aan de verdere ontwikkeling van processen, business intelligence, beleid en een cultuur die valorisatie en publiek-private samenwerking ondersteunt.