Funded Ph.D. Student Position (Starting Fall 2027)

Community Surface Dynamics Modeling System (CSDMS); Lansing (MI); On-site; USD 32,000 - 46,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Michigan invites applications for a PhD position starting Fall 2027 in hydrology and water resources research. The successful candidate will engage in research areas including hydrology, flood forecasting, AI methods, and climate modeling, contributing to cutting-edge modeling efforts within a collaborative research group.

Interested applicants should send CV and research interests to Dr. Tiantian Yang at [e-mail] by November 2026; application deadline is December 1, 2026.

Qualifications

• Strong motivation and ability to learn; capacity for original research and communicating findings at conferences and in peer‑reviewed publications.
• Programming in Julia, MATLAB, Python or similar language.
• Ability to mentor and collaborate in a dynamic research environment.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to PhD research projects in hydrology, flood forecasting, and climate modeling.
• Develop and apply data-driven methods including machine learning for water resources problems.
• Collaborate with the Terrestrial Working Group and Hydrology Focus Research Group.

Skills

Julia

MATLAB

Python

Independent research

Communication

Education

B.S./M.S. in civil/environmental/related field

Tools

Julia

MATLAB

Python

Job description

Position

University of Michigan, Michigan, United States

Apply before: 1 December 2026

Posting:

PhD position

Apply Before

1 December 2026

Ph.D. Student Position – Fall 2027

A new Ph.D. student position is available for a Fall 2027 start.

Interested applicants are encouraged to contact Dr. Tiantian Yang at [e-mail] with their CV and research interests before November 2026.

Application deadline: December 1, 2026

Research Areas

• Hydrology
• Flood forecasting
• Water resources
• Artificial intelligence
• Subseasonal-to-seasonal (S2S) forecasting
• Snow hydrology, modeling, and observations
• Weather forecasting
• Climate change
• Streamflow prediction
• Environmental science
• Hydropower
• Reservoir and lake operations
• Optimization theory
• Climate modeling
• Water–energy–food nexus
• Remote sensing and radar precipitation observations
• Physical hydrologic and land-surface modeling
• Statistical modeling approaches, including machine learning and data mining

Preferred Qualifications

The ideal candidate will have strong motivation and ability to learn, a capacity for developing original research, and good communication skills for presenting research at major conferences and preparing peer-reviewed publications.

The Following Qualifications Are Preferred But Not Mandatory

• A B.S. or M.S. degree in a related field, such as Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Natural Resources, or another discipline with strong mathematical training.
• Strong programming skills in Julia, MATLAB, Python, or another programming language.
• Ability to mentor and lead undergraduate students in research tasks.
• Self-motivation and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a dynamic research environment.

Of interest for:

• Terrestrial Working Group
• Hydrology Focus Research Group