The Department of Environmental Science at Radboud University and the Joint Research Center of the European Commission offer a joint PhD project.

As a PhD candidate on this project you will focus on life cycle assessment (LCA) methods for the bio-based economy.

Improved LCA methods are needed to better understand and predict the changes in environmental impacts and benefits associated with new bio-based products. One critical aspect is related to the modelling of environmental impacts associated with innovation at a relatively low level of technology readiness, and for which extrapolations are needed, e.g. from the laboratory to the industrial scale application. A potential case study could be built around bio-based plastics, e.g. from organic waste streams. In this context, the development of proxy processes or scale-up factors to reflect the changes in resource and energy efficiency as well as the emission profile when going from smaller to larger production volumes could be a core aspect. Moreover, due to the nature of the biotic resources needed for the production of bio-based materials, dynamic carbon modelling approaches may be developed for a better assessment of the environmental implications of innovations.

You hold an MSc in one of the environmental, natural, or engineering sciences, preferably with knowledge on life cycle assessment and integrated environmental modeling. Experience with environmental modelling is preferred.

• Analytical modelling skills.
• Motivation.
• Communication skills (particularly a good command of oral and written English).
  
  

Fixed-term contract: During your 2nd and 3rd year you will work at – and be employed by – JRC. Please note that during this period JRC’s employment conditions will apply. At the JRC in Ispra, you will get a contract as a Grant Holder 20, which is the grant for PhD candidates.

• Employment: 40 hours per week.
• A maximum gross monthly salary of € 2,972 based on a 38-hour working week (salary scale P).
• The gross starting salary amounts to €2,325 per month, and will increase to €2,972 in the fourth year (p scale).
• In addition to the salary: an 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% end-of-year bonus.
• Duration of the contract: 4 years. During your second and third years you will work at – and be employed by – the JRC. Please note that during this period JRC’s employment conditions will apply. At the JRC in Ispra, you will get a contract as a Grant Holder 20, which is the grant for PhD candidates.
• You will be able to make use of our Dual Career Service: our Dual Career Officer will assist with family-related support, such as child care, and help your partner prepare for the local labour market and with finding an occupation.
• Are you interested in our excellent employment conditions?

We want to get the best out of science, others and ourselves. Why? Because this is what the world around us desperately needs. Leading research and education make an indispensable contribution to a healthy, free world with equal opportunities for all. This is what unites the more than 22,000 students and 5,000 employees at Radboud University. And this requires even more talent and collaboration. You have a part to play!

Faculteit der Natuurwetenschappen, Wiskunde & Informatica

Due to the joint nature of this project you will spend equal parts of your PhD at Radboud University in Nijmegen, in the Netherlands (1st and 4th years) and the JRC in Ispra, Italy (2nd & 3rd years).

The main focus of the Environmental Science group at the Radboud University is on quantifying, understanding and predicting human impacts on the environment. In our research we cover multiple pressures, species and spatial scales, searching for overarching principles that can ultimately be applied to better underpin environmental management and biodiversity conservation.

The Joint Research Centre (JRC) is the European Commission's science and knowledge service which employs scientists to carry out research in order to provide independent scientific advice and support to EU policy. The focus of the Sustainable Resources, Bio-Economy Unit (located in Ispra, Italy), is to provide scientific support to EU policies related to the bio-economy such as the sustainable production as well as the use of biological resources and the conversion to value added products, such as food, feed, bioenergy and bio-based products, including life cycle assessment and environmental footprint.