Glacio-Hydrological modelling of Andean and Alpine glaciers

Institut des Géosciences de l’Environnement (IGE), Grenoble, France

Join our team in Grenoble, at the heart of the French Alps, to study the past and future contributions of glaciers to water resources in vulnerable regions in the Andes and the Alps.

Position overview

We are seeking a motivated candidate for a 6-month paid Master (M2) internship, with the opportunity to continue as a fully funded 3-year PhD student at the Institut des Géosciences de l’Environnement (IGE) in Grenoble, France. This position combines cutting-edge physics-informed machine learning with glacio-hydrological modelling to assess how glaciers in the Alps and the Andes influence water availability, especially their role in mitigating droughts under climate change.

Your role

You will work with ODINN.jl, a state-of-the-art physics-informed machine learning glacier model, to :

– Perform ice thickness inversions and future projections through the 21st century for glaciers in specific catchments in the Alps and Andean cordillera, ranging from the outer tropics to Patagonia.
– Couple ODINN.jl with a hydrological model (to be decided between process-based and LSTM machine learning-based) to simulate glacier runoff and its impact on downstream water resources.
– Investigate the buffering role of glaciers during droughts and other critical water-related metrics, under different scenarios of climate change in the 21st century, in collaboration with local partners and stakeholders.

You will be part of a supportive team, receiving technical and scientific guidance while handling model runs, result analysis, and scientific interpretation. Your work will contribute to both fundamental glaciological research and applied solutions for water management in climate-vulnerable regions.

What we offer

– A dynamic, interdisciplinary research environment at IGE, surrounded by the French Alps.
Hands-on experience with physics-informed machine learning, glacier modelling, and hydrological simulations.
– Collaboration with international partners, including collaborators in South America. Potential visits to work with Andean partners can be organized as part of the PhD position.
– Training in open-source software development and open science practices.

Who we’re looking for

– Curious and independent candidates, passionate about climate change impacts on the cryosphere, water resources and societal challenges.
– Good programming skills (Julia experience is not required, but a willingness to learn is essential).
– Background in cryospheric, hydrological, or climate science (or related fields).
– Knowledge in machine learning/statistics is a plus.
– Enthusiasm for teamwork, open science, and cross-cultural collaboration (Spanish language skills are a bonus but not required).

Start date : Flexible (ideally early 2026 for the internship, followed by the PhD in October-November 2026).

Location : Grenoble, France (with potential visits and collaborations in the Andes during the PhD).

How to apply : Contact us with a statement of interest and your CV

Jordi Bolibar jordi.bolibar univ-grenoble-alpes.fr
Antoine Rabatel antoine.rabatel univ-grenoble-alpes.fr
Thomas Condom thomas.condom ird.fr