PhD Positions – ZEST European Doctoral Network on Zinc Energy Storage Technology

Climate change represents one of the greatest current challenges. Heatwaves have resulted in nearly 145,000 excess deaths across Europe over the last 40 years. We are also witnessing rising sea levels, displacements of people, and increasing threats to food and water security. In addition to the cost in human lives, climate-related extreme weather events, including floods, heatwaves, storms, and droughts, are estimated to cause annual economic losses of approximately €54 billion in the European Union and €132 billion worldwide. To combat these problems, the world is racing to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy. However, the intermittent nature of solar and wind energy sources requires the development of efficient, reliable, and sustainable energy storage technologies to ensure a stable and resilient energy supply. Although lithium-ion batteries currently dominate the energy storage market, concerns regarding the availability of critical raw materials, rising costs, supply chain vulnerabilities, and environmental impacts have driven the search for alternative battery chemistries. In this context, zinc-based energy storage technologies have emerged as promising complementary solutions owing to the natural resource abundance, low cost, and safety.

The ZEST European Doctoral Network on Zinc Energy Storage Technology has a clear mission: ZEST is a network focused on novel materials, designs and processes that can merge high performance and sustainability. It will explore advanced, aqueous zinc-ion batteries, zinc-air batteries, zinc-ion systems with non-conventional electrolytes such as deep-eutectic solvents and water-in-salt, and it will look at new ways to improve the recyclability and circularity of zinc batteries. These innovations will break new ground in energy density, scalability, and recyclability. This ZEST network will assemble a team of 15 Doctoral Candidates (DCs), with each DC contributing to the overall aim of advancing zinc energy-storage technology through an individual research project with connections to other DC research projects in ZEST.

The Zinc Energy Storage Technology (ZEST) Doctoral Network includes major academic centres across Europe, including KU Leuven, Universität Bremen, University College London, Sapienza Università di Roma, Politecnico di Milano and Research Institutes of Sweden as well as key industry, such as EverZinc, IMEC, Grillo Zinc Powder, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Prosemino, Dronematrix and ACCUREC Recycling.

Where to apply

Website: https://dn-zest.eu/

Requirements

• Research Field: Engineering » Chemical engineering
• Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent
• Languages: English
• Level: Excellent
• Research Field: Engineering » Chemical engineering, Engineering » Materials engineering

Additional Information

Benefits

The successful candidates will receive an attractive salary in accordance with the MSCA regulations for DCs. The gross salary includes a living allowance (approximately € 4010 per month), a mobility allowance of approximately € 710 per month and, if applicable, a family allowance of approximately € 660 per month. These amounts are nominal (gross) amounts and certain deductions will apply for social security contributions and/or taxes according to the applicable national laws of the country where the recruiting beneficiary is located. The exact (net) salary will be confirmed upon appointment and is dependent on local tax regulations and on the country correction factor (to allow for the difference in cost of living in different EU Member States). The guaranteed PhD funding is for 36 months (i.e. EC funding, additional funding may be possible, depending on the local Supervisor, and in accordance with the regular PhD time in the country of origin). In countries where PhDs typically last longer than 36 months, beneficiaries may foresee additional funding for the required time to finish the PhD if the DC fulfils all technical requirements at the end of the 36 months. In addition to their individual scientific projects, all fellows will benefit from further continuing education, which includes internships and secondments, a variety of training modules as well as transferable skills for the Jobs of Tomorrow and active participation in workshops and conferences.

Eligibility criteria

Applicants need to fully respect three eligibility criteria (to be demonstrated in the Europass CV):

1. Doctoral Candidates (DCs) are those who are, at the time of recruitment by the host, not already in possession of a doctoral degree.
2. Conditions of international mobility of researchers: Researchers are required to undertake transnational mobility (i.e. move from one country to another) when taking up the appointment. At the time of selection by the host organisation, researchers must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the recruiting beneficiary for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to their recruitment. Short stays, such as holidays, are not considered.
3. English language: Doctoral Candidates (DCs) must demonstrate that their ability to understand and express themselves in both written and spoken English is sufficiently high for them to derive the full benefit from the network training.

Selection process

All applications proceed through the on-line recruitment portal on the https://dn-zest.eu website. Candidates apply electronically for one to maximum three DC positions and indicate their preference. Candidates provide all requested information including a detailed CV (Europass format obligatory), a motivation letter and transcripts of bachelor and master degree. During the registration, applicants will need to prove that they are eligible (cf. DC definition, mobility criteria, and English language proficiency). For some positions, candidates must be eligible with respect to national and international regulations for knowledge transfer and export control. The (final) deadline for the online registration is 27 November 2026. However, candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. The ZEST Recruitment Committee selects between 20 and maximum 30 candidates for the Recruitment Event which will take place in Bruges (Belgium) (End of January 2027). The selected candidates provide a 20-minute presentation and are interviewed by the Recruitment Committee. Candidates will be given a small scientific task (prior to the recruitment event) by their prioritized Supervisor and will be asked questions about this task during the interview to check if the candidate has the right background/profile for and a good view on the DC position. In order to facilitate their travel, selected candidates (from outside Belgium) receive a reimbursement of maximum 250 euro (paid by the prioritized Supervisor). In order to avoid delays in reimbursements, candidates are asked to keep all invoices and tickets (cf. train, plane, hotel...). The final decision on who to recruit is communicated shortly after the Recruitment Event (estimated 1 week after the Recruitment Event). The selected DCs are to start their research as quickly as possible (target period: April – November 2027).

Website for additional job details: https://dn-zest.eu/

Work Location(s)

• Number of offers available: 3 — KU Leuven, Spoorwegstraat 12, 8200 Brugge, Belgium
• Number of offers available: 3 — Universität Bremen, Bibliothekstraße 1, 28359 Bremen, Germany
• Number of offers available: 3 — RISE Research Institute of Sweden, Sven Hultins Plats 5, 412 58 Gothenburg, Sweden
• Number of offers available: 3 — University College London, Gower street, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
• Number of offers available: 3 — Sapienza Università di Roma, Piazzale Aldo Moro, 5, 00185 Roma, Italy