The TIP-FRESH project is funded by the ERC Starting Grant (2025-2030) and is led by Marta Tuninetti at Politecnico di Torino.
Our research group will tackle the water scarcity challenge with an innovative approach: we will bring Socio-Hydrology to a new frontier by exploiting the concept of social tipping points to reverse the freshwater crisis. Triggering a rapid adoption toward virtuous diets, thanks to individual choice and collective social dynamics, can off set chain reactions across international trade networks and production systems, ultimately reshaping the freshwater system.
To achieve this objective, the project will draw on multiple disciplines: Hydrology, to gain a deeper understanding of how dietary patterns affect precipitation regimes; Mathematics & Physics, to identify how and when the most abrupt dietary changes have occurred in recent decades; Computational Sociology and Behavioural Psychology, to investigate the role of individual choices and collective dynamics in accelerating dietary transitions.
How do tipping dynamics manifest in dietary patterns?
How do dietary choices impact freshwater sustainability in a globalised food system?
Can socio-cultural contexts influence the emergence of social tipping points in dietary behaviours?
We are seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Researcher with a strong background in mathematical and statistical modeling to join our research team at Politecnico di Torino. The ideal candidate holds a PhD in applied mathematics, statistics, physics, engineering, or a closely related field, has a solid publication record relative to career stage, and is eager to conduct independent and collaborative research in an international, interdisciplinary environment.
Contract: full-time, 2 years (possible extension)
Start date: 1 May 2026
Applications: 1 March – 1 April 2026 (via Politecnico di Torino website)
For informal inquiries: marta.tuninetti@polito.it
We are seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Researcher with a strong background in complex systems and network dynamics to join our research team at Politecnico di Torino. The ideal candidate holds a PhD in network science, computational sociology, statistics, physics, engineering, or a closely related quantitative field, has a solid publication record relative to career stage, and is eager to conduct independent and collaborative research in an international, interdisciplinary environment.
Contract: full-time, 2 years (possible extension)
Start date: 1 May 2026
Applications: 1 March – 1 April 2026 (via Politecnico di Torino website)
For informal inquiries: marta.tuninetti@polito.it