MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship 2026 Hosting Offer
Sustainable Metallurgy and Processes
Organisation/Institute: Spanish National Centre for Metallurgical Research (CENIM-CSIC)
Research Group: Phase Transformations in the Solid State (MATERALIA)
Supervisor: Carola Celada-Casero
Location: Madrid, Spain
Hosting Information
Programme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships (MSCA-PF) – Horizon Europe
Type of Fellowship: European & Global Fellowships
Expected Duration: 12–36 months
Offer Deadline: Fri, 9 Oct 2026 - 10:00
Application Deadline (MSCA): September 2026 (TBC)
Organisation / Institute
CENIM-CSIC is part of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), the largest public research institution in Spain. The institute is internationally recognized in the field of materials science and metallurgy, with strong links to industry and participation in European collaborative projects.
Research Group
The MSCA beneficiary will be hosted by the MATERALIA Group, an internationally recognized team for advancing the fundamental understanding of processing–microstructure–property relationships for the design of next-generation steels.
In recent years, the MATERALIA Group has positioned itself at the forefront of the decarbonisation of the steelmaking and metallurgical industries, driving the development of innovative and efficient processing routes that extend material lifetime, reduce CO₂ emissions, and enable the valorisation of metallurgical by-products. This dynamic research framework, combines physical metallurgy principles with hydrogen-based process design by making use of pioneering experimental capabilities to derive fundamental knowledge on the multiscale physicochemical phenomena controlling hydrogen–metal oxides interactions and their influence on final product quality.
The MSCA beneficiary will have the opportunity to contribute to the “Hydrogen metallurgy” research line, in the framework of several research projects in collaboration with industries, such as ArcelorMittal, CELSA Group, Rovalma and Atlantic Copper. The “Hydrogen metallurgy” research line is currently contributing to the following specific challenges:
- Hydrogen application for metal recovery from steelmaking by-products, such as rolling mill scale and Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) slags
- Hydrogen-based metal refining processes, such as blister copper deoxidation.
- The role of impurities during the solid-state hydrogen-based reduction of iron oxides present in mill scale pellets
- Selective recovery of copper and tin from new copper slags resulting from e-waste recycling
- Data-driven and thermodynamics-based design of pyrometallurgical processes
- Impact of trapped hydrogen in the thermally-processed additive manufactured steels on the mechanical behaviour
MATERALIA Group is committed to maximize the societal and scientific impact of their research advances related to industry decarbonization and energy transition challenges (https://descarboniza360.com/).
Supervisor
Dr. Carola Celada-Casero is a Tenured Scientist at the Spanish National Centre for Metallurgical Research (CENIM-CSIC) since 2021. She holds a Ph.D. in Physics by the Complutense University of Madrid (2015) and, from 2016 to 2021, she worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) and, then, as a principal researcher and project leader of Tata Steel R&D, world leader in sustainable steel manufacturing. During the last years, she has coordinated the Energy Transition and Climate Change Forum of PLATEA and served as a Scientific Expert for the Office of Science and Technology of the Spanish Congress (Green Hydrogen as Fuel, doi: 10.57952/87d5-vg85).
Currently, she leads a new research line on “Hydrogen metallurgy” in CENIM-CSIC. Her research interest is to understand multiscale physicochemical phenomena controlling structure-property relationships in metallurgical products for the design of more sustainable and energy-efficient processing routes. She combines disruptive hydrogen-based experiments, advanced characterization and state-of-the-art simulations. She interprets observed mechanisms through theoretical and data-driven analyses, using Computational Thermochemistry and Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools.
Her leadership and communication skills enable her to capitalize on team synergy and individual motivation within a wide network of academic institutions and industries to ensure the transfer of knowledge.
Research Topics (indicative)
Candidates are encouraged to propose innovative MSCA projects aligned with or complementary to the group’s expertise, including:
- Impact of trapped hydrogen in the thermally-processed additive / conventionally manufactured steels on the mechanical behaviour
- Prospects and innovative uses of hydrogen for the industry decarbonization (hydrogen-based metallurgy)
- Hydrogen-metal interactions: hydrogen diffusion, trapping, hydrogen activity, etc.
- Hydrogen-iron oxides interactions either in solid or liquid states, hydrogen-based reduction processes.
Interdisciplinary proposals are particularly welcome.
Candidate Profile
Applicants must comply with MSCA PF eligibility criteria:
- PhD degree at the call deadline
- Maximum of 8 years of research experience (post-PhD)
- Compliance with MSCA mobility rule
- Strong publication record and scientific independence
- Interest in collaborative and interdisciplinary research
What We Offer
- Full support in proposal preparation and project design
- Integration into a highly recognized research group
- Access to advanced characterization and modelling capabilities
- Strong academic–industry interaction environment
- Career development and training within MSCA framework
MSCA fellowships provide:
- Competitive salary (including mobility/family allowances)
- Research, training, and networking budget
- International mobility and career development opportunities
Application Procedure
Interested candidates should send:
- CV (including publications)
- Short research proposal (1–2 pages)
- Motivation letter
Contact
Carola Celada-Casero
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