"PhD position on: “Sustainable Membranes through advanced foaming”"

Within Membrane Surface Science (MSuS), part of the Department of Membrane Science & Technology (MST, www.membrane.nl), and Molecular Nanofabrication, part of the department of Molecules and Materials, both of the University of Twente, the Netherlands, we have a vacancy for a PhD student.

The project will focus on the production and characterization of new and sustainable membranes. Membranes play a critical role in the production of safe drinking water and in the treatment of human waste streams. However, membranes themselves are nearly always produced using costly, harmful and environmentally unfriendly aprotic solvents such as N-methyl-pyrrolidone (NMP). This project will investigate a highly novel approach allowing the production of the next generation of advanced membranes without the need to use any organic solvents. Here, the complexation of positively and negatively charged polyelectrolytes will be the basis for a new method for the fabrication of membranes, requiring only water as a solvent. The porous structure of the membrane will be guaranteed by using an advanced foaming approach, that will also allow control over the membrane porosity and pore size. There will be a strong focus on connecting material properties to membrane performance.

The project is part of a larger NWO-VICI project, and as such the recruited PhD student will be expected to closely collaborate with at least 2 other PhD students and one postdoc within the project. While this PhD project will focus on sustainable membrane production, others will focus on advanced functionalities and on upscaling of these most promising membranes. This team oriented research project is intended to be a highly collaborative environment. Moreover, the project will be well integrated in the MSuS and MnF groups, allowing extensive collaboration and knowledge exchange.

As part of the PhD program, you would have the opportunity to receive further education within the Twente Graduate School and within various graduate education programmes in the Netherlands. Furthermore, you will be expected to actively contribute to the teaching program, e.g. by supervising BSc and MSc assignments or by acting as teaching assistants in courses taught by department staff members.

Requirements

You have a Master’s degree, preferably with distinction (or international equivalent), in Membrane Science, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Physical Chemistry, Physics or a closely related discipline. You are motivated and enthusiastic about working on a more fundamental project within a more applied field of research. You have a high affinity towards physical chemistry, materials science, water treatment or related topics. Preferably you have experience and affinity with polyelectrolytes, responsive polymers, phase separation processes etc. You have the ability to work independently and as a member of an international research team, while demonstrating a collaborative attitude. You are able to review and engage with interdisciplinary studies and are driven by curiosity. You have excellent analytical skills and an analytical mind-set, excellent communication skills, written as well as spoken and will be part of a dynamic, interactive research community where you are expected to contribute to the overall academic level. English language proficiency is a must and a written test, as well as a scientific presentation, can be part of the interview procedure.

Conditions of employment

A full-time position for four years, with a qualifier in the first year, and the flexibility to work (partially) from home; Your salary and associated conditions are in accordance with the collective labour agreement for Dutch universities (CAO-NU); You will receive a gross monthly salary ranging from € 3.059,- (first year) to € 3.881,- (fourth year); There are excellent benefits including a holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual salary, an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%, and a solid pension scheme; A minimum of 232 leave hours in case of full-time employment based on a formal workweek of 38 hours. A full-time employment in practice means 40 hours a week, therefore resulting in 96 extra leave hours on an annual basis; Free access to sports facilities on campus; A family-friendly institution that offers parental leave (both paid and unpaid); You will have a training programme as part of the Twente Graduate School where you and your supervisors will determine a plan for a suitable education and supervision.

The Membrane Science and Technology department, often referred to as Twente Membranes, consists of several chairs focused on the development of new membrane materials and modules, membrane characterization, transport phenomena near and through membrane surfaces and the development of membrane processes and applications. The MST department has a history in membranes research of more than 50 years, and is internationally recognized as a leading department in membrane science and technology. The department boasts an impressive track record of over 250 PhD graduates, over 1000 peer reviewed scientific publications and over 40 granted patents. The molecules and materials department is an internationally leading department in the fields of organic chemistry and materials science.