We invite applicants for a 4-year PhD position in research project PAST, funded by the Dutch Research Council.
Project PAST, “A proxy-model alliance to decode storms in warmer climates”, aims to quantify the occurrence of storms over western Europe during warmer climates. Climate change is known to increase the risk to societies and ecosystems from extreme weather events. But these short-lived events are notoriously hard to reconstruct and to model, so our understanding of their behaviour during warmer climates is limited. To learn from past warmer climates and better understand the link between climate and extremes, we can use proxy-based climate reconstructions and climate models for past warmer climates. However, the temporal and spatial resolutions of these have so far been inadequate.
PAST overcomes this obstacle, both from the side of proxy reconstructions and of climate modelling. It develops the first reconstructions of storms in the geological past using fossil shells. In parallel, it produces new, high-resolution computer models of the warm Last Interglacial period. Finally, PAST creates new knowledge by synthesising these two approaches through advanced statistics.
This PhD project is one of two within PAST. As a PhD candidate your goal is to conduct new climate model simulations of the Last Interglacial, with a state-of-the-art climate model (CESM). From these results, you analyse patterns of Atlantic storminess. The Last Interglacial is the most recent climate that was warmer than the present in the Northern Hemisphere. This makes it a unique analogue of the warmer climate of the coming decades. As a researcher in PAST, you execute model simulations at very high resolution on the Dutch supercomputer Snellius. This is novel research for this paleoclimate. Your key challenge is to design and implement a clever set of simulations. This will systematically address the key sources of uncertainty regarding climate and storminess in the Northern Hemisphere during the Last Interglacial. For this, you leverage the most recent knowledge about this paleoclimate, and collaborate with leading international climate researchers at Utrecht University (NL) and at NCAR (USA).
Throughout the project, you work closely with the other PhD candidate of PAST, who creates high-resolution proxy-based reconstructions of the same paleoclimate. Together, you apply a Bayesian statistical framework to contrast and combine data across reconstructions and model results. This will enhance our understanding of the link between climate and extreme weather in Western Europe. The insights from modelling and proxy-model synthesis will be impactful in a range of climate-related disciplines.
Your duties
- you design a set of climate model simulations, addressing the key sources of uncertainty of storminess in a warmer climate
- you execute simulations on the Dutch supercomputer Snellius
- you analyse patterns of storminess and other key climate extremes in the results
- you synthesize results from model and proxies through Bayesian statistics
- you present your research at scientific conferences and publish your results in scientific journals
- you contribute to teaching and supervising in bachelor and master programs
Your profile
We are looking for a motivated candidate to develop and apply high-resolution climate reconstructions with the following profile:
- you have a MSc degree in climatology, meteorology, earth science, computer science, environmental science, or equivalent
- you have solid scientific coding skills in Python. You are strongly motivated to acquire advanced skills in Python and Fortran and in the use of high-performance computer systems
- you have affinity and preferably experience with earth system modelling and with paleoclimates
- you have affinity with statistics
- you have ability to work independently, and to collaborate with other researchers in the interdisciplinary project and research group
- you have excellent written and verbal communication skills in English
We realize that each individual brings a unique set of skills, expertise and mindset. Therefore we are happy to invite anyone who recognizes themselves in the profile to apply, even if you do not (fully) meet all the requirements
What do we offer?
A challenging position in a socially engaged organisation. At VU Amsterdam, you contribute to education, research and service for a better world. And that is valuable. So in return for your efforts, we offer you:
- a salary of minimum € 3.059,00 (PhD) and maximum € 3.881,00 (PhD) gross per month, on a full-time basis. This is based on UFO profile PhD candidate. The exact salary depends on your education and experience
- a position for at least 0.8 FTE. Your employment contract will initially last 1 year. Conditional on a go / no-go assessment, this will be extended to a total of 4 years. At the end of your fourth year, you are expected to complete your PhD dissertation, which you will then defend at VU Amsterdam.
