MSCA Doctoral Researcher

Company description:

We are a world class research-intensive university. We deliver teaching and learning of the highest quality. We play a leading role in economic, social and cultural development of the North East of England. Attracting and retaining high-calibre people is fundamental to our continued success.

The role

Applications are invited for a fully funded PhD position at Newcastle University as part of i3WaterS - Intelligent, Innovative and Integrative Water Systems, a European Doctoral Network funded under the Horizon Europe Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions programme.

The i3WaterS network brings together leading universities, research centres, technology developers, and water utilities across Europe. The project will train 15 Doctoral Candidates to develop innovative, AI-driven approaches for intelligent, resilient, and sustainable water systems.

Water distribution systems are increasingly exposed to water scarcity, climate change, infrastructure deterioration, operational uncertainty, and extreme events. i3WaterS addresses these challenges through the integration of data, expert knowledge, computational models, digital twins, and advanced artificial intelligence within a new intelligent decision-support framework.

This position corresponds to Doctoral Candidate 15 (DC15):

Enhancing water distribution management through District Information Areas: A data-driven approach to optimisation and automation.
The successful candidate will develop the concept of District Information Areas for Smart Water Systems (DIAS). These will operate as data-informed virtual subnetworks that complement existing District Metered Areas and support coordinated, semi-autonomous decision-making within water distribution systems.

The research will investigate how network connectivity, sensor information, smart-meter data, operational conditions, and information from neighbouring areas can be integrated to assess local network health and support more efficient and resilient system operation.

The project will also examine how the configuration and coverage of monitoring systems can be improved to provide a more representative view of the physical infrastructure and contribute to the development of large-scale digital twins for water distribution systems.

This is a 36-month full-time position, expected to commence on 1st January 2027.

The successful candidate will be enrolled in the PhD programme at Newcastle University and supervised by:

• Main Supervisor: Dr. Manuel Herrera, Newcastle University, UK
• Co-supervisor: Dr. Lucia Alexandra Popartan, University of Girona, Spain
• Co-supervisor: Dr. David Ayala-Cabrera, University College Dublin, Ireland
• Industrial Mentor: An expert from Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water, UK

How to apply

Candidates should submit their application through a formal application via the Newcastle University application system. Please outline in your application how you meet the eligibility, academic requirements, skills and qualifications needed for this post, as outlined in the person specification, as well as any further knowledge, skills, experience or qualifications that you feel are relevant to the post:

Applications should include the following documents in English:

• Academic certificates and full transcripts (pdf format)
• A detailed curriculum vitae, including all academic degrees, dates, and awarding institutions
• Information on the candidate's country of residence and main activity during the 36 months immediately preceding the expected recruitment date
• Documentary evidence supporting the qualifications, experience, and achievements included in the CV
• A motivation letter of no more than two pages explaining the candidate's interest in the position and suitability for the research project

Information included in the CV that is not supported by appropriate evidence may not be considered during the assessment.

For informal enquiries about the position, please contact:
Dr Manuel Herrera ,School of Engineering, Newcastle University
Email: manuel.herrera@newcastle.ac.uk