PhD: Resilience Optimisation of Spatially Extended Tipping-prone Systems

Are you passionate about working at the intersection of mathematics, climate science, and ecology? Join us for this exciting interdisciplinary PhD position!

Your job

As a consequence of global climate change and local human activities, such as the occurrence of droughts and deforestation, many ecosystems and climate subsystems are put under pressure. It is feared that the response of these systems to these anthropogenic forcings might include large, abrupt and irreversible critical shifts when they are pushed beyond their tipping points. However, it has become clear that for spatially extended systems – such as ecosystems and climate subsystems – it is also possible that only part of the spatial domain is affected, thus potentially limiting the impact of tipping of those systems. This is due to the possibility of finding spatially heterogeneous states, such as regular Turing patterns or coexistence states, in which part of the domain is in one state and part of the domain in another. Recently, it has been argued that this spatial patterning can lead to an evasion of tipping points, or a more fragmented tipping pathway with multiple smaller transitions.

However, due to the intricate multistability of spatially extended systems, many different tipping pathways could be found, depending on for example the precise forcing scenario, pre-existing spatial patterns and the spatial variation in environmental conditions. As some tipping pathways are more favourable than others, it is of interest to investigate how the most desired tipping pathway can be selected. That is, which conditions should be created to ensure that a system’s natural pattern formation can best enhance the system’s resilience? This is the central question that will be answered in this project. For this, we will formulate and solve relevant mathematical optimisation problems using analytical and numerical techniques from mathematical pattern formation theory and optimisation theory. We will do so via conceptual mathematical models of increasing complexity. Further, we will apply this methodology for vegetation preservation and restoration in dryland ecosystem models. These results will provide relevant insights for preservation and restoration activities, also in other natural systems, and will give handles on how to postpone or prevent the crossing of unwanted tipping points, how to promote the crossing of desired tipping points and how to mitigate the negative effects of crossing a tipping point.

As a PhD candidate on this project, you will be embedded at both the Mathematical Institute and theInstitute for Marine and Atmospheric research Utrecht (IMAU) to perform interdisciplinary research bridging gaps between mathematical theory on tipping in spatially extended systems and applications in ecosystems and climate subsystems.You will perform research using both analytic and numeric techniques from different fields of mathematics and physics, such as the field of pattern formation and optimisation. Further, you will apply and interpret your obtained results for wider scientific audiences of climate scientists and ecologists, giving concrete direction towards your results.

As a PhD candidate, you will also help with teaching of Bachelor's and/or Master's courses.

Your qualities

We are looking for a candidate who is enthusiastic and motivated to make a significant contribution to our research. Furthermore, we like you to bring the following qualifications:

• a Master’s degree in (Applied) Mathematics, (Applied) Physics, or a related field, or currently in the process of completing such a degree;
• solid understanding of concepts from dynamical systems theory;
• interest in mathematical analysis and interpreting results in a broader scientific context;
• oral and written communication skills in English;
• It is an advantage, but not necessary, to have experience with mathematical biology, mathematical ecology and/or climate physics, and with pattern formation theory and/or mathematical optimisation.

Our offer

We offer:

• a position for four years;
• a gross monthly salary between €2,770 in the first year and €3,539 in the fourth year in the case of full-time employment (salary scale P under the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU);
• 8% holiday pay and 8.3% year-end bonus;
• a pension scheme, partially paid parental leave and flexible terms of employment based on the CAO NU.