PhD Researcher: risk/return optimisation and impact on coastal and marine nature-based solutions

Do you have a passion for business-relevant research and the ambition to obtain your PhD on the topic of financing nature-based solutions? Do you have the right academic background, and are you ready to start this 4-year journey in our open, international and collegial environment? Let’s meet!


PhD Researcher: risk/return optimisation and impact on coastal and marine nature-based solutions

Vlerick Business School is an innovative, top-ranked and sustainable international business school in the heart of Europe. Our purpose is to transform people for a better world! We want being at Vlerick to be a transformative experience where you discover the knowledge, mindset and confidence you need to take your next leap – and become the entrepreneurial leader our world needs.

As part of our close-knit team and in collaboration with Ghent University (BLUEGent), you’ll bring our strategy and purpose to life.

BLUEGent is Ghent University’s business development centre in the field of aquaculture and blue life sciences. More specifically, BLUEGent is active in sustainable seafood, multi-use of space at sea, coastal management and the interaction of men and ocean under the concept of One Ocean, One Health. BLUEGent coordinates and supports collaborations focusing on scaling up new, blue technologies and products from the lab-scale to real-world applications, in close collaboration with stakeholders and partners from academic, industrial and policy settings. BLUEGent works transdisciplinary in nature with the aim to create impact towards industry and society at large, in particular by establishing new spin-offs or license agreements with industry partners.

We are looking for a motivated PhD student to develop and apply advanced quantitative models for evaluating and optimising financial and non-financial returns of coastal and marine Nature-based Solutions (NbS). The PhD student will be part of a transdisciplinary project team with experts in sustainable finance, coastal engineering, marine biology, carbon sequestration and blue innovation at large. The goal of the research is to work with the team to integrate ecological and socio-economic dimensions into a risk/return/impact model and develop actionable tools for financing NbS projects while documenting the impact of these nature-based solutions.

Do you want to obtain an impactful PhD? Here’s what you need to know!  

Your mission  

• Complete a 4-year PhD journey with Vlerick Business School and BLUEGent.
• Develop a Risk/Return/Impact Model. Extend traditional investment utility functions (Markowitz) to include financial and non-financial dimensions using advanced mathematical techniques.
• Develop an Index. Standardise diverse ecological metrics (e.g., carbon sequestration, erosion protection) into a coherent index to forecast benefits and risks.
• Create and Impact Monitoring Strategy. Identify key parameters and develop strategies to align theoretical performance with observed outcomes.
• Design a financial tool for determining optimal financing mixes for NbS.
• Apply the integrated model in real-world cases for coastal and marine NbS, benchmarking against traditional cost-benefit methodologies.
• Provide support for the activities of the research area.
  

You

• Obtained a master’s degree in Economics, Finance, Mathematics, Physics, Environmental Science, or related disciplines such as Bioscience engineering, Civil engineering, or Business Engineering.
• Have excellent qualifications throughout your studies. Distinctions (cum laude or higher) at bachelor and master levels are a plus.
• Possess strong quantitative and analytical skills, with experience in mathematical modelling or statistical analysis.
• Are motivated to undertake inter-/transdisciplinary research combining ecological and economic perspectives.
• Have solid written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Are committed to achieving research excellence and producing high-quality publications.
• Being familiar with multi-dimensional investment modelling, such as extensions of Markowitz theory, is a plus.
• Having insight into programming tools such as R, Python, or MATLAB is highly desirable.
• Being knowledgable about Nature-based Solutions, ecosystem services, or risk analysis is an asset.
• Can work form our Vlerick campuses in Brussels, Ghent or Leuven and from home.

#ProudtobeVlerick

• Autonomy and responsibility in an engaging work environment.
• Opportunities for professional and personal growth.
• A team of enthusiastic, driven colleagues, passionate about learning.
• Flexibility: 30+ holiday days, working from home, etc.
• A real impact and inspiring people to live, learn and leap!

At Vlerick, openness to the world is part of our DNA. We are continuously working towards being a truly diverse, equitable and inclusive place to work and learn. So, no matter who you are, where you come from, or what your dreams are, we look forward to receiving your application.

Vlerick Business School is the hosting institute for this PhD journey with David Veredas (Vlerick Business School and Ugent) as your promoter and Margriet Drouillon (Ugent) as your co-promotor. Ghent University will be your PhD granting institute. We offer you a contract of definite duration for a maximum term of 4 years with starting date on 1 March 2025 at the earliest. More information on the salary scale (WM1), staff benefits and employment conditions can be transparently accessed via the links.

Take the leap!

If you meet these criteria, please apply with your resume, motivation letter, reference letter and bachelor and master transcripts on our website. If available, please also add the results of your TOEFL or IELTS and your GRE score. Happy to give you more information on the job content: david.veredas@vlerick.com and margriet.drouillon@ugent.be or the selection process and working at Vlerick: hr@vlerick.com.