This four-year PhD position is offered in the department of Geo Information Processing, Faculty ITC at the University of Twente, the Netherlands, and is funded by the EU FP7 COMPLEX project
This research position is part of an EU FP7-funded project “Knowledge Based Climate Mitigation Systems for a Low Carbon Economy” (COMPLEX). In this project we will be exploring a generalized ‘socio-environmental model space’, which will include empirical models, conceptual models, complex computer simulations, and data sets describing ecological and socio-economic systems. The goal is to understand how information from more aggregated qualitative models can be transmitted to more elaborated and detailed quantitative simulations, and vice versa. We expect that by comparing the output from more complex models to what can be generated by simpler models and by studying models for structural sensitivity we can see what happens to system behavior observed in some simpler models (loss of equilibrium, tipping points, emergent properties, attractors, etc.), when more details are added to models and when some of these features become no longer evident in the model performance. Our second goal is to provide interoperability between the models and study how integrated models can be built from components. This research is a collaborative effort that includes faculty and students from 15 European partners, and requires good communication skills and work in a collaborative and interdisciplinary team, including work with stakeholders. This is an exciting opportunity to become part of a scientific network spanning countries and disciplines. Best consideration will be given to applications that come by 15 November 2012. See http://www.utwente.nl/vacatures/?VacatureID=539812 for details and to apply.
