The climate impact of aviation is not just defined by the sector’s carbon dioxide emissions, but also by the formation of warming contrails, the nitrogen oxides induced ozone formation and methane depletion. And as the sector keeps growing, securing long-distance mobility, it is crucial to significantly reduce aviation’s total climate impact by optimising flight routes. You will be part of an interdisciplinary team and you will conduct research to minimising aviation’s climate impact as a PhD candidate at TU Delft. The mitigation options are expected to consider the interdependencies of different climate forcers while incorporating uncertainties associated with individual climate forcer. Your work will be part of the EU-funded CONCERTO project, which aims to reduce aviation’s climate impact via operational improvements and enables you to discuss your ideas and solution with various stakeholders.

You will further develop the current air traffic optimization routines as a part of a climate model to address uncertainties. This improved model will enable you to devise air traffic optimisation strategies and implement those in the air traffic simulator and analyse the atmospheric response. To gain insights and align your research with other studies, you’ll work closely with the CONCERTO project partners, including leading weather forecasters, research institutes, an air traffic management company and research simulation specialists.

In addition, you will coach bachelor and master students and supervise their projects. As a PhD candidate, you will also receive all the training you need to evolve. Your homebase will be the Aircraft Noise and Climate Effects group, where you’ll be joining our friendly, highly motivated and supportive team of six Professors, two Postdocs and some thirty PhD students. We share a mission to reduce the environmental impact of aerospace operations, while improving safety and efficiency. Ours is an open-minded, inspiring and friendly atmosphere, in which you’ll exchange knowledge and ideas. 

You thrive on conducting research into aircraft routing and developing complex, interdisciplinary mathematical models. Working with your colleagues and our partners, you leverage your communication skills to drive progress. And while growing your own skills and knowledge, you are committed to coaching and interacting with students. 

You also have:

• An MSc in a relevant subject, such as atmospheric sciences, (applied) physics, (applied) chemistry, aerospace engineering, or mathematics.
• Excellent mathematical and analytical skills.
• Advanced programming skills.
• A keen interest in interdisciplinary research.
• An excellent command of English, as you’ll be working in an internationally diverse community and with international partners

Doing a PhD at TU Delft requires English proficiency at a certain level to ensure that the candidate is able to communicate and interact well, participate in English-taught Doctoral Education courses, and write scientific articles and a final thesis. For more details please check the Graduate Schools Admission Requirements.

Doctoral candidates will be offered a 4-year period of employment in principle, but in the form of 2 employment contracts. An initial 1,5 year contract with an official go/no go progress assessment within 15 months. Followed by an additional contract for the remaining 2,5 years assuming everything goes well and performance requirements are met.

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, increasing from € 2541 per month in the first year to € 3247 in the fourth year. As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related and research skills.

The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance and sport memberships, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged.

For international applicants, TU Delft has the Coming to Delft Service. This service provides information for new international employees to help you prepare the relocation and to settle in the Netherlands. The Coming to Delft Service offers a Dual Career Programme for partners and they organise events to expand your (social) network.

Delft University of Technology

Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

Faculty Aerospace Engineering

The Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at Delft University of Technology is one of the world’s most highly ranked (and most comprehensive) research, education and innovation communities devoted entirely to aerospace engineering. More than 200 science staff, around 270 PhD candidates and close to 3000 BSc and MSc students apply aerospace engineering disciplines to address the global societal challenges that threaten us today, climate change without doubt being the most important. Our focal subjects: sustainable aerospace, big data and artificial intelligence, bio-inspired engineering and smart instruments and systems. Working at the faculty means working together. With partners in other faculties, knowledge institutes, governments and industry, both aerospace and non-aerospace. Working in field labs and innovation hubs on our university campus and beyond. 

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering.