PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances)* are everywhere: in our soil, water, food and body. Worldwide, all countries are affected with soils being contaminated with PFAS. Yet, there are no sustainable methods for remediation. Utrecht University adopted its own safety training facility, a PFAS contaminated site at the Utrecht Science Park, as a subject to research: the PFAS Remediation Living Lab.

Your job
The PFAS Remediation Living Lab is created for sustainable development of PFAS soil and groundwater remediation with a particular application to the PFAS contaminated field at Utrecht University. It brings together researchers and students from the faculties of Geosciences and Sciences, the UU Facility Service Centre and Utrecht Municipality. The living lab is created in cooperation with Utrecht University Living Labs (UULabs) and is supported by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management.

This research will run for four years and includes three PhD positions of which this is one position. Each PhD researcher will work on its own line of research but will collaborate with the other PhD researchers and stakeholders in the living lab. Would you like to contribute to developing sustainable solutions for removing and destroying PFAS substances, remediating this field?

Project / position 2
In the Environmental Sciences section at Utrecht University's Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development we’re seeking a motivated PhD candidate to contribute to sustainable PFAS remediation by

• monitoring and characterizing flow and PFAS transport at the field site, including the development and testing of passive sampling methods for PFAS;
• exploring the potential of natural attenuation of PFAS using compound-specific isotope analysis; and
• design and execute a field pilot for PFAS remediation strategy, including PFAS flushing and immobilisation.

This position will be supervised by Dr Stefanie Lutz (UU), Professor Jasper Griffioen (UU and TNO).

You are expected to publish the results in peer-reviewed papers. A personalised training programme will be set up, reflecting your training needs and career objectives. About 20% of your time will be dedicated to this training component, which includes training on the job in assisting in the Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes of the department at Utrecht University.

*) PFAS, also referred to as “forever chemicals”, are man-made substances that are very difficult to break down. They are used in many products as they contain water, grease, and dirt repellent properties. PFAS are a health risk for animals, humankind and the environment.

You have the following interests and skills:

• You have a Master's degree in a relevant discipline, such as environmental sciences, hydrology, engineering, soil sciences, or a related field by the time the positions starts (September 2024);
• You have a demonstrable interest in quantitative methods including working with monitoring datasets;
• You are experienced and you have an affinity for the design and implementation of fieldwork methods;
• You have experience with programming languages such as Python, R or Matlab; you are interested in doing numerical modeling;
• You are interested in doing cutting-edge policy-relevant scientific research;
• You are able to work independently, but also within the interdisciplinary project team;
• You have excellent writing and verbal communication skills in English;
• You are proficient in Dutch or prepared to acquire Dutch language skills;

We offer:

• a position, initially for one year with an extension to a total of four years upon a successful assessment in the first year, and with the specific intent that it results in a doctorate within this period.
• a gross monthly salary between €2,770 and €3,539 in the case of full-time employment (salary scale P under the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU));
• 8% holiday pay and 8.3% year-end bonus;
• a pension scheme, partially paid parental leave and flexible terms of employment based on the CAO NU.

In addition to the terms of employment laid down in the CAO NU, Utrecht University has a number of schemes and facilities of its own for employees. This includes schemes facilitating professional development, leave schemes and schemes for sports and cultural activities, as well as discounts on software and other IT products. We also offer access to additional employee benefits through our Terms of Employment Options Model. In this way, we encourage our employees to continue to invest in their growth. For more information, please visit Working at Utrecht University.

Universiteit Utrecht

A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University, the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major strategic themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Pathways to Sustainability. Sharing science, shaping tomorrow.

Utrecht University’s Faculty of Geosciences studies the Earth: from the Earth’s core to its surface, including man’s spatial and material utilisation of the Earth – always with a focus on sustainability and innovation. With 3,400 students (BSc and MSc) and 720 staff, the faculty is a strong and challenging organisation. The Faculty of Geosciences is organised in four Departments: Earth Sciences, Human Geography & Spatial Planning, Physical Geography, and Sustainable Development.

The PhD researcher will be based in the Environmental Sciences group of the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development. The Environmental Sciences group is a dynamic, ambitious and internationally leading team of over eighty researchers studying environmental systems and associated sustainability challenges such as human-environment-ecosystem interactions, climate adaptation, the earth's energy balance and climate system. The Faculty of Geosciences houses or has access to a wide variety of world-class laboratories, of which various are situated in ‘the Geolab’.

PhD training programmes are provided by the Graduate School of the Faculty of Geosciences and, if required, other graduate schools at Utrecht University and beyond. The working language of the institute is English. Utrecht University is one of the leading research universities in Europe, with particular strengths in sustainability, climate change, and geography, among others. The doctoral researchers we are hiring will be able to develop their research at the interface of, and with the support of, key strategic themes of the university ('Pathways to Sustainability' and 'Institutions for Open Societies'), opening up numerous opportunities for university-wide interaction.

About Utrecht
The department and its facilities are located at Utrecht Science Park. Utrecht is the fourth largest city in the Netherlands with a population of nearly 360,000 and forms a hub in the middle of the country. Its historical city centre and its modern central station can easily be reached from the Science Park by public transport or by a 15-minute bicycle ride. Utrecht boasts beautiful canals with extraordinary wharf cellars housing cafés and terraces by the water, as well as a broad variety of shops and boutiques.

For more information, please contact Professor Jasper Griffioen via j.griffioen@uu.nl.

Candidates for this vacancy will be recruited by Utrecht University.