We also offer you attractive fringe benefits and regulations. Some examples:
- a full-time 38-hour working week comes with a holiday leave entitlement of 232 hours per year. If you choose to work 40 hours, you have 96 extra holiday leave hours on an annual basis. For part-timers, this is calculated pro rata
- 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus
- contribution to commuting expenses
- hybrid working enables a good work-life balance
- a wide range of sports facilities which staff may use at a modest charge
- a PhD education program including training for teaching assistants and courses that are part of the SENSE graduate school
About us
About the department
Established in 1971, the Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM) is a leading environmental research institute, internationally recognised for its research output in a range of environmental disciplines, as well as for its interdisciplinary work. IVM’s research community works within four sections: Environmental Economics, Environmental Geography, Environmental Policy Analysis, and Water and Climate Risk.
The section of Water and Climate Risk (WCR) studies hydrological and climate processes, and how these processes lead to risks for society, the economy and the environment. A multi-disciplinary approach defines the section, combining expertise from natural sciences with knowledge from the fields of economics, e-Science and geography. This approach has led to a unique research portfolio of projects, and the department is a global leading institute in flood and drought risk assessment, and risk management research.
This position is part of the Climate Extremes group led by Prof. Dim Coumou, within WCR. The Climate Extremes group studies links between climate change and extreme weather. We have a special focus on how dynamical changes in the atmosphere (e.g., in the jetstream) can change the frequency or intensity of extremes. The group pioneered the use of machine-learning techniques, including causal discovery and explainable AI, to understand atmospheric teleconnections behind extreme weather events. The team’s mission is to (1) understand the processes behind extreme weather, (2) assess the role of climate change on current and future extremes, (3) quantify the impacts and risks for society, in particular for flooding, agriculture and food security, and (4) improve seasonal to sub-seasonal (S2S) forecasting. The team unites expertise on novel data-driven methods with state-of-the-art climate and impact models. Our work has been extensively covered by international media, including The New York Times, Financial Times, Scientific American, Nieuwsuur, Nature, etc. Currently, we lead the XAIDA project (xaida.eu) that unites 16 European research institutes with climate risk practitioners to better assess and predict the influence of climate change on extreme weather using novel artificial intelligence methods. For more information see climateextremes.eu
Faculty of Science
Researchers and students at VU Amsterdam’s Faculty of Science tackle fundamental and complex scientific problems to help pave the way for a sustainable and healthy future. From forest fires to big data, from obesity to malnutrition, and from molecules to the moon: we cover the full spectrum of the natural sciences. Our teaching and research have a strong experimentally technical, computational and interdisciplinary nature.
We work on new solutions guided by value-driven, interdisciplinary methodologies. We are committed to research, valorisation and training socially engaged citizens of the world who will make valuable contributions to a sustainable, healthy future.
Are you interested in joining the Faculty of Science? You will join undergraduate students, PhD candidates and researchers at the biggest sciences faculty in the Netherlands. You will combine a professional focus with a broad view of the world. We are proud of our collegial working climate, characterised by committed staff, a pragmatic attitude and engagement in the larger whole. The faculty is home to over 11,000 students enrolled in 40 study programmes. It employs over 1,600 professionals spread across 10 academic departments.
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam stands for values-driven education and research. We are open-minded experts with the ability to think freely – a broader mind. Maintaining an entrepreneurial perspective and concentrating on diversity, significance and humanity, we work on sustainable solutions with social impact. By joining forces, across the boundaries of disciplines, we work towards a better world for people and planet. Together we create a safe and respectful working and study climate, and an inspiring environment for education and research. Learn more about our codes of conduct.
We are located on one physical campus, in the heart of Amsterdam’s Zuidas business district, with excellent location and accessibility. Over 6,150 staff work at the VU and over 31,000 students attend academic education.
Diversity
Diversity is the driving force of VU Amsterdam. VU wants to be accessible and receptive to diversity in disciplines, cultures, ideas, nationalities, beliefs, preferences and worldviews. We believe that trust, respect, interest and differences lead to new insights and innovation, to sharpness and clarity, to excellence and a broader understanding.
We stand for an inclusive community and believe that diversity and internationalisation contribute to the quality of education, research and our services.
Therefore, we are always searching for people whose backgrounds and experience contribute to the diversity of the VU community.
Questions about the vacancy?
Please contact
Paolo Scussolini
Assistant Professor
Interested
Are you interested in this position and do you believe that your experience will contribute to the further development of our university? In that case, we encourage you to submit your application.
Submitting a diploma and a reference check are part of the application process.
Interviews will be held in the first half of March 2026.
Applications received by e-mail will not be considered.
Acquisition in response to this advertisement is not appreciated.
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