PhD position in environmental engineering

Organisation/Company Università degli Studi di Brescia Research Field Environmental science » Water science Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Country Italy Final date to receive applications 17 Jan 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Paris) Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Offer Starting Date 1 Sep 2026 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Horizon Europe – COFUND Marie Curie Grant Agreement Number  Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

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Water, wastewater and waste management in remote and mountainous regions: from tradition to innovation

Water and waste management in mountainous and remote areas is a critical issue. Small villages and mountain shelters are often far from centralized services and infrastructure, making decentralized solutions essential. These solutions must account for accessibility challenges and environmental and climatic conditions, which affects resorces availability and systems functioning. In some areas, climate change and tourism increase place additional pressure on already fragile environments.

Solid waste must be collected and transported to treatment facilities requiring storage and transport capacity. Drinking water is often supplied in plastic bottles brought up from the valleys, or collected from rainfall and glaciers and then treated. Wastewater, usually requires local treatment, which can be difficult to implement, depending on its quality, space and resources availability.

Although technological innovation and stricter environmental regulations have advanced water and waste management in recent years, solutions often overlook the needs of small, decentralized communities. Mountain communities, however, have managed scarce resources for centuries.

This research aims to explore traditional practices, while exploring current approaches to these challenges. The goal is to identify synergies where tradition and innovation can converge, informing both new technologies and policy development for these areas. Nature-based solutions, such as constructed
wetlands or soil infiltration systems, will be investigated as sustainable, low-energy alternatives.

Combining traditional and modern practices in water and waste management can generate cultural value. By turning these practices into part of local heritage and tourist experiences, communities can raise awareness about the fragility of mountain environments, promoting more sustainable tourism and living.

This PhD position is part of the Cultural Heritage Outreach in Rom Ance Languages (CHORAL) programme, a Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska Curie programme co-funded by the European Union. This prestigious programme is linked to UNITA's Cultural Heritage Hub, an international research network within the Alliance, which structures its research ecosystem facing cultural related challenges.

CHORAL aims to train high-quality international researchers and to nurture the development of interdisciplinary, international and inter-sectoral research that addresses any aspect of cultural heritage. While rooted in cultural heritage,
the programme spans a wide range of scientific domains
, including architecture, anthropology, arts and culture, computer science, history, literature, linguistics, management, and more.

Selected candidates will be enrolled in PhD programmes under joint supervision, awarding a double degree and requiring international mobility
.

This offer is part of the MSCA-COFUND CHORAL programme, which will finance 14 positions out of 20 positions offered.

On the deadline of the call, the candidate must be a doctoral candidate, i.e not already in possession of a doctoral degree, but in possession of a Master’s Degree enabling to do a PhD in Social Science, Arts, Architecture and Humanities applied to cultural heritage.

Any candidate in possession of the required diploma can apply regardless of the year of obtention of the diploma.

• MSc in Environmental Engineering, Environmental Science, Environmental Studies, Sustainability, Science, Ecology, environmental Architecture, Geosciences or related fields
• Ability to…