# Research / Scientific Computing Collaboration – Julia Modelling for Subak Water Filtration

**URL:** <https://discourse.julialang.org/t/research-scientific-computing-collaboration-julia-modelling-for-subak-water-filtration/139586>\
**Category:** Jobs\
**Tags:** biology, physics, geo, biochemistry, geophysics\
**Created:** [September 22, 2026, 3:21am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/research-scientific-computing-collaboration-julia-modelling-for-subak-water-filtration/139586 "2026-09-22T03:21:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Fen\_Steckenborn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/fen_steckenborn/32/224252_2.png) [@Fen\_Steckenborn](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Fen_Steckenborn)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2026, 3:21am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/research-scientific-computing-collaboration-julia-modelling-for-subak-water-filtration/139586/1 "2026-09-22T03:21:06Z")

</div>

**Location:** Remote / Germany–Indonesia collaboration  
**Project:** Bali Ecofiltration – Subak Water Management, Bali, Indonesia  
**Engagement:** Research collaboration / contract / student or PhD project  
**Start:** Flexible / as soon as possible

## About the project

We are developing a field-based, nature-based water filtration system for **Subak agricultural irrigation systems in Bali, Indonesia**.

The system combines locally available and waste-derived materials and biological treatment processes, including sedimentation, filtration, biochar-based adsorption and ecological polishing. The objective is to develop a low-cost, locally maintainable system that can operate under real agricultural conditions and be replicated across different Subak communities.

We are now looking for someone with strong **Julia scientific-computing and dynamical-systems modelling experience** to help us build a computational model of the system.

## What we need

We are particularly interested in someone experienced with:

- **DifferentialEquations.jl**

- **Catalyst.jl** or related reaction/network modelling tools

- ODE/PDE modelling

- Fluid-flow and **mass-transport dynamics**

- Transport, adsorption and/or reaction processes

- Parameter estimation and sensitivity analysis

- Model calibration against experimental/field data

- Scientific visualisation and reproducible computational workflows

The modelling challenge is to represent how **water, pollutants, flow rate and treatment media interact over time and through different filtration stages**.

Potential model components include:

- water flow and residence time

- pollutant transport

- sedimentation

- adsorption onto biochar or other media

- biological degradation/transformation

- nutrient dynamics

- media saturation

- changing hydraulic conditions

- rainfall and high-flow events

- treatment efficiency under different configurations

We are particularly interested in developing a model that can eventually help answer practical questions such as:

**How should a modular Subak filtration system be configured to achieve effective pollutant removal while remaining low-cost, robust and maintainable under variable tropical flow conditions?**

## Your role

You would work closely with our field team and research partners to translate the physical filtration system into a computational model.

The initial work would involve understanding the existing field setup, identifying the key state variables and processes, defining appropriate equations and assumptions, and developing a first Julia model.

The model would then be progressively connected to **laboratory and field measurements from Bali** , allowing calibration, sensitivity analysis and comparison between different filtration configurations.

We are open to different levels of involvement — from a focused modelling project to a longer-term research collaboration or potential **Master’s/PhD project**.

## What we can provide

- Access to a real-world environmental engineering problem in Bali

- Field data and experimental results as they become available

- Access to local project partners and Subak communities

- Collaboration with researchers and universities in Germany and Indonesia

- Opportunities for field validation in Bali

- A multidisciplinary environment combining **water, ecology, biochar, biotechnology, agriculture and circular economy**

## Who we are looking for

This could be a good fit for a:

- Scientific software engineer

- Computational biologist

- Environmental modeller

- Hydrologist

- Chemical/environmental engineer

- Applied mathematician

- Master’s or PhD researcher

The most important requirement is **strong scientific modelling ability and genuine interest in applying computational methods to a real environmental system**.

Experience with **Julia and DifferentialEquations.jl is particularly important**.

If this sounds relevant to your work, please get in touch with a short introduction and, ideally, examples of relevant Julia modelling projects or GitHub repositories.

**Contact:** Felix Steckenborn  
Bali, Indonesia  
Udayana University / Bali Ecofiltration

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![igoshevmax](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/igoshevmax/32/224291_2.png) [@igoshevmax](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/igoshevmax)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2026, 1:52pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/research-scientific-computing-collaboration-julia-modelling-for-subak-water-filtration/139586/2 "2026-09-23T13:52:35Z")

</div>

Hi Felix,

Interesting project - I live in Bali, so I wanted to reach out.

I can help with the computational side remotely - modelling and code. If you or your team are ever in Bali, I’d be glad to meet for a coffee and get to know each other.

If you’re interested, let me know where the project stands.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Fen\_Steckenborn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/fen_steckenborn/32/224252_2.png) [@Fen\_Steckenborn](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Fen_Steckenborn)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2026, 2:26pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/research-scientific-computing-collaboration-julia-modelling-for-subak-water-filtration/139586/3 "2026-09-23T14:26:54Z")

</div>

Hey,

Thats epic! I’m in Bali most of the year.  
my main hub is in Sanur, but I move around the island a lot, especially between Sanur and Sibang.

Let me know where and when we can meet for coffee. I’d love to share an introduction and give you more background so we can start building capacity right away. I can also connect you with some of the local researchers in Indonesia/Bali who are co-leading these efforts with me.

Looking forward to connecting.

Best,  
Fen

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![igoshevmax](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/igoshevmax/32/224291_2.png) [@igoshevmax](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/igoshevmax)\
**Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 1:51pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/research-scientific-computing-collaboration-julia-modelling-for-subak-water-filtration/139586/4 "2026-09-24T13:51:14Z")

</div>

We can meet on Monday or Tuesday.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Fen\_Steckenborn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/fen_steckenborn/32/224252_2.png) [@Fen\_Steckenborn](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Fen_Steckenborn)\
**Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 4:11pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/research-scientific-computing-collaboration-julia-modelling-for-subak-water-filtration/139586/5 "2026-09-24T16:11:47Z")

</div>

Hi Maksim,

Sounds good, let’s meet for lunch on Tuesday at 12:30 PM in Sibang.

We can meet at Gede’s Farm next to Green School and pick a lunch spot from there.

Feel free to text me on WhatsApp at +61421601343.

Regards,  
Fen

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Fen\_Steckenborn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/fen_steckenborn/32/224252_2.png) [@Fen\_Steckenborn](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Fen_Steckenborn)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2026, 3:07pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/research-scientific-computing-collaboration-julia-modelling-for-subak-water-filtration/139586/6 "2026-09-26T15:07:04Z")

</div>

Hey  
Pls confirm for Tuesday Meeting.

Thanks