For almost two centuries DTU, the Technical University of Denmark, has been dedicated to fulfilling the vision of H.C. Ørsted – the father of electromagnetism (1820) and founder of the university (1829) - to develop and create value using both the natural and technical sciences to benefit society. Today, DTU is ranked as one of the foremost technical universities in Europe, continues to set new records in the number of publications , and persistently increases and develops partnerships with industry including assignments conducted together with DTU’s public sector consultancy .
The department of Environmental Engineering (DTU Environment) aims to develop new environmentally friendly and sustainable technologies, and to disseminate this knowledge to society and a new generation of engineers. The department has about 180 employees of 25 different nationalities, of which ca. 60 are doctoral students. The academic breadth and the multidisciplinary approach needed to solve complex environmental problems are reflected in the broad profile of the scientific staff. DTU Environment works with a broad group of national and international partners, for example public authorities, consultants, manufacturers, and the world's leading universities and research groups within its areas of expertise.
The department of Micro- and Nanotechnology (DTU Nanotech) is dedicated to research, education and innovation at the highest international level within micro- and nanotechnology. DTU Nanotech has around 200 employees of which 30 are faculty members, 90 are PhD students, 60 are scientific staff and 20 are technical administrative staff. Furthermore, 40% of the employees are internationals from 31 different countries. DTU Nanotech cooperates with many other departments at DTU, and is the main user of both DTU Danchip (state-of-the-art clean room at a global level) and DTU Cen (Center for Electron Nanoscopy).
The Department of Environmental Engineering and the Department of Micro- and Nanotechnology at the Technical University of Denmark invite applications for positions as
PhD student on the following 4 topics:
1. Application of engineered nanomaterials for water purification
2. Intensifying environmental bioprocesses via biogranulation
3. Sensitive method for tracing engineered nanoparticles in the environment
4. Residual biomass valorisation for biological production of advanced biofuels
These fellowships are funded as a part of the strategic research collaboration between DTU and the Korea Advanced Institute for Science and Technology (KAIST), under the Danish-South Korean Green Growth initiative.
Job descriptions
Application of engineered nanomaterials for water purification. The fellow will work on the application of nanostructured covalent organic polymer based sorbents for water treatment. The work will mainly address potential advantages of these materials for removing toxic metals from water considering speciation with typical ground- and surface water matrix solutes such as major ions and humic acids, high or low pH, hardness, salinity and hardness. The fellow will also comparie the materials to commercial materials available for toxic metal removal from waters. The materials will then be formulated as treatment columns or imbedded in ultrafiltration membranes.In the last year of the project, a pilot scale demonstration of a treatment solution will be considered.
Intensifying environmental bioprocesses via biogranulation. While the process of biogranulation, whereby microbes form dense aggregates, has been described for many different processes, the actual mechanisms behind it are poorly understood, and empirical approaches are used to control the process. The aim of this project is to further our understanding and ability to control granulation in mixed culture bioprocess technologies. The ambition will be to attempt to infer universal mechanistic principles. To this effect granulation and operational principles that affect granulation will be postulated and experimentally tested on different bioprocess platforms. The following bioprocesses are potentially considered: sulfidogenic UASB, methanogenic UASBs, nitritating/anammox SBRs, and methanotrophic/algal photobioreactors.
Sensitive method for tracing engineered nanoparticles in the environment . Engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) are manufactured for their specific properties providing possibilities for new and improved products and applications, thus bringing significant innovation and advances to society. At the same time, little is known about the potential risk associated with the inevitable release of these new materials to the environment, and their new properties are only poorly understood. The overall purpose of this project is to investigate and improve the concepts, tools and technologies for the highly sensitive tracing of ENPs. We envision the following tasks for this PhD project, including: Synthesis and conditioning of tracer nanoparticles, tracing the mobility of nanoparticles in laboratory settings using conventional and advanced spectrometry, and tracing mobility of nanoparticles in a pilot study to support the validation of environmental fate models developed for ENPs.
Residual biomass valorisation for biological production of advanced biofuels .This fellow will work on innovative fermentative process configurations for production of feedstocks (microbial lipids, and higher C3-C6 alcohols) for aviation (biojet) fuel through bioconversion of residual biomass resources. The candidate will develop methods to anaerobically digest and acidify the biomass feedstocks, extract volatile fatty acids (VFA) via microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology and explore the innovative approaches for bioconversion of VFA to higher alcohols and single cell oil (SCO).
