Job Information
- Organisation/Company: INSA Toulouse
- Department: Toulouse Biotechnology Institute
- Research Field: Engineering » Chemical engineering; Engineering » Process engineering; Engineering » Systems engineering
Offer Description
PRIME LEAP, Next-generation intensified chemical processes integrating plasma and single-atom catalysis, is a Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network dedicated to pioneering next-generation electrified chemical processes. It is positioned in the context of a highly decarbonised future in Europe, where the chemical industry will need to reduce its dependence on fossil carbon and fossil energy. For industries producing platform chemicals such as ethylene, a major precursor for polymers and other chemical intermediates, this transition may involve the progressive electrification of steam crackers. Instead of burning fuel to provide the required heat, electrified crackers would use electricity, ideally from very low-carbon sources. Although such electrification can reduce direct fuel combustion and associated CO₂ emissions, methane-rich by-products currently used as internal fuels may require alternative valorisation routes. This creates a need to assess technologies capable of converting methane into higher-value chemicals rather than simply combusting it.
The PRIME LEAP network thus brings together leading experts from plasma chemistry, single-atom catalysis, data-driven process control, modelling, process engineering and life cycle assessment to tackle the challenge of converting methane selectively and energy-efficiently into value-added chemicals using integrated plasma and catalytic technologies. While directly making ethylene from methane in plasma is difficult, the plasma/catalyst integration makes it possible to use plasma where it is relatively strong: activating methane and forming acetylene + hydrogen. The catalyst step is then used where catalysis is strong: selective conversion of acetylene into ethylene or other value-added chemicals.
PRIME LEAP’s objective is to train a new generation of researchers able to work across disciplinary boundaries and contribute to greener, more resilient and more resource-efficient chemical manufacturing. One key scientific hypothesis of PRIME LEAP is that integrating plasma conversion with single-atom catalysis could, under suitable process conditions and low-carbon electricity supply, reach energy efficiencies competitive with or exceeding those of traditional steam cracking.
Within PRIME LEAP, INSA Toulouse is recruiting one Doctoral Candidate to work on advanced Life Cycle Assessment of next-generation low-fossil-carbon chemicals, including through the PRIME LEAP processes. The position will be hosted at the Toulouse Biotechnology Institute, within a research environment combining Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), process engineering, circular bioeconomy and low-fossil-carbon transition strategies, and potential use of machine learning. The doctoral project will be supervised by Prof. Lorie Hamelin at INSA Toulouse, with Prof. Livia Giordano at the University of Milano-Bicocca as co-supervisor. A secondment of minimum 3 months will take place.
Doctoral project
The doctoral project will aim to uncover the drivers shaping the sustainability of low-fossil-carbon platform-chemical production in future European systems. Ethylene, as a key platform chemical, is particularly targeted.
Key drivers may include: the specific targeted chemical and displaced incumbent route; methane source; plasma/catalyst configuration; process-specific parameters such as conversion, yield and selectivity; electricity and heat mixes; degree of electrification; temporal deployment; and resource criticality, among others. While the focus is on the PRIME-LEAP integrated plasma/catalyst methane-to-chemicals pathways, comparison with known bio-based pathways (e.g. bioethanol dehydration route, biomass gasification-to-biomethanol-to-olefins route, or bio-naphtha or upgraded biooil steam-cracking routes) and current petrochemical pathways will also be made on the basis of in-house inventories, in order to provide a comprehensive overview of the performance of available alternatives against current petrochemistry.
The doctoral project will develop advanced Life Cycle Assessment methods to (i) quantify the environmental consequences of a variety of emerging integrated plasma/catalysts pathways for methane-to-chemicals, including aspects of resource criticality, (ii) compare the performance of methane-to-chemical routes with relevant bio-based and petrochemical routes and (iii) determine how, where in Europe, when and under which conditions investments in low-fossil-carbon platform chemicals production should be prioritized to meaningfully contribute to sustainable chemical production in the context of future highly decarbonized European economies.
The doctoral candidate will work on the following objectives:
- Develop modular, prospective and parametric Life Cycle Inventories (LCI) of frontier integrated plasma/catalysts processes converting methane into platform chemicals.
- Perform dynamic and prospective Life Cycle Assessments, including uncertainty and global sensitivity analysis, to quantify the environmental performance of selected pathways and identify their key performance dependencies.
- Perform resource criticality assessment of selected methane-to-chemicals pathways.
The expected outputs include open-access datasets, scientific publications and evidence-based guidance to support investment and policy decisions for European chemical industries, towards low-fossil-carbon chemicals.
Where to apply
E-mail: hamelin@insa-toulouse.fr
Requirements
Research Field: Engineering » Other
Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent
Skills/Qualifications
Required qualifications
Applicants must have:
- A Master’s degree or equivalent in Chemical Engineering, Process Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Industrial Ecology, Energy Systems, Applied Chemistry, Applied Physics, Materials Science, or a closely related discipline – An Engineering degree will be considered an asset;
- Excellent command of English, written and spoken;
- Strong analytical and quantitative skills;
- Ability to work with mass and energy balances;
- Motivation for interdisciplinary research involving sustainability scientists, process engineers, plasma physicists, catalysis researchers and industrial partners;
- Capacity to work independently while contributing to an international doctoral network
- Interest in open science, transparent modelling and reproducible research.
