Do you want to contribute to the transition to a circular bioeconomy by stakeholder workshops, pathway development, and research on innovation ecosystems for upcycling biomass waste?Job descriptionIf this question sparks your interest and you are motivated to pursue a PhD in innovation systems and the transition to a circular bio-economy, you might be our new colleague for the ABEL (Ab Initio Biowaste Loop) project. We are seeking an excellent candidate for a 4-year PhD study as part of the ABEL project, an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research project funded by NWO under a call on the National Science Agenda (NSA). See: New consortium aims to turn waste into high-value biomaterials.
ABEL involves several faculties of TU Delft, as well as other Dutch universities, universities of applied sciences, companies, and other stakeholders from the biowaste upcycling sector. It includes 9 PhD positions and 8 Postdoc positions. The purpose of ABEL is to develop new technologies to convert low-grade organic waste into high-performance biomaterials that can be reused and easily recycled at end-of-life, while improving business, social, and environmental aspects. It also includes developing circular biowaste strategies, transition pathways, and policy mixes. The aim is to make the industry less dependent on fossil fuels and scarce raw materials, while also reducing waste incineration and greenhouse gas emissions.
The PhD researcher at the Energy and Industry group of TU Delft’s Faculty of Technology, Policy, and Management will develop future visions, transition pathways, policy mixes, and circular biowaste strategies, and will employ stakeholder participation, gamification and serious gaming, backcasting, and transition management, and will build upon innovation ecosystems thinking, transitions, and innovation learning. You will map the current innovation ecosystem and identify barriers and conditions for the upscaling and upgrading of biowaste. You will also develop pathways that address these barriers and conditions in a responsible way, and you will evaluate the transition learning among stakeholders and other parts of the project. You will collaborate with other early-career and senior researchers in the project, as well as other consortium partners. You will also reach out to relevant stakeholders, innovating companies, and policymakers to gather data and validate results. Your main supervisors will be Assistant Professor Jaco Quist and Associate Professor Emile Chappin.
Job requirementsYou must have a Master's degree, or a similar degree with an academic level equivalent to a Master's degree. We are seeking candidates with a Master’s degree in Inter/trans-disciplinary Sciences, Transition or Innovation Studies, Complex Systems Engineering and Management, Engineering & Policy Analysis, Management of Technology, Industrial Ecology, or a relevant Social Science discipline.
The following further qualifications will be considered in the assessment, while the profile of the candidate will be taken into account for developing the direction of the research:
- Documented experiences and skills in one or several types of methods, e.g., qualitative research methods, participatory research, quantitative modelling research methods.
- Strong background and interest in the transition to a circular economy, circular innovation ecosystems, and participatory approaches.
- Ability to thrive in a technical environment.
- Excellent writing, presenting, and communication skills.
- Open-minded team player, able to work in multidisciplinary teams and to collaborate with stakeholders.The working language in the project is English, so the candidate must have strong skills in both written and spoken English, while sufficient proficiency in Dutch is considered an advantage for stakeholder interactions.
TU Delft (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 Technology, Policy & ManagementThe Faculty of TPM provides an important contribution to solving complex technical-social issues, such as energy transition, mobility, digitalisation, water management and (cyber) security. TPM does this with its excellent education and research at the intersection of technology, society and policy. We combine insights from both engineering and social sciences as well as the humanities. TPM develops robust models and designs, is internationally oriented and has an extensive network of knowledge institutions, companies, social organisations and governments.
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here to go to the website of the Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management.
Conditions of employment 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 €3059 - €3881 gross per month, from the first year to the fourth year based on a fulltime contract (38 hours), plus 8% holiday allowance and an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%.
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 a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged.
Will you need to relocate to the Netherlands for this job? TU Delft is committed to make your move as smooth as possible! The HR unit,
Coming to Delft Service, offers information on their website to help you prepare your relocation. In addition, Coming to Delft Service organises events to help you settle in the Netherlands, and expand your (social) network in Delft. A
Dual Career Programme is available, to support your accompanying partner with their job search in the Netherlands.
Additional informationFor more information about this vacancy, you can contact Dr Jaco Quist (
j.n.quist@tudelft.nl).
Application procedureAre you interested in this vacancy? Please apply no later than
5 March 2026 via the application button and upload the following documents:
- CV
- Motivational letter
- BSc/MSc diploma (in English) and grade transcripts, including an official description of the grading scale.
You can address your application to Jaco Quist and Emile chappin.
The first round of interviews will take place on 16 and 17 March, and the second round of interviews will be scheduled for 31 March 2026.
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.Please note: - You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post.
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