PhD position in mechanical pretreatment of meadow grass for biogas production | Technical University of Denmark (DTU)

A PhD position is available at Department of Environmental Engineering within the project “New technology for an efficient utilization of meadow grass in biogas reactor” funded by the Energy Technology Development and Demonstration Programme- EUDP (under the Danish Energy Agency).

Responsibilities and tasks

The candidate will participate in a newly started project, which aims to develop and demonstrate an energy enhancing technology that is performed in connection with biomass harvesting (preferably grass from meadows and marginal lands). This technology will extract biomass resources from lands and provide them to the value chain from harvesting to feeding into the biogas reactors. The main advantages of this technology are that it will be cost effective and will reduce the energy loss. Moreover, the technology will make commercially attractive for landowners to sell biomass from current unprofitable areas without any complications in relation to the climate benefit or displacement of land for food production. The candidate will perform a thorough study on different species of grass to define the optimum conditions of mechanical pretreatment, in order the grass to be exploited in full scale biogas plants.

Qualifications

At the date of appointment, candidates must have obtained a Master’s (M.Sc.) degree in engineering or a similar degree with an academic level equivalent to the Master’s degree in engineering. A high motivation for research and solid written and oral communication skills in English are prerequisites of any successful application.

The successful candidate will have an M.Sc degree in biotechnology and bioengineering, chemical or biochemical engineering. Strong skills in chemical and microbial analysis and experience with laboratory work are required. Moreover, experience in laboratory scale reactor tests will be an advantage.

Approval and Enrolment

The scholarships for the PhD degree are subject to academic approval, and the candidates will be enrolled in one of the general degree programmes of DTU. For information about the general requirements for enrolment and the general planning of the scholarship studies, please see the DTU PhD Guide.

In order to obtain academic approval, a student must have an MSc grade point average of at least 8 (7 grade scale) in addition to having received a high grade on the master’s thesis (10/12). Instructions on how to convert your grades in the 7 grade scale are found at DTU’s homepage.

PhD at DTU Environment As PhD student at DTU Environment you will be part of the scientific staff and treated as such. We are one of the leading university institutes in Europe with a large network worldwide. We have an international environment with an international MSc education and 60 PhD students from a number of countries. Copenhagen is a pleasant place to live with easy transport and a rich cultural life.

Assessment

The assessment of the applicants will be made by: Professor Irini Angelidaki.

Salary and appointment terms

The salary and appointment terms are consistent with the current rules for PhD degree students. The period of employment is 3 years.

Further information

Further information may be obtained from Panagiotis Kougias, Αυτή η διεύθυνση Email προστατεύεται από τους αυτοματισμούς αποστολέων ανεπιθύμητων μηνυμάτων. Χρειάζεται να ενεργοποιήσετε τη JavaScript για να μπορέσετε να τη δείτε.

Please do not send applications to this e-mail address, instead apply online as described below.

Application

Please submit your online application no later than 15 October 2013.

Applications must be submitted as one pdf file containing all materials to be given consideration. To apply, please open the link “Apply online”, fill in the online application form, and attach all your materials in English in one pdf file. The file must include:

1. A letter motivating the application (cover letter)

2. Curriculum vitae

3. Grade transcripts and BSc/MSc diploma

4. Excel sheet with translation of grades to the Danish grading system (see guidelines and excel spreadsheet here)

5. Two reference letters

Candidates may apply prior to obtaining their master’s degree, but cannot begin before having received it.

All interested candidates irrespective of age, gender, race, disability, religion or ethnic background are encouraged to apply.

DTU Environment is one of the largest university departments specializing in environmental engineering in Europe. Research is conducted by an international staff consisting of 25 faculty members, approximately 15 post-doctoral fellows, 5 visiting foreign scientists and 55 PhD students. Research is done in four themes. The project is located in Bioenergy Group, Theme Residual Resource Engineering.

DTU is a technical university providing internationally leading research, education, innovation and public service. Our staff of 5,000 advance science and technology to create innovative solutions that meet the demands of society; and our 9,000 students are educated to address the technological challenges of the future. DTU is an independent academic university collaborating globally with business, industry, government, and public agencies.