Valuable additional skills
The following skills are not mandatory but will be considered assets:
- Experience with Life Cycle Assessment, techno-economic assessment or process modelling;
- Experience with Python or other scientific programming tools;
- Familiarity with LCA tools such as Brightway, Activity Browser, openLCA, and with databases such as ecoinvent;
- Familiarity with prospective LCA, consequential LCA, dynamic LCA, uncertainty analysis or global sensitivity analysis;
- Experience handling incomplete or uncertain data from emerging technologies
- Ability to work with scenarios and numerical models.
Candidates are not expected to already master all these methods, tools and skills. The position is suitable for a candidate with strong quantitative foundations, intellectual curiosity and the ability and willingness to learn and apply new skills across disciplinary boundaries. Capacity for self-directed learning is expected.
Specific Requirements
The selected candidate will be expected to:
- Commit full-time to the research and training activities of the project, unless authorisation is granted by the European Commission for personal or family reasons;
- Carry out the research activities related to the specified doctoral project;
- Comply with the rules of the PRIME LEAP Grant Agreement, Consortium Agreement and local employment contract;
- Sign the necessary agreements concerning intellectual property rights, confidentiality and data protection;
- Comply with the principles of research integrity and open science.
Languages
ENGLISH — Level: Excellent
Internal Application form(s) needed
PhD offer-DC11-PRIME LEAP.pdf — English (297.54 KB - PDF)
Additional Information
Benefits
Employment conditions and benefits
The selected Doctoral Candidate will be employed full-time by INSA Toulouse under a temporary employment contract for 36 months, with full social security and pension rights according to French regulations. PhD enrolment is mandatory, and the candidate will be physically hosted at INSA Toulouse / Toulouse Biotechnology Institute.
The MSCA financial package for this position is calculated according to the MSCA Doctoral Networks 2024 rules. For France, the living allowance uses the Country Correction Coefficient applicable to the call, 118.1%.
The gross MSCA financial package, before applicable deductions, includes:
- Living allowance: 4,735.81 €/month, corresponding to 170,489.16 € over 36 months;
- Mobility allowance: 710 €/month, corresponding to 25,560 € over 36 months;
- Family allowance: 660 €/month, if applicable according to MSCA rules and the candidate’s family situation.
All allowances are subject to applicable French social security contributions and taxation. The exact contractual gross salary, net salary and net salary after income tax will be determined by INSA Toulouse according to French employment rules and the candidate’s personal situation.
Eligibility criteria
MSCA eligibility criteria
Applicants must comply with the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network eligibility rules.
At the date of recruitment, applicants must:
- Not be in possession of a doctoral degree and must not have successfully defended a doctoral thesis;
- Comply with the MSCA mobility rule: they must not have resided or carried out their main activity — work, studies, etc. — in France for more than 12 months during the 36 months immediately before the recruitment date. Compulsory national service, short stays such as holidays, and time spent as part of a procedure for obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention are not counted;
- Meet all admission requirements for the doctoral programme at INSA Toulouse / MEGEP doctoral school (Mechanics, energy, civil engineering, processes);
- Be willing and understand they will need to undertake international mobility during the fellowship, including secondments, which are mandatory and may account for up to 30% of the contract duration.
Candidates of all nationalities and genders are welcome to apply.
Selection process
The recruitment will follow an open, transparent and merit-based process in line with MSCA requirements and the European Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers.
The selection process will include:
- Eligibility check against MSCA and doctoral enrolment rules;
- Assessment of eligible applications by the recruitment committee;
- Shortlisting of candidates for interview;
- Interview and scientific discussion with shortlisted candidates;
- Final ranking and selection;
- Possible establishment of a reserve list.
The evaluation criteria will be:
Pre-interview, all candidates
- Relevance of overall education and acquired skills: 20 pts
- Quality of overall application package: 10 pts
- Relevance and quality of submitted scientific outputs (see application documents needed): 5 pts
- Graduation mark / academic record: 5 pts
- Candidate’s CV and profile in terms of specific outstanding accomplishment: 5 pts
- Candidate’s CV and profile in terms of motivation for the specific PhD position: 5 pts
Post-interview, interviewed candidates
- Candidate’s analytical skills / based on interview: 25 pts
- Candidate’s motivation and fit with the position / based on interview: 25 pts
Additional comments
No internal application form required - the linked pdf document simply contains additional information about the position
Website for additional job details: https://lnkd.in/p/ertTbQCF
Work Location(s)
Number of offers available: 1
Company/Institute: Toulouse Biotechnology Institute
Country: France
City: Toulouse
Postal Code: 31077
Street: 135 Avenue de Rangueil
Contact
City: Toulouse
Website: https://www.insa-toulouse.fr/
Street: 135 Avenue de Rangueil
Postal Code: 31077
E-Mail: hamelin@insa-toulouse.fr
Phone: +33 5 61 55 97 88
Mobile Phone: 06 41 58 06 27
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