Interdisciplinary PhD Candidate (M/F) – Well-being Metrics

Job Description

Thesis Subject

Thesis topic: "Interdisciplinary epistemological issues surrounding urban well-being metrics"
Context:
Wastewater-based epidemiology is developing approaches that link molecular and biological markers—detected and quantified in wastewater—to the health status, consumption patterns, and environmental exposures of a given population (Daughton, 2018; Vitale et al., 2021). More broadly, these approaches fall within the scope of urban geochemistry, a field that enables the application of methods—typically focused on natural environments—to urban contexts and health-related issues (Filippelli et al., 2012).
At the same time, socio-economic well-being indicators (OECD composite indices, national observatories, "territorial well-being" initiatives) (Bouba-Olga, 2024) currently provide an increasingly used framework for understanding the quality of life in specific territories. However, these metrics remain incomplete and lack standardization—as demonstrated by the COVID-19 pandemic (Boisson and Denis, 2026)—since they typically rely on objective, aggregated data while failing to capture the nuanced subjective and environmental dimensions of well-being, thereby highlighting the need for new data generation.
This doctoral project is part of the WHAOU project (Well-being and HeAlth Observatory within Urban trajectories - https://egout.cnrs.fr/), funded by the French National Research Agency (ANR) under the Priority Research Programme and Equipment (PEPR) for Sustainable Cities and Innovative Buildings. The interdisciplinary WHAOU project aims to develop a health and well-being observatory by combining approaches from environmental sciences (geochemistry, wastewater-based epidemiology) and the humanities and social sciences. The goal of Work Package 1, "Measuring Health and Well-being"—within which this thesis is situated—is to test a method for comparing geochemical and microbiological data measured in wastewater with socio-economic data, drawing on comparative epistemology to examine the commensurability of these metrics (Desrosières, 2003).

Thesis project objectives:
The thesis project proposes aligning these various metrics and their associated conventions, and fostering a dialogue between them. The project's hypothesis is that analyzing the substances and molecules circulating in the Paris sewer system—combined with an analysis of Parisians' social practices and the city's urban morphology—will provide greater insight into their quality of life, or even their well-being.

The aim of this thesis is to initiate a disciplinary and cross-sectoral dialogue based on these two families of metrics, with the goal of developing integrated indicators of urban well-being that link living conditions, population health, and environmental pressures. To achieve this, the first step will be to inventory the metrics currently used in wastewater epidemiology alongside those from the humanities and social sciences. This inventory will then allow for a comparative analysis of the metrics, identifying criteria that render them comparable or determining the degree of heterogeneity that distinguishes them. This work will rely on ongoing discussions with the communities—including academics, practitioners, policymakers, and the general public—that use or develop these metrics.
Given that the data are of different types and not directly comparable, the study site itself will serve as a shared object of inquiry and a mediating element. Within the framework of the WHAOU project, this site will comprise six Parisian districts (arrondissements) exhibiting varied characteristics regarding socioeconomic status, built density, access to amenities, and exposure to potential pollution sources (such as major roads and incinerators). The data generated by the consortium will be the subject of repeated discussions and continuous interaction between the doctoral candidate and the project's highly interdisciplinary team.

Key activities:
The approach will focus on three main lines of inquiry:
(1) Assess the current state of knowledge regarding how well-being is measured by decision-makers and by international, national, and local bodies. This involves clarifying what each indicator represents—for instance, by highlighting potential disparities (geographic or disciplinary), variations, and changes over time.
(2) Conduct a critical, organized inventory of metrics used in wastewater epidemiology that are potentially relevant to well-being, based on an exhaustive literature review (covering both academic and grey literature).
(3) Organize the dataset into a dynamic dashboard that can be continuously updated with new metrics proposed by the community throughout the project.
(4) For the study areas selected by the WHAOU consortium, compare surface-level metrics (surveys, census data, etc.) with metrics derived from wastewater analysis under Work Package 2 ("Health and Well-being Monitoring").
(5) Disseminate and leverage results:
o Organize working meetings and seminars with local, national, and international collaborators.
o Present findings at national and international conferences.
o Draft a thesis manuscript and scientific articles.

References :
BOUBA-OLGA, Olivier, Habitabilité territoriale : comment concilier bien-être de tous et respect des limites planétaires ?, Fondation Jean Jaurès, 2024.
BOISSON, Marine et DENIS, Jérôme. Data Trials : Work, Worries and Care Behind the Scenes of a Data-Driven Pandemic. Computer Supported Cooperative Work 35, 8, 2026,
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10606-026-09540-w
DAUGHTON, Christian G., Monitoring wastewater for assessing community health: Seawage chemical-information mining (SCIM), Science of the Total Environment, 619-621, 748-764, 2018.
DESROSIERES, Alain. « Comment fabriquer un espace de commune mesure ? Harmonisation des statistiques et réalisme de leurs usages ». Stratégies de la comparaison internationale, édité par Michel Lallement et Jan Spurk, CNRS Éditions, 2003
FILIPPELLI, Gabriel, MORRISON, Deborah et CICCHELLA, Domenico : Urban geochemistry and Human health, Elements, Vol. 8, pp. 439-444, 2012.
LATOUR, Bruno, La science en action, introduction à la sociologie des sciences, Paris, La Découverte, 1989.
VITALE, Dyana, SUAREZ-VARELA, Maria Morales, PICO, Yolanda, Wastewater-based epidemiology, a tool to bridge biomarkers of exposure, contaminants, and human health, Current Opinion in Environmental Science & Health, 20 :100229, 2021.

Expected outcomes:
This thesis aims to deepen our understanding of how concepts are articulated and how metrics from various disciplines can interoperate. It is also expected to yield integrated well-being indicators that can be utilized in public policy.
Dissemination and valorization strategy
The research findings will be disseminated through scientific publications in environmental epidemiology journals (e.g., *Journal of Urban Health*, *Science of the Total Environment*, *Water Research*, *Environmental Science & Technology*) and urban planning journals (e.g., *European Planning Studies*, *Urban Studies*, *Cities*, *VertigO*, *RIURBA*), with a target of two to three published papers by the end of the doctoral contract. The doctoral candidate will participate in disciplinary or interdisciplinary conferences, presenting a poster in the first year and delivering one or two oral presentations during the second and third years.

Candidate Profile:
We are seeking a highly motivated candidate holding a Master's degree (or equivalent) in Environmental Sciences, Geography, Science and Technology Studies, Data Science, or a degree from an engineering school or *Grande École*.
- Strong interest in interdisciplinary work;
- Interest in the study of urban environments;
- Proven experience in using data from various disciplines;
- Data visualization skills (an asset);
- Scientific communication skills (oral and written) in French and English;
- Ability to collaborate within an interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral framework;
- Strong interpersonal skills and a collaborative mindset.

Your Work Environment

This PhD project is supported by a scholarship funded through the WHAOU project. The thesis will be conducted at the Laboratory for Sciences of Climate and Environment (LSCE) in Gif-sur-Yvette and at the Architecture, Culture, and Society Laboratory at the Paris-Malaquais School of Architecture.

Constraints and risks

No risk identified

Compensation and benefits

Compensation

2300 € gross monthly

Annual leave and RTT

44 jours

Remote Working practice and compensation

Pratique et indemnisation du TT

Transport

Prise en charge à 75% du coût et forfait mobilité durable jusqu’à 300€

About the offer

About the CNRS

The CNRS is a major player in fundamental research on a global scale. The CNRS is the only French organization active in all scientific fields. Its unique position as a multi-specialist allows it to bring together different disciplines to address the most important challenges of the contemporary world, in connection with the actors of change.

CNRS

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