MSc and PhD Positions in Flood Modeling

We invite applications for three fully funded graduate student positions: one MSc position and two PhD positions.

Project overview: Floods are the costliest and most widespread natural disaster in Canada, affecting communities and ecosystems from coast to coast to coast. A key challenge is that hydrologic processes in Canada are widely different, leading to an extensive range of flood-generating mechanisms across the country. In addition, current flood hazard mapping efforts are fragmented across jurisdictions and often rely on closed-source models that require substantial manual effort and are not always well suited to Canadian river basins.

Open-FRANC (Open-Source Flood Risk Analysis Network for Canada) aims to address these challenges by developing a Canada-specific, open-source flood modeling ecosystem. The project will unify floodplain modeling capabilities for fluvial, coastal, and compound flooding nationwide. Open-FRANC will also develop predictive tools and scenario-based hazard products to support federal flood policy, enhance resilience to climate-driven floods, and enable evidence-based decision-making at multiple levels. It is a collaborative initiative among six leading Canadian universities.

Available positions: The successful students will contribute to the following research areas:

  • MSc position: Mapping/modeling of open water floods and ice jam hazards.
  • PhD position 1: Hydraulic modeling of open water and ice jam floods.
  • PhD position 2: Integration of hydrological and hydraulic models.

The MSc position and PhD position 1 will be co-supervised by Dr. Jennifer Nafziger and Dr. Yuntong She, and PhD position 2 will be supervised by Dr. Hongli Liu.

Candidate qualifications: We welcome applications with backgrounds in hydrology, hydraulics, and process-based modeling. We value diversity and encourage applications from all qualified candidates. Please note:

  • PhD applicants must hold (or be completing) a Master’s degree, and direct applications from Bachelor’s graduates are not eligible.
  • Please review our graduate program admission requirements before inquiring.
  • International applicants should ensure they meet the required English proficiency standards before applying.

Application instructions: If you are interested in these positions, please email the following materials to Dr. Jennifer Nafziger (jnafzige@ualberta.ca) for the MSc position and PhD position 1, and to Dr. Hongli Liu (hongli.liu@ualberta.ca) for PhD position 2.

Please use the subject line: “PhD Application – Your Name” (or “MSc Application – Your Name”, as appropriate). Please include:

  1. Curriculum vitae (CV)
  2. Undergraduate and, if applicable, graduate transcripts (unofficial copies are acceptable)
  3. A brief document describing:
    • Your interest in these opportunities, and
    • Your experience with hydraulic modeling, hydrologic modeling, and flood mapping, if any.

Review of applications will begin on January 19, 2026, and will continue on a rolling basis until the positions are filled. We appreciate all applications; however, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Other Funding Opportunities

Graduate students

We encourage graduate students exploring financial support opportunities from:

Please review the admission requirements of our graduate program, including GPA and English proficiency, before reaching out with inquiries.

Undergraduate Students

We welcome undergraduates to explore research opportunities and contribute to our projects. Available initiatives include:

International undergraduate students can consider: