14 PhD positions available for EU project (ITN-European Joint Doctorate) NOWELTIES

NOWELTIES - Joint PhD Laboratory for New Materials and Inventive Water Treatment Technologies.  Harnessing resources effectively through innovation is a Marie Sklodowska Curie Action European Joint Doctorate (EJD) project (programme Innovative Training Networks (ITN) of Horizon 2020). Its primary objective is to organize a platform that will provide cutting edge training opportunities for the education of tomorrow`s water treatment experts. The core activity is the research programme (composed of 14 individual research projects) aimed at development of inventive water treatment technologies (advanced biological treatments, innovative oxidation processes, hybrid systems) that allow catering for the varied treatment demands for a plethora of interconnected streams arising from recycling loops. These technologies will be able to control contamination by organic micropollutants (OMPs) and improve recovery of water across a diversity of scales enabling a smart combination of decentralized and centralised approaches. Besides a holistic training in the field of wastewater treatment dealing with state-of-the-art technologies, experimental techniques and knowledge management methodologies, NOWELTIES will provide a unique training approach to learning complex complementary skills leading to independent and critical thinking which seeks for originality and innovation.

Therefore, we are looking for 14 post-graduate researchers (Early Stage Researchers - ESR), specialized in Chemistry, Chemical, Environmental, Hydrogeological or Materials Engineering, Biotechnology, Physics or similar.

Candidates should have a strong interest in (waste)water treatment and interdisciplinary research including bioprocesses for wastewater treatment, nanotechnology, and fate of organic and inorganic contaminants in engineered treatment systems.

The position is offered for 3 years for the following individual research projects:

ESR	Title of PhD thesis	Host institution
1	Understanding biotransformation mechanisms of OMPs during anoxic biological wastewater treatment	University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain
2	Studying the bioavailability and biodegradability of OMPs during treatment	RWTH Aachen University, Germany
3	Coupling the new concept of sequential biofiltration with in situ electron acceptor delivery for enhanced OMP removal and effective attenuation of disinfection by-product precursors	Technical University of Munich, Germany
4	Design, development and characterization of atmospheric plasma system for wastewater treatment	Institute of Physics, Belgrade, Serbia
5	Understanding transformation of OMPs during plasma treatment and its ecotoxicological implications	Catalan Institute for Water Research, Girona, Spain
6	Application of UV LEDs AOPs for the efficient removal of OMPs  from waste water	Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Zagreb, Croatia
7	Surface modification and functionalisation of adsorbent materials	Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, Belgrade, Serbia
8	A green microwave - assisted synthesis of Au/TiO2/graphene oxide nano-hybrids for visible light-induced photocatalysis	Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, Zagreb, Croatia
9	Removal of OMPs by nanophotocatalysts and nanobiocatalysts immobilized into magnetic supports	University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain
10	Novel TiO2-based composite co-catalysts for solar driven water purification	Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Zagreb, Croatia
11	Studying the enhancement of the removal of OMPs from wastewater by adding powder activated carbon in an MBR	University of Ferrara, Italy
12	Design of hybrid nano-engineered reductive bioprocesses for wastewater treatment and biogas generation	Catalan Institute for Water Research, Girona, Spain
13	Development of hybrid treatment system by integrating nanocatalyst and adsorptive composites in situ in sequential biofiltration systems	Technical University of Munich, Germany
14	Hybrid ozone-ceramic membrane process: increasing hydroxyl radical yield and OMP reduction while reducing membrane fouling	Catalan Institute for Water Research, Girona, Spain

 

All hired researchers will compulsory enrol in Doctoral Programmes at two Universities (host institution and mobility host) and undertake mobility in order to implement the Individual Research Project, as well as to participate in a sustained training programme that will lead to awarding double doctoral degree.

- Remuneration according to MSCA ITN rules

 

Eligibility criteria

-    Nationals from any country may apply

-    Mobility: at the time of the recruitment, the researcher must not have resided or carried out his/her main activity (work, studies, etc.), in the country of the chosen host institution (recruiting beneficiary) for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the date of the recruitment.

-    Research category of Early Stage Researcher (ESR): researchers who, at the time of the recruitment, have not yet been awarded a doctorate degree and are in the first 4 years (full-time equivalent) of their research careers, including the research training period that would entitle them to a doctorate.

 

-    Educational background relevant for the chosen position (individual research project)

-    For holders of an official university degree from the countries within the European Higher Education Area (EHEA):  A minimum of 300 ECTS credits completed in official university studies are required, of which at least 60 must be at a master’s degree level.  For holders of a university degree obtained in another country, an equivalent degree that qualifies the holder to begin doctoral studies in the country in which it was issued (a certificated from the University may be required).

-    Previous research experience, relevant to the chosen position.

-    High proficiency in spoken and written English

-    Networking and communication skills (to be evaluated in the interview).

 

Pre-selection: will be based on CV, experience, skills and motivation letter.

Interviews: Short-listed candidates will be interviewed.

Start of contract: September 1^st, 2019

 

Applicants should send full application consisting of:

-    Curriculum Vitae (Europass format recommended; Please specify your residence/work place in the last 3 years).

 -   University transcripts (grades)

-    A statement letter addressing his/her research interests in relationship to the selected individual research project.

-    Applicants should indicate two individual research projects in order of preference (1^st and 2^nd choice)    

-    2 recommendation letters

to nowelties@icra.cat indicating ref. “NOWELTIES” in the subject of the email. 

The deadline to submit the required documentation is March 4^th, 2019.