Applicants are invited for a PhD fellowship/scholarship at Graduate School of Technical Sciences, Aarhus University, Denmark, within the Biological and Chemical Engineering programme. The position is available from 1 April 2025 or later. You can submit your application via the link under 'how to apply'.
Title
Novel pre-and post-treatment technologies to optimize anaerobic digestion
Research area and project description
Biogas plays a very important role in the green transition of the society. The biogas technology is an environmental well-developed technology that besides the energy production also has several others environmental benefits such as removal of pollutants, reduction of greenhouse gases and improving the fertilizer value. However, there is still several possibilities to improve the efficiency by pre- and posttreatment of the substrates used.
The objectives are: (i) to identify and optimize cost-effective pre-treatment methods, evaluating their impact on gas yield and the removal of micropollutants, (ii) to develop an innovative digester design by implementing serial connections of digesters with optimized retention times and temperatures, (iii) to investigate the influence of applied pre-treatment on the formation of degradation products of micropollutants and their subsequent effects on the anaerobic digestion process.
The aims are to design innovative pre-treatment technologies for effluents containing micropollutants. The focus will be on efficient reactor configurations and process conditions to optimize the pre-treatment process, specifically targeting the breakdown of complex organic compounds. Additionally, systematically investigating the impact of diverse pre-treatment methods on biogas production and the overall treatment quality by post-anaerobic digestion. Furthermore, the project will encompass an evaluation of cost-effective analysis and finally upscale the most efficient combination of pre-treatment and anaerobic digestion processes.
This PhD position is funded by the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network (MSCA-DN) within the NEUTEN Project, which focuses on energy-neutral wastewater treatment systems.
The project is part of the European Union’s Horizon Europe program, aiming to train a new generation of researchers in developing innovative environmental solutions to address complex water and energy challenges across Europe. Salary, holiday payment, pension contributions and the like include all employer and employee's taxes and contributions. Thus, figures are before taxes are paid, and taxes may differ depending on individual circumstances. Salary and terms of employment are in accordance with applicable collective agreement, and salary is depending on seniority. Salary includes a non-pensionable PhD supplement. The allowances mentioned in the EU work programme (living allowance, mobility allowance and, if applicable, family allowance) will be part of the salary. Allowance rates can be found in the relevant EU Work Programme (under MSCA doctoral network - Applicable unit contributions), and country correction coefficient can be found in the same document.
Please note that for technical reasons, you must upload a project description. Please simply copy the project description above and upload it as a PDF in the application.
Qualifications and specific competences
The successful candidate holds a master’s degree in civil engineering, in biotechnology, biological engineering, process technology, environmental technology or similar (120 ECTS). The candidate should be able to work independently and be problem solving oriented.
Experience in the following areas would be of advantage:
Biological reactor technology and operation of anaerobic and aerobic bioreactors. Chemical analytical skills.
You should:
- have good communication skills both in oral and written English
- be able to write scientific publications
- be able to work independently but also in collaboration with other students and staff
Place of employment and place of work
The place of employment is Aarhus University, and the place of work is Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Blichers Allé 20, DK- 8830 Tjele, Denmark.
EU eligibility requirements in Marie Curie Doctoral Networks
- Supported researchers must be doctoral candidates, i.e. not already in possession of a doctoral degree at the date of the recruitment. Researchers who have successfully defended their doctoral thesis but who have not yet formally been awarded the doctoral degree will not be considered eligible.
- Researchers must be enrolled in a doctoral programme leading to the award of a doctoral degree in at least one EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country, and for Joint Doctorates in at least two.
- Recruited researchers can be of any nationality and must comply with the following mobility rule: they 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 36 months immediately before their recruitment date.
- Compulsory national service, short stays such as holidays and time spent by the researcher as part of a procedure for obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention75 are not taken into account.
- Secondments are eligible for up to one third of the actual months spent implementing the research training activities under the action.
- In case of industrial doctorates, doctoral candidates must spend at least 50% of their fellowship duration in the non-academic sector.’
Applicants seeking further information are invited to contact:
- Henrik Bjarne Møller, e-mail: henrikb.moller@bce.au.dk, phone: 0045 4053 1596 (main supervisor)
Please follow this link to submit your application.
Application deadline is 1 February 2025 at 23:59 CET.
Preferred starting date is 1 April 2025.
For information about application requirements and mandatory attachments, please see our application guide.
Please note:
- Only documents received prior to the application deadline will be evaluated. Thus, documents sent after deadline will not be taken into account.
- The programme committee may request further information or invite the applicant to attend an interview.
- Shortlisting will be used, which means that the evaluation committee only will evaluate the most relevant applications.
Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants. All interested candidates are encouraged to apply, regardless of their personal background.
INFORMATIONER OM STILLINGEN:
- Arbejdspladsen ligger i:
Viborg Kommune
-Virksomheden tilbyder:
-Arbejdsgiver:
Aarhus Universitet, Blichers Allé, 8830 Tjele
-Ansøgning:
Ansøgningsfrist: 31-01-2025;
Se mere her: https://job.jobnet.dk/CV/FindWork/Details/6161073
