Doctoral fellow

ABOUT GHENT UNIVERSITY

Ghent University is a world of its own. Employing more than 15.000 people, it is actively involved in education and research, management and administration, as well as technical and social service provision on a daily basis. It is one of the largest, most exciting employers in the area and offers great career opportunities.
With its 11 faculties and more than 85 departments offering state-of-the-art study programmes grounded in research in a wide range of academic fields, Ghent University is a logical choice for its staff and students.

Doctoral fellow within the Marie-Curie Doctoral Network SCARPA
Today, fewer than 5% of shoes are recycled, despite growing awareness around sustainability and initiatives from leading brands. Tackling the sustainability challenges of the footwear industry is one of the most pressing and overlooked issues in today’s circular economy transition. SCARPA lays the foundations for a Circular Footwear Economy through a European Joint Doctoral Network that trains 15 Doctoral Candidates (DCs) to become a new generation of scientists, engineers, and policy makers. They will address the full life cycle of footwear — from design to processing, use, reuse, and recycling. Each DC, developing their research skills under the guidance of at least two academic supervisors and an industrial co-promoter, represents a crucial piece of the puzzle. Together, they form a collaborative network that challenges conventional thinking and proposes innovative, system-based solutions to drastically increase material reuse rates in the footwear sector.

YOUR TASKS

You will introduce and develop dynamic/reversible chemistry for elastomeric materials in footwear that allow actually used unrecyclable elastomers to become fully recyclable. The PhD research will also focus on debondable adhesives. The project will start with the preparation of smart and cheap building blocks, followed by their crosslinking with readily available and industrially relevant compounds. Material evaluations will involve rheology, DSC, TGA, tensile testing, as well as tests for adhesive strength such as lap-shear testing.
The main objectives are:

• To investigate suitable dynamic covalent (DCC) chemistries for their compatibility with polymer manufacturing processes for shoe design.
• Introduce the best-performing dynamic chemistry directly into a shoe rubber matrix for the production of the next generation of recyclable shoe rubbers.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

• You hold a bachelor degree in Chemistry and a Master’s degree in Chemistry, Polymer Chemistry or related fields
• Compliant with MSCA mobility rule: not have resided or carried out your main activity (work/study) in Belgium for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to recruitment.
• The ideal candidate has a background in polymer recycling and material characterization
• You have strong ability to apply fundamental knowledge to address real-world societal challenges
• You are experienced working in chemical laboratory environments and with analytical equipment, and demonstrate creativity, open-mindedness, and the capacity to work independently
• You have a pragmatic approach to problem-solving, coupled with a drive for research and intellectual curiosity
• You are a collaborative team player with very good interpersonal skills, and thus able to work effectively with others
• Strong communication skills are required, particularly the ability to explain complex scientific topics to a lay audience. Proficiency in English is therefore essential

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

• We offer a full-time position as a doctoral fellow, consisting of an initial period of 12 months, which - after a positive evaluation, will be extended to a total maximum of 48 months.
• Your contract will start on 01/01/2026 at the earliest.
• The fellowship amount is 100% of the net salary of an AAP member in equal family circumstances. The individual fellowship amount is determined by Team Personnel Administration based on family status and seniority. A grant that meets the conditions and criteria of the regulations for doctoral fellowships is considered free of personal income tax. Click here for more information about our salary scales
• All Ghent University staff members enjoy a number of benefits, such as a wide range of training and education opportunities, 36 days of holiday leave (on an annual basis for a full-time job) supplemented by annual fixed bridge days, bicycle allowance and eco vouchers. Click here for a complete overview of all the staff benefits.

INTERESTED?

Apply via email to csc@lists.ugent.be by 31/10/2025. The subject of the email should be: [SCARPA] DC2 – Application YourName. You must attach the following documents:

• Your CV: your CV and an overview of your study results (merged into one pdf file)
• A Cover letter: your application letter in pdf format including your motivation to do a PhD and why this specific topic
• Transcript of the required degrees (if already in your possession). If you have a foreign diploma in a language other than our national languages (Dutch, French or German) or English, please add a translation in one of the mentioned languages.
• At least one recommendation letter (academic reference)

• A language certificate demonstrating knowledge on ERK level C1 (list of accepted tests and required results: https://www.ugent.be/en/work/talent/prooflanguagetest.htm.)

Late and incomplete submissions will not be considered.

As Ghent University maintains an equal opportunities and diversity policy, everyone is encouraged to apply for this position.

For more information about the SCARPA doctoral network, please contact csc@lists.ugent.be. For more information about this vacancy, please contact Prof. Filip Du Prez (Filip.DuPrez@UGent.be)