"PhD position: Environmental footprint of critical and biobased raw materials"

Location:

KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium (with initial 2 years at JRC in Ispra, Italy)

Position:

PhD Position in Sustainability Assessments of Materials and Circular Economy

Job Reference:

(ref. BAP-2025-162)

Last Modified:

12/03/25

Job Description:

A PhD position is available within a Collaborative Doctoral Partnership Agreement between KU Leuven and the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission (EC). The successful candidate will spend the first two years at the JRC in Ispra, Italy, and the remaining two years at KU Leuven, Belgium. This research focuses on sustainability assessments, specifically for critical raw materials (CRMs) and biobased materials, and their role in circular economy and resource efficiency.

The Sustainable Resources Directorate at the JRC conducts research to provide independent scientific advice to EU policy. The PhD project will address the challenges of integrating environmental, economic, and criticality assessments into the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of critical raw materials and their embedded products. The research will help strengthen the EU’s sustainability strategies, particularly related to circular economy and biotechnology.

The project is overseen by Prof. Karel Van Acker, from the Department of Materials Engineering and the Centre for Economics and Corporate Sustainability at KU Leuven. The research is highly interdisciplinary, involving close collaboration with industry, policy makers, and other research teams.

Research Focus:

• Life Cycle Assessment (LCA): Develop LCA and EU Environmental Footprint (EF) methods for assessing the environmental impacts of critical raw materials and CRM-embedded products (e.g., biomaterials, renewable technologies).
• Economic and Criticality Assessments: Perform techno-economic analyses to assess the economic viability and identify cost reduction opportunities in CRM value chains.
• Integration of Environmental, Economic, and Criticality Frameworks: Construct an integrated assessment framework for CRM-embedded products using multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA).
• Circularity of CRMs: Investigate how to incorporate circularity into CRM life cycle assessments and explore the role of biobased alternatives to CRMs in various supply chains.

Responsibilities:

• Conduct a systematic review of the available data on CRMs and their relevance in product value chains.
• Develop Life Cycle Inventories (LCI) for value chains, focusing on specific CRMs and key products.
• Assess the life cycle impacts (environmental, economic, criticality) of products containing CRMs.
• Perform techno-economic analysis (TEA) to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of CRM value chains.
• Develop a framework to integrate environmental, economic, and criticality assessments for CRM-embedded products.

Profile:

• Education: Master’s degree in Engineering (e.g., Engineering Science, Bioscience Engineering), Material Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Geology, or a related field. The degree should be obtained with at least cum laude (or equivalent).
• Experience:
• Experience in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Environmental Footprint (EF) methods, preferably in the context of critical raw materials or value chains.
• Previous work related to critical raw materials, biomaterials, or renewable energy technologies is highly desirable.
• Ability to handle data collection, methodology development, and multi-scale analysis.
• Skills:
• Strong interest in the intersection of science and policy development, particularly within the EU context.
• Strong teamwork and initiative skills.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Proficiency in English (both written and spoken).
• Mobility: Willingness to spend 2 years at the JRC in Ispra, Italy and 2 years at KU Leuven.

Offer:

• The PhD project will be carried out over a period of 4 years:
• First 2 years at JRC in Ispra, Italy.
• Last 2 years at KU Leuven, Belgium.
• The candidate will be employed under a Grantholder contract (Cat. 20) at the JRC, with an indicative gross annual salary of €40,966.56. Full details on contract conditions can be found here.
• During the KU Leuven phase, the candidate will be subject to PhD scholarship conditions as outlined here.
• The candidate will be enrolled in a PhD program at KU Leuven and will have access to a vibrant research environment with ample opportunities for academic and industry collaborations.

Selection Process:

The selection will occur in two stages:

1. KU Leuven will conduct the initial selection based on applications.
2. A second selection will take place at the JRC in collaboration with KU Leuven.

Application Requirements:

Interested applicants should upload the following documents:

• Updated CV detailing education and professional experiences.
• Motivation letter explaining the candidate’s research interests and fit for the project.
• Transcript of courses and grades.
• Names and contact details of two referees.
• English language certificate (IELTS, TOEFL, or equivalent).
• Optional: A copy of a relevant publication (e.g., scientific paper, master thesis, technical report).

Application Deadline:

April 30, 2025

Applications can be submitted via the online application tool.

KU Leuven’s Commitment to Diversity:

KU Leuven strives for an inclusive, respectful, and socially safe environment. We embrace diversity as an asset and encourage applicants from all backgrounds. We do not accept any form of discrimination, and we actively work to ensure equal opportunities in the recruitment process.

For questions about accessibility or support, please contact us at apply@kuleuven.be.