Removal of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in urban waste water treatment plants (UWWTPs) has highly variable and often low efficacy, causing pollution of surface and drinking water. The project called ’Cost-Efficient Removal of Contaminants of Emerging Concern’, which is funded by a grant from NWO/TTW (formerly STW), aims to assess and optimise biodegradation of CECs in UWWTPs. Working together with a postdoctoral researcher and another PhD candidate, you will enrich samples taken at UWWTPs and carry out biodegradation experiments. The measurements will be integrated in mechanistic and statistic modelling, particularly in quantitative structure-activity relationships and metabolic network modelling. The project will be carried out at the departments of Environmental Science and Microbiology and monitored by stakeholders, including regional water authorities, commercial companies and national institutes. A detailed project description is available on request.

You should hold an MSc degree in one of the natural sciences (e.g. biology, chemistry or environmental science) and have modelling and experimental skills, preferably relating to the topics mentioned above. Other important selection criteria are passion, commitment, analytical thinking, a cooperative attitude, and communication skills in spoken and written English.

Fixed-term contract: 4 years.

you will be appointed for an initial period of 18 months, after which your performance will be evaluated. If the evaluation is positive, the contract will be extended by 2.5 years
- you will be classified as a PhD candidate in the Dutch university job-ranking system (UFO).
the gross starting salary amounts to €2,222 per month, and will increase to €2,840 in the fourth year

Radboud University

Strategically located in Europe, Radboud University is one of the leading academic communities in the Netherlands. A place with a personal touch, where top-flight education and research take place on a beautiful green campus in modern buildings with state-of-art facilities.

http://www.ru.nl

Faculty of Science

You will work at the departments of Environmental Science and Microbiology, both part of the Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Faculty of Science, Radboud University. Both departments have ample staff working on modelling and experimental studies on the removal of pollutants from waste water.

No commercial propositions please.

http://www.ru.nl/environmentalscience/ ; http://www.ru.nl/microbiology/