PhD in the excellence & sustainability programme of the section Mechanics of Materials of TU/e

Are you an engineering scientist who wishes to contribute to high-tech applications, state-of-the-art modelling or experimentation of advanced sustainable materials across the scales? We are looking for outstanding and enthusiastic PhD candidates, with a proven track record of excellence, to work on a challenging PhD project, in an exciting multidisciplinary team.

Section Mechanics of Materials
The section of Mechanics of Materials (MoM) (www.tue.nl/mechmat) at the department of Mechanical Engineering of Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) launched a PhD excellence programme for sustainable materials in 2026 in order to recruit 11 outstanding PhD students. The MoM section is recognized worldwide for its high-level research on experimental analysis, theoretical understanding and predictive modelling of complex thermo-mechanical behaviour (e.g., plasticity, damage, fracture) in engineering materials at different length scales, which emerges from the physics and mechanics of the underlying multi-phase microstructure. An integrated numerical-experimental approach is generally adopted for this goal. A state-of-the-art computing infrastructure is in place for the numerical work in this project.

PhD projects
The PhD projects listed below are embedded in 4 larger programmes:

• Green Steels: The Dutch steel sector faces a major transition. The production, processing, use and recovery of steel is to be made significantly more sustainable by 2030 and completely CO2 neutral by 2050. The programme “Growing with Green Steel” is a plan to achieve this, involving major changes throughout the steel value chain. The section Mechanics of Materials contributes to this plan by studying how the microstructure and resulting properties of green steels are being affected by the new steel processing routes.
• Physics-Based Design of Hydrogen-Resistant Steels: The shift to a hydrogen-based energy system brings a major materials challenge: hydrogen can penetrate steel and make it brittle, leading to sudden failure. This is especially challenging for sustainable (‘green’) steel grades, which exhibit a complex microstructural variability. This programme addresses this challenge using tools at the intersection of materials physics, computational modelling, digitalisation and targeted experiments. Using physics-based models linking microstructural mechanisms to macroscopic behaviour, and informed by experimental characterisation and validation, digital twin frameworks are developed enabling a virtual assessment and optimisation of steel microstructures before they are produced. This programme is therefore essential for the future hydrogen economy.
• Thermal interfaces at cryogenic conditions: Many advanced technologies — like quantum computers, powerful microscopes, and chip-making tools — require extreme cooling. However, the optimal design of cooling systems at cryogenic conditions is hampered by the lack of predictive thermal conductance models at these temperatures. This results in costly trial-and-error development, slows innovation, and ultimately in system designs with suboptimal thermal performance and energy inefficiencies. This programme focuses on the development of multiscale models that will improve our understanding of how microstructural changes in materials and evolving constrained contact conditions at cryogenic temperatures affect thermal and mechanical properties and uses that knowledge to build smarter, quieter, and more energy-efficient cooling systems. These new systems will support better medical imaging, faster computers, and greener high-tech manufacturing.
• Wafer handling: Silicon wafers are the base material for the fabrication of modern electronic devices. To ensure optimal reliability of the adopted lithographic processes, two aspects are important: (i) the surface quality of the silicon wafers needs to meet stringent requirements and (ii) the production environment needs to be absolutely immaculate. Both of these aspects constitute the driving force for extensive investigations of silicon under contact loading conditions in this programme. Typically, the influence of mechanical interaction on silicon wafers is investigated by means of advanced scratch experiments under high-resolution observation, that are essential for gaining an improved mechanistic understanding at the microscopic scale.

All PhD projects involve collaborations with industry. These are indicated between square brackets below, along with the name of main supervisor of each project.

Computational mechanics PhD projects

• PhD 1: Rolling contact fatigue in green bearing steels – numerical microstructural modelling [SKF; Ron Peerlings]
• PhD 2: Predictive analysis of edge crack sensitivity of green steels [Tata Steel; Marc Geers]
• PhD 3: From structure to properties in green metastable stainless steels [Philips, Alleima; Marc Geers]
• PhD 4: Solute-dependent bcc crystal plasticity in hydrogen-resistant circular steels [Tata Steel; Ron Peerlings]
• PhD 5: Grain-boundary plasticity and damage in hydrogen-resistant circular steels [Tata Steel; Ron Peerlings]
• PhD 6: Pipeline fracture twin: Digital twin development for hydrogen-assisted crack propagation in buried steel pipelines [APS, Tata Steel; Karo Sedighiani]
• PhD 7: Cryogenic interface heat transfer for advanced thermal interfaces [Thermo Fisher Scientific, ASML, AAE, MI-Partners; Olaf van der Sluis]

Experimental mechanics PhD projects

• PhD 8: Rolling contact fatigue in green bearing steels – experimental microstructural analysis [SKF; Johan Hoefnagels]
• PhD 9: Effect of surface changes due to tramp elements and new heating methods on the mechanics of green steel [Tata steel; Johan Hoefnagels]
• PhD 10: In-situ micromechanical investigation of hydrogen-induced plasticity in circular steels [Tata steel; Johan Hoefnagels]
• PhD 11: Micromechanical experimental analysis of particle generation in silicon wafer handling [VDL; Johan Hoefnagels]

A meaningful job in a dynamic and ambitious university, in an interdisciplinary setting and within an international network. You will work on a beautiful, green campus within walking distance of the central train station. In addition, we offer you:

• Full-time employment for four years, with an intermediate assessment after nine months. You will spend a minimum of 10% of your four-year employment on teaching tasks, with a maximum of 15% per year of your employment.
• Salary and benefits (such as a pension scheme, paid pregnancy and maternity leave, partially paid parental leave) in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, scale P (min. € 3,059 - max. € 3,881).
• A year-end bonus of 8.3% and annual vacation pay of 8%.
• High-quality training programs and other support to grow into a self-aware, autonomous scientific researcher. At TU/e we challenge you to take charge of your own learning process.
• An excellent technical infrastructure, on-campus children's day care and sports facilities.
• An allowance for commuting, working from home and internet costs.
• A Staff Immigration Team and a tax compensation scheme (the 30% facility) for international candidates.

The succinct information provided in this vacancy description may not allow you to make a clear final choice on the PhD project. The assessment procedure will therefore be carried out in 2 steps:

• Step 1: excellence assessment (for all candidates)
• Step 2: if you passed step 1, more detailed information will be provided by the responsible PIs on the PhD projects you marked to be interested in. This will enable to make a final selection of your project in mutual consultation.

Visit our website for more information about the application process or the conditions of employment. You can also contact HRServices.Gemini@tue.nl.

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