PhD position on materials development for electrically-driven water treatment processes

What are you going to do?

In many industrial processes, chemicals are added to treat water, clean installations or separate substances from each other. Before the water can be reused or discharged, those excipients must be removed again. That costs a lot of energy, chemicals and money. The new project ECO (Electrically-driven, Chemical-free Operations) therefore chooses a different approach: prevent those excipients from being needed at all. The project will use electric fields and local pH changes close to electrodes to create the desired conditions in exactly the right place without adjusting the entire liquid.

Within ECO, the PhD candidate will collaborate with 4 other PhD researchers from the University of Twente, TU Delft, Wageningen University & Research and the University of Copenhagen. Companies such as Royal Avebe, FrieslandCampina, Nobian, Shell, ISPT, Ecolab and VNP are also involved in the consortium. With five PhD candidates, the consortium will investigate in the coming years how electrically driven process technologies can contribute to cleaner and more energy-efficient industrial processes.

Responsibilities and tasks:

• Fabrication of materials and electrochemical cells with targeted characteristics.
• Characterization of materials and relevant interfaces for their role in the reaction mechanisms.
• Preparation of scientific articles and conference communications.
• Teaching activities (10% of total workload), including assistance to courses, as well as supervision of Bachelor and Master students.
• Contribution to the scientific and collaborative research environment in Chemical Engineering group and the ENTEG institute.
• A team player and open to collaborating in a consortium of other researchers and industrial partners, with regular consortium meetings.
• Ability to communicate their research to people with a broad, technical background.
• Handling the ‘uncertainty’ that the details of the project still need to be defined.
• Contribution to defining their own research, in concerted agreement with the consortium.

Requirements

• A Master’s degree (or an equivalent university degree) in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Chemistry, or related discipline.
• We are looking for a talented, motivated and enthusiastic researcher. Analytical skills, initiative and creativity are highly desired.
• You are a naturally curious person who is eager to learn more and has a strong interest in research.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English are a prerequisite.
• We prefer candidates with a good team spirit, who like to work in an internationally oriented, social environment.

Conditions of employment

What can you expect from us?

• 232 vacation hours per year, based on a 38-hour workweek (1.0 FTE). You can also work more or fewer hours in exchange for more or fewer free hours. For example, with a 40-hour workweek, you save 96 extra free hours, and with a 36-hour workweek, you lose 96 hours.
• End-of-year bonus of 8.3% and 8% holiday allowance.
• Extensive opportunities for personal and professional development.

Employer

University of Groningen

At the University of Groningen (UG), researchers from all fields of academia and technology are working on academic challenges and societal questions. Lecturers prepare their students for meaningful careers within or outside the academic world. Interdisciplinary research and teaching, sharing of knowledge, collaboration with businesses, government institutions, and societal organizations are aspects that are of the utmost importance to this European top university. The UG aims to be an open academic community with an inclusive and safe working climate that invites you to add your value.

Department

Faculty of Science and Engineering

The Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE) provides teaching and research across a wide range of disciplines, from physics and biology to artificial intelligence, mechanical engineering, and pharmacy. In close collaboration with partners from industry, healthcare, and society, we contribute to the urgent challenges of our time, such as energy, sustainability, digitization, and medical technology. Our community is open and informal, with more than 7,000 students, 1,000 PhD students, and 1,400 staff members from all over the world. If you would like to learn more about the Faculty of Science and Engineering, visit rug.nl/fse.

The Engineering and Technology institute Groningen (ENTEG) in which this position is embedded is the engineering science and technology institute of the University of Groningen, The Netherlands. ENTEG research is highly multidisciplinary in nature and focuses on fundamental and applied research on the development of new and innovative processes and products for a wide range of product sectors. Process driven research activities are performed in the field of chemical and biochemical systems, mechanical and electric systems and system networks. Typical product sectors include biobased products, tailored, complex materials such as advanced polymers or polymeric formulations, catalysts, mechatronic devices and software and algorithms. Design, control and modelling and analyses complement the activities.

Additional information

Do you have any questions or need more information?

Questions about the content of the job?
Vassilis Kyriakou (Associate Professor): v.kyriakou@rug.nl

Questions about your application process?
Kimberley ter Voorde - Speelman (Human Resources Assistant): k.m.ter.voorde-speelman@rug.nl

Working at University of Groningen

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