Qualification requirements
At the date of appointment, candidates must have obtained a Master's (M.Sc.) degree in chemical, biochemical, environmental engineering, in environmental, earth or natural sciences, or in micro- and nanotechnology or a similar degree at an academic level equivalent to the M.Sc. degree. A high motivation for research and solid written and oral communication skills in English are prerequisites of any successful application.
The candidates should be willing to carry out part of their research at KAIST, the Korean partner.
Application of engineered nanomaterials for water purification: The candidate must have a strong chemistry background and be both theoretically and experimentally oriented. Experience with instrumental analysis, organic or nanomaterial synthesis, water chemistry of metal ions and chemical water treatment in general will be an advantage.
Intensifying environmental bioprocesses via biogranulation: The candidate is trained as an environmental/biochemical engineer, with strong interest in operation or modelling of biochemical environmental processes. The candidate will have a M.Sc. degree in Environmental Engineering, Chemical/Biochemical Engineering or related discipline, evidence of research experience, and significant exposure to one or more of the following areas: experimental microbiology, bioreactor engineering, biokinetic process analysis, advanced mathematical modeling, water chemistry and wastewater treatment processes. Candidates with both a strong experimental or computational interest and training are welcome.
Sensitive method for tracing engineered nanoparticles in the environment: The successful candidate will have a M.Sc. degree in Micro- and Nanotechnology, Chemical Engineering, Environmental Engineering or related discipline. Experience with or interest in the synthesis and conditioning of nanoparticles will be an advantage, as well as experience with or interest in the application of advanced and sensitive methods for detection of nanoparticles in the environment and mathematical modelling potentially including exposure to laboratory experimental work and/or pilot studies.
Residual biomass valorisation for biological production of advanced biofuels: The successful candidate has training and interest in the following areas: Biofuels, Environmental Biotechnology and Microbiology. The candidate will have a M.Sc. degree in Microbiology, Environmental Engineering, Chemical/Biochemical Engineering or related discipline, evidence of research experience, and significant exposure to one or more of the following areas: laboratory experimental work, fermentation technology and biokinetic process analysis.
Approval and Enrolment
The scholarships for the PhD degree are subject to academic approval, and the candidates will be enrolled in one of the general degree programmes of DTU. For information about the general requirements for enrolment and the general planning of the scholarship studies, please see the DTU PhD Guide .
Assessment
The assessment of the applicants will be made by Assoc. Prof. Henrik Rasmus Andersen (Position 1), Prof. Barth Smets and Assoc. Prof. Benedek Plosz (Position 2), Assoc. Prof. Mogens Havsteen Jakobsen (Position 3) and Professor Irini Angelidaki and Senior Researcher Dimitar Karakashev (Position 4).
We offer
Fellows will enjoy working in and contributing to an international and cross-disciplinary research team. English is the operational language of the departments. We believe that we offer an exciting and challenging job in an international environment with a good team spirit and good possibilities for professional and personal growth. DTU is a family-friendly organisation with flexible working hours.
Salary and appointment terms
The salary and appointment terms are consistent with the current rules for PhD degree students. The period of employment is 3 years. The desired start date is as soon as possible in 2014.
Further information
Further information for the PhD positions may be obtained from Assoc. Prof. Henrik Rasmus Andersen, hran@env.dtu.dk (Position 1), Prof. Barth Smets, bfsm@env.dtu.dk and Assoc. Prof. Benedek Plosz, beep@env.dtu.dk (Position 2), Assoc. Prof. Mogens Havsteen Jakobsen, mhja@nanotech.dtu.dk (Position 3), or Professor Irini Angelidaki, iria@env.dtu.dk and Senior Researcher Dimitar Karakashev, dbka@env.dtu.dk (Position 4).
Please do not send applications to these e-mail addresses, instead apply online as described below.
Application
Please submit your online application no later than 15 June 2014.
Applications must be submitted as one pdf file containing all materials to be given consideration. To apply, please open the link "Apply online," fill in the online application form, and attach all your materials in English in one pdf file. The file must include:
- A letter motivating the application (cover letter)
- Curriculum vitae
- Grade transcripts and BSc/MSc diploma
- Excel sheet with translation of grades to the Danish grading system (see guidelines and excel spreadsheet here )
Candidates may apply prior to obtaining their master's degree, but cannot begin before having received it.
All interested candidates irrespective of age, gender, race, disability, religion or ethnic background are encouraged to apply.
DTU is a technical university providing internationally leading research, education, innovation and public service. Our staff of 5,000 advance science and technology to create innovative solutions that meet the demands of society; and our 10,000 students are educated to address the technological challenges of the future. DTU is an independent academic university collaborating globally with business, industry, government, and public agencies